Neil E. Tergesen, a long-time Rye resident, passed away peacefully on Feb. 20th at his home in Rye, N.Y. He was 87-years-old.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1936, Neil graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School in 1954 and Princeton University in 1958.
In 1958, he met his wife, Mary Emmons Tergesen, at a dance at Princeton. They married in 1963 and settled in Rye in 1965, where they remained residents for the rest of their lives.
Neil served in the Army National Guard of New York State and the Army Reserves from 1959 to 1962. He began his career in the advertising industry and worked his way up to account executive at agencies including Grey, Needham Harper & Steers, Kenyon & Eckhardt, James Jordan, and Doyle Dane Bernbach. Clients included Kellogg’s, Amtrak, Bacardi and New York Telephone. He did volunteer work for Princeton University, the United Way and the Ad Council, which produces public service announcements.
Neil was a proud Norwegian American. He was a devoted son of Ann and Tom Tergesen and adored his younger sister, Linda. He frequently hosted the entire family for birthdays, holidays, and summer gatherings.
He loved the ocean and spent days exploring Jamaica Bay on his little motor boat near Breezy Point in Queens where he spent summers growing up. He made sure his children became strong swimmers and spent hours teaching them how to swim (and survive his surprise attacks) at the Rye Golf Club, at Breezy Point and at the Tergesen family’s favorite lake in Maine.
Neil also loved sports. He was on the crew team at Princeton and played golf and tennis. Neil was a devoted fan of the Mets and Rye Garnets, but even more so he was a devoted fan of all of his grandchildren. His grandchildren could rely on grandpa for his big cheer “Yay!” for all their endeavors. He enjoyed the opera and philharmonic and was a parishioner of Resurrection Church.
Known for his compassion, loyalty, sense of humor, and large laugh, Neil was a thoughtful, sincere man who always wanted to include everyone in the fun. He will be missed by his family and friends.
Predeceased by his wife Mary, he is survived by his four children and their spouses: Anne and Jim Windels of New York City; Kristine (Kay) and Lucas Fox of Petaluma, CA; Louise (Didi) and Karl Seiberling of Lee Vining, CA; and Mark and Alexis Kravitz Tergesen of Brooklyn, and his sister, Linda Dexnis and her husband David Dexnis of Bluffton, SC. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren: Patrick, Thomas and George Windels; Liam and Jonah Fox; Alden Seiberling, and Jack and Alex Tergesen.
His family is celebrating his life with a private memorial service. Donations can be made in his memory to the Rye Women’s Interfaith Group, C/O Janet Meyers, 57 High Point Circle, Rye Brook N.Y. 10573.
