Marlene H. Trafford of Hampton Bays Dies December 1

Marlene H. Trafford of Hampton Bays died on December 1. She was 87.

She was born in Nanticoke Pennsylvania, but moved early on to St. Albans, Queens.

She met her husband, Lester J. Trafford Jr., while their parents worked in construction in Levittown, Pennsylvania. Her father, Walter Grabowski, introduced her to the son of Lester Trafford Sr. of Hewlett, New York, while their parents worked as construction inspectors. They were married in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on June 2, 1956.

After the completion of construction in Levittown, they had their first son, Lester James Trafford III. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Hampton Bays, where they started L. Trafford & Son Construction, which remained in the family for most of their lives.

She had four children. Lester Trafford III, owns Seatow Moriches/Shinnecock in Hampton Bays. His daughter Janessa of North Carolina gave her her first great-grandson, Griffen Trafford. Her second child and only daughter, Joyce Hillendhal of Hampton Bays, had one son, Daniel Murphy of Las Vegas, who made a career in the U.S. Air Force. She had a second son, Brian J. Trafford, who had two children, Jesse of Tucson, Arizona, who gave her a second great-grandchild, Raiden Trafford, with his wife Ashleigh. Aimee, his daughter, who is a world traveler and backpacker, resides in Portland, Oregon. Brian is married to Suzanne, who did so much to take care of Marlene and his children. Her youngest son, Rodney Trafford, still resides in Hampton Bays.

She worked in a variety of fields, including as a bank teller at Hampton Bays National Bank, a house cleaner throughout all of her years, she worked as a bayman along with her son Lester, she ran a scallop opening shop out of her house when scalloping was a big business, and with a staff of openers opened up to 120 bushels of scallops per night. She worked for Cor-J Seafood for many years as a seafood opener. She worked in the dining room of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. She worked in a T-shirt printing shop later in her life, and basically any job she could find to help support her family regardless of the work environment.

Her other interests included being very involved in the Church of St. Mary’s in Hampton Bays, along with her husband. She became a member of ABATE (a motorcycle rights organization, started by her son) and helped start an annual toy/food run to the church and continued to orchestrate the annual event for over 30 years.

Visitation was held on December 6 at Scott-Rothwell Funeral Home in Hampton Bays. A funeral service was held on December 7 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Hampton Bays.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the St. Mary’s Episcopal Toy and Food Run, 165 Ponquogue Ave., Hampton Bays, NY 11946. Checks may be made payable to St. Mary’s Church, in memo write “Toy Run.”