This Monday the Lynbrook, NY, Memorial day parade was marched for the first time in over 50 years without Frank Tosner. He was my uncle, WWII veteran, and patriot, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 84. As I no longer live in Lynbrook, the last time I saw him march in the parade was 3 years ago.
He and his wife Eileen had lost two sons, my cousins Tommy and Frank Jr. (Brother Bonaventure as he was known upon becoming a Franciscan brother) to cancer.
My aunt Eileen took sanctuary from the pains of her life at Our Lady of Peace Church in Lynbrook. She went there almost daily.
Eileen survived the death of two sons, a childhood of poverty and horrible abuse, but she was no match for the mad man with a semi-automatic rifle that opened fire on the parishioners of "Our Lady of Peace" church on March 13th 2002. When the smoke cleared my aunt and Father Lawrence "Larry" Penzes were dead.
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