Arthur L. Strassle

On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, Arthur Lawrence Strassle, Jr., loving husband and father of four children, passed away at age 83.

Arthur, or Art as he was known to his friends, was born on September 19, 1939 in Freeport, NY to Arthur, Sr. and Ruth (Schade) Strassle. He graduated from Mepham High School in Merrick, NY at age 16, and matriculated to SUNY Albany, where he played for the varsity baseball and soccer teams. In five years, he earned both a BA in History and a Masters in Education in 1961. He later earned a second Masters degree in Education Administration from Hofstra.

Art served the Elwood School District as an English and Social Studies teacher and then as an assistant principal and principal for 35 years, during which he was known and respected for his dedication and work with the community, PTA, and school functions. He also coached JV basketball and varsity baseball for Elwood’s John Glenn High School. He retired in 1995 and continued working in education as an adjunct professor at the New York Institute of Technology, where he taught and mentored teaching interns to prepare them to become teachers.

Art married Joan Elizabeth Santangelo (Dombrink) on September 12, 1974. Together, they raised her three sons, Steve, Bob, and Joe, and their daughter Alison.

Art had a passion for sports, the church, and intellectual pursuits. He loved to play softball and tennis, to coach baseball and basketball, and he was a diehard NY Jets and college basketball fan. As a coach, he led the John Glenn High School baseball team to the county championship game, and years later, many of his players became teammates on a men’s softball team for which he was player-manager. He continued to play softball into his 70s. He was a devout Christian and regular churchgoer who served on the vestry and numerous other activities for the St. James Episcopal Church, to which he belonged for more than 45 years. He was an avid reader and loved historical and political non-fiction. He loved to go to Broadway shows, as well as to the opera and the ballet. His greatest passion, however, was his family. He was a devoted father to his four kids, remaining very involved in their lives as adults, and he was a doting grandfather to their children. He was also devoted to his three sisters and their families and to his parents. He loved family get-togethers, particularly around the holidays and loved going to the beach, especially to Montauk, which he visited many times with his children and his wife, Joan.

Art suffered from Parkinson’s disease for the last 13 years of his life and was preceded in death by his father, Arthur, Sr., and his mother, Ruth. He is survived by his wife Joan, his four children, Steve, Bob, Joe, and Alison, his sisters Judy, Carol, and June, and several grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, and two great grandchildren. A wake will be held at the Branch Funeral Home at 190 East Main Street, Smithtown, NY on Sunday, February 19 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held on Monday, February 20th, 2023 at the St. James Episcopal Church on 490 N Country Road in St. James, NY, at 10:00 a.m., with the interment at the St. James Episcopal Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. Flowers or donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation can be arranged through links on this page.