Native Long Islander and former Civil Air Patrol pilot, Alice Stratigos has died at the age of 86 after complications due to a stroke on Jan. 17. Alice Stratigos (nee Malone) was born in Freeport in 1928 and graduated Freeport High in 1945. She was the daughter of a Freeport police officer and Purple Heart recipient, Joe Malone, who was also born on Long Island in Brooklyn. Her mom, also Alice, emigrated from England in the early 1900s.
As a young girl at the age of 13, Alice joined the Civil Air Patrol and a few years later flew flights along Long Island’s south shore in search of enemy submarines during WWII. In the 1940’s she performed regularly the water ballet shows at the Jones Beach Marine Stadium (amphitheater on Zach’s Bay).
In 1950 she married Chris Stratigos who was the flight crewman on a B 29 bomber in WWII and was married to him until his passing in 1995. A 61 year resident of North Massapequa, Alice also worked in the Farmingdale School District and was the union representative for the local CSEA union in the 1980’s. Alice also taught cake decorating in the adult education program in Seaford for many years and was the east coast buyer for Wilton cake decorating.
Alice is survived by her four children; Ted, Diane, Janet and Steve, as well as three grandchildren; Danielle, Kevin and Leah. A memorial mass will be held at Maria Regina Church in Massapequa on Thursday, Sept. 10, her birthday. In lieu of flowers, people are free to contribute to the Wounded Warriors Fund, a cause close to her heart.
