Paul Kenneth Komoski Of Southampton Dies November 15

Ken Komoski, born Paul Kenneth Komoski, died November 15, 2017, at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital of complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Although only hospitalized for a week with several infections, he had been suffering with the various stages of the disease for the past five years. At his bedside were his three children, Christina Komoska, William Komoski and Mara Komoska, and his wife of 45 years, Joanna Komoska. He was predeceased by his first wife, Jane Parrish Komoski, in 1970.

A resident of Southampton Town since 1968, he became a year round resident in 1978. Mr. Komoski was the founder, president and director of EPIE Institute, a nonprofit research organization that helped schools improve education through evaluating the use of educational materials. Working with psychologist B.F. Skinner from Harvard, in the 1960s, he was a pioneer in the development of the first teaching machines and programed instruction prior to the now ubiquitous use of computers and the internet in schools. He worked with school boards developing criteria for the selection of materials for classrooms based on feedback from learners. A list of his publications can be found on Wikipedia.

Mr. Komoski was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1928. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Acadia University in Canada and a second master’s degree from Columbia University, where he also taught. He also taught secondary school at Collegiate School in New York City, the oldest private school in the United States. In the summer months during his teaching career he was a tennis pro at Point O’ Woods on Fire Island. He also had a career as a jazz singer and a composer in his later years.

Described by his wife as a great humanitarian, Mr. Komoski also served on the town committee for Sea TV and ran a non profit project, LINCT, in which members of the community could earn their own computer by taking classes in how to use it. Computers and laptops were donated to LINCT from Long Island businesses with their hard drives cleaned and recycled for the program. Poverty level applicants were provided the computer for their own use after their classroom participation.

Mr. Komoski donated his body to Stony Brook University for use with medical school students. He was always looking to make a difference, to the very end, survivors said.

He is survived by his three children and wife, noted above, his grandchildren, Will and Isabel Brown; great-grandchild Ferris Brown; and many nieces, nephews, and their offspring.

A memorial will be held in the spring. For more information, contact Joanna Komoska, 355 Sebonac Road, Southampton NY, 11968.