Former Babylon Town Supervisor William Lauder, noted local historian, dies at 102
William Lauder at the Amityville Nautical Park in 2002. The former Babylon Town supervisor was a strong proponent of preserving open space for public use. Credit: Julia Xanthos
For William T. Lauder, Amityville was more than just a place to live.
The former Babylon Town supervisor and longtime Amityville historian was so enamored by his chosen residence that he continually strove to give back to the village in any way he could, said his daughter Jane Kane.
“It was his heart and his home,” she said. “He just loved Amityville and all of its people. He was so committed to serving the community.”
Lauder lived to 102, dying of kidney failure in Fernandina Beach, Florida, on Nov. 17.
A third-generation Amityville resident, Lauder graduated from Amityville High School in 1940. He began attending Columbia University but in 1942 was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. He served three years in Europe, earning numerous commendations, including a Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster.
Lauder went on to earn bachelor's and law degrees from Columbia and Brooklyn Law School, respectively. From 1951 to 1970, he practiced law in Amityville. During that time he also served in various public roles, including as Amityville Village attorney and special counsel to several Babylon Town boards, before becoming town supervisor.
Lauder served for only two years — from 1963 to 1965 — but he made an impact, establishing a moratorium on building in an effort to preserve open space at a time when development was booming, said Babylon Town Historian Mary Cascone. He also made a deal with the county to preserve the land known as Indian Island in Lindenhurst.
“He was saying, ‘We need to slow this down, we need to create more of a plan,’ ” Cascone said.
Part of Lauder’s legacy in the town is his creation of pocket parks, Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said. These small neighborhood spaces with benches and playgrounds remain part of the town’s beloved park system, he said.
Lauder went on to serve as general counsel to the Suffolk County Sewer Agency from 1965 to 1970 and as an assistant attorney for Suffolk County from 1970 to 1980.
He met his future wife, Rose E. Abbe, at a Lindenhurst bakery in 1941. While courting, Lauder was a lifeguard at Amityville Beach and the couple would often recount how Rose would swim all the way from Copiague, where she lived, to Amityville Beach just to see him, Kane said.
Kane remembers Lauder as a devoted family man.
“He was always very busy, but we didn’t realize how busy he was because he always made time for us,” she said.
There were board and card games with her parents, as well as fishing and clamming trips in nearby coves and bays. Her father taught her and her sister, Vicky, how to row and sail, she said.
Lauder, blessed with a sharp wit and high intelligence, kept two books by his side throughout his life: a dictionary and a volume from his encyclopedia set, Kane said. A world atlas and almanac also were within arm's reach, she said.
“He had a very inquisitive mind and was always asking questions and wanting to learn new things,” Kane said. “He had a vast knowledge of a lot of different subjects. He was my original Google.”
Lauder, who served for decades as Amityville Village historian, was one of the founders of the Amityville Historical Society in 1969 and helped secure a former bank building as its home. That building is now named the William T. Lauder Museum.
In his retirement, Lauder loved doing woodworking in his garage, especially making toys for his grandchildren. He also remained active with the historical society and was a font of information for her work, Cascone said.
Amityville Historian Joe Guidice called Lauder a mentor.
“Any subject you would ask him, he would know it, and if he didn’t know it, he would find out,” he said.
Even after he relocated to Florida at age 100 to live with his daughter, Lauder kept in touch with Amityville and town historians.
“We joked how it was in his DNA,” Kane said. “It was just such a natural instinct for him to stay active and stay involved. He just wanted all the best for the community.”
In addition to his daughter, Lauder is survived by three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife in 2009 and his daughter Vicky in 2022. He was buried in Amityville Cemetery.
For William T. Lauder, Amityville was more than just a place to live.
The former Babylon Town supervisor and longtime Amityville historian was so enamored by his chosen residence that he continually strove to give back to the village in any way he could, said his daughter Jane Kane.
“It was his heart and his home,” she said. “He just loved Amityville and all of its people. He was so committed to serving the community.”
Lauder lived to 102, dying of kidney failure in Fernandina Beach, Florida, on Nov. 17.
A third-generation Amityville resident, Lauder graduated from Amityville High School in 1940. He began attending Columbia University but in 1942 was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. He served three years in Europe, earning numerous commendations, including a Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster.
Lauder went on to earn bachelor's and law degrees from Columbia and Brooklyn Law School, respectively. From 1951 to 1970, he practiced law in Amityville. During that time he also served in various public roles, including as Amityville Village attorney and special counsel to several Babylon Town boards, before becoming town supervisor.
Lauder served for only two years — from 1963 to 1965 — but he made an impact, establishing a moratorium on building in an effort to preserve open space at a time when development was booming, said Babylon Town Historian Mary Cascone. He also made a deal with the county to preserve the land known as Indian Island in Lindenhurst.
“He was saying, ‘We need to slow this down, we need to create more of a plan,’ ” Cascone said.
Part of Lauder’s legacy in the town is his creation of pocket parks, Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said. These small neighborhood spaces with benches and playgrounds remain part of the town’s beloved park system, he said.
Lauder went on to serve as general counsel to the Suffolk County Sewer Agency from 1965 to 1970 and as an assistant attorney for Suffolk County from 1970 to 1980.
He met his future wife, Rose E. Abbe, at a Lindenhurst bakery in 1941. While courting, Lauder was a lifeguard at Amityville Beach and the couple would often recount how Rose would swim all the way from Copiague, where she lived, to Amityville Beach just to see him, Kane said.
Kane remembers Lauder as a devoted family man.
“He was always very busy, but we didn’t realize how busy he was because he always made time for us,” she said.
There were board and card games with her parents, as well as fishing and clamming trips in nearby coves and bays. Her father taught her and her sister, Vicky, how to row and sail, she said.
The 'original Google'
Lauder, blessed with a sharp wit and high intelligence, kept two books by his side throughout his life: a dictionary and a volume from his encyclopedia set, Kane said. A world atlas and almanac also were within arm's reach, she said.
“He had a very inquisitive mind and was always asking questions and wanting to learn new things,” Kane said. “He had a vast knowledge of a lot of different subjects. He was my original Google.”
Lauder, who served for decades as Amityville Village historian, was one of the founders of the Amityville Historical Society in 1969 and helped secure a former bank building as its home. That building is now named the William T. Lauder Museum.
In his retirement, Lauder loved doing woodworking in his garage, especially making toys for his grandchildren. He also remained active with the historical society and was a font of information for her work, Cascone said.
Amityville Historian Joe Guidice called Lauder a mentor.
“Any subject you would ask him, he would know it, and if he didn’t know it, he would find out,” he said.
Even after he relocated to Florida at age 100 to live with his daughter, Lauder kept in touch with Amityville and town historians.
“We joked how it was in his DNA,” Kane said. “It was just such a natural instinct for him to stay active and stay involved. He just wanted all the best for the community.”
In addition to his daughter, Lauder is survived by three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife in 2009 and his daughter Vicky in 2022. He was buried in Amityville Cemetery.
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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'I have never been to New York' Jim Vennard, 61, an electrical engineer from Missouri, received a $250 ticket for passing a stopped school bus in Stony Brook, a place he said he has never visited. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.
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