Name: Karl Schweitzer
Class Of: 1981
Marital Status: Married
Spouse/Partner: Lynn Scully
Classmates at HHS: No
Where and When We Met: Wind Whistle Pub - Hicksville 1981
Date Married: Jul 16, 1983
Married for: 39 years
Children: Jennifer
Grandchildren: Alexa and Jon
Currently Residing Here: Hicksville
HHS Favorites:
- Subject: History
- Teacher: Mr Evers, Ms. Grumo, Ms. Palermo
- Hangout:
- Activity:
Current Occupation: Environmental, Safety & Health Manager
Education: Bachelors - Safety Engineering
Hobbies/Pastimes: Volunteer Firefighter since 1981, Public Official (Water Commissioner) Since 2003; Intermediate Genealogist
What we really wanted to know:
Karl Schweitzer, HHS Class of 1981 married Lynn Scully, Class of 1980. Lynn and I met in the spring of 1981 and lived around the corner from each other. We did not know each other as children but met in my senior year. Both of us attended Burns Avenue School. While in school I enjoyed History and Art and my favorite teachers were Ms. Helen (McCormack) Grumo, Ms. Nellie Palermo, Mr. Erickson, and Ms. Johansson.
This year, Lynn and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage and were married in 1981 at the Parkway Community Church. We renewed our vows for our 25th Wedding Anniversary in July of 2008 at St. Ignatius Loyola R.C. Church. We are blessed with a daughter Jennifer, and she married Jon Sbrocco II in 2013 and we have two beautiful grandchildren: Alexa and Jon III
We continue to live in Hicksville and purchased my parent’s home in the Northwest Area of Hicksville
I am a 42-year member of the Hicksville Volunteer Fire Department (joined 1981). Past Assistant Chief and Chief of Department; Past Captain (1986-87; 2006-2007 and 2020); I was elected to serve as Water Commissioner in 2003 and remain on the Board today.
I started my professional career in Grumman Aerospace before moving into the utility business with then Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) and for the last 21 years as the Environmental, Health & Safety Manager at Consolidated Edison of New York.
After graduating high school and going into the workforce, it was then that I would go to college and get my Bachelor of Science in Safety Engineering from Warren University
I maintain an interest in history and I am considered an intermediate Genealogist and the Family Historian; I have dug deep into local history and worked alongside Mr Richard Evers and Bill Clark on getting to know the community of Hicksville. I have researched the community, fire department, water district and many other aspects of Hicksville. I have composed historical books on several subjects over the last 25 years. I also continue to collect older Baseball Cards and Memorabilia.
I am a 3rd Generation resident and my grandparents settled here in 1926, just after my mom was born. They settled on Woodbury Road at the corner of Bay Avenue (which is now leveled). It was there that they ran Brigandi’s Bar and Grill (AKA as “Pop Johnsons” and my grandmother owned and operated a Candy Store on the same property. My grandfather as an avid Pigeon Breeder and Pigeon Racer and had a coop behind the family residence. He, along with Harry Borley and Anthony “Cubby” Adessio were known then as the “Intimidator 3”. They won several races and were know across the eastern seaboard for the pigeons. My dad was a Mailman, 49-Year member of the Woodmere Fire Department, Director of the Police Boys Club (PBC) and local Softball Manager. My served with St Ignatius for many years and with PBC Ladies Auxiliary.
What does Hicksville mean to me over the last several decades…… In my years of researching local history, family lure and my involvement in the Hicksville community saddens me in some aspects of the way things were, how simple life was and how neighbors looked out for neighbors. Community growth is necessary, and Hicksville has progressed significantly over my time. While we need to adapt and move forward, I don’t think it’s been all good. Hicksville has always been a transportation hub – we can look back to Valentine Hicks bringing the LIRR to town. Hicksville as a town continues to be a commuter hotspot, located between the NSP, LIE, and minutes from the SSP. However, progress has been stalled mainly through the distrust in local government. We only need to look back the widening of Broadway and what that did to our character of Hicksville. Repeated failed efforts of revitalization focus on transportation and not on character.
The days of simplicity are long gone. The days of generational families staying in town is gone. The growth and population is stagnant and housing is turning into what my parents moved away from. Long gone is the home and yard to play in, and now about building mini mansions, reducing yardage to be accommodate more people. NYC is coming to Hicksville. Long gone are the days of neighborhood events, block parties, dances and other opportunities to get to know our neighbors.
Our fraternal organizations and community service groups continue to dwindle. There was a time when there was a “wait list” to join the local volunteer fire department and now we barely have enough volunteers to respond to the growing demand of alarms. People now expect services but aren’t willing to rise to the challenge to help volunteer and staff the ranks. While I’m not a veteran, we owe them more just our gratitude, but our freedom. However, I have seen the local organizations become another tragedy of progress and long gone are the local places that once dotted Hicksville. While the local American Legion, VFW and Vietnam Veterans groups are still operating, their ranks have dwindled.
While I express my frustration, I also look at it as our challenge. Can we keep Hicksville as the once vibrant community, while integrating progress? I think we can…But its going to take those who have called Hicksville home for generations, to rise up and meet the new generation with new ideas and new goals. It will take new political leadership and a willingness to listen and hear from all people calling Hicksville community. I think we all want a thriving community, but we also want to be heard.
Finally, if I had to do it all over again, I would have no regrets; life has been good, and I am truly blessed. I wasn’t a scholar and less than average student. Growing up, dad was a civil servant and mom a local lunch lady and they provided for my brothers and I, with little fanfare and plenty of love. That’s all we needed. As my dad said……Always work hard, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, live life well, and give back wherever you can”. Growing up he taught us the value of hard work and to only expect what we earned. After graduation I went to the workforce, married my high school sweetheart, and we had our daughter. I earned my degree at night and worked through several management positions. The regret was not going to college right after high school. Living in Hicksville has been my life and I have always tried to give back in any way that I could for the betterment of our community, just as my grandparents and parents did for just about 100 years.
Submitted Jun 30, 2023 by Karl Schweitzer,
