Obituary of Anthony O. Witt

Anthony Otto Witt of Williston Park was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 18, 1926. His father, Anthony, owned a butcher shop in Queens, and his mother, Ellen Genereux, stayed at home in Forest Hills to raise Tony, his sister Arline (Jenks), and his brother Richard. As a young teenager, Tony was a bright student and talented athlete. After attending La Salle Academy in Manhattan and St. Joseph's in Barrytown, he joined the De La Salle Christian Brothers taking the name Brother Ambrose of Mary. His career with the Christian Brothers was eminently successful and he proved to be a fine educator. He served in various educational facilities in New York State, and in 1965 went to Kenya for three years. A few years after returning from Africa, he left the Christian Brothers and married Karen Skaaning in Copenhagen, Denmark, on December 23, 1973. Tony and Karen's forty years of marriage brought them much happiness. During that time Tony continued to teach at Walt Whitman High School in South Huntington and raised his two daughters, Karin-Lise and Kirsten. He was immensely proud of his daughters' achievements. Tony was an active member of the Williston Park community as a well-known teacher, father, coach, birdhouse builder, and parishioner at the Church of St. Aidan. Tony died peacefully on December 31st, in his eighty-seventh year, surrounded by loving members of his family. He leaves behind his wife Karen, his brother Richard Witt of Dayton, Ohio, his daughter Karin-Lise Savino and her husband Marc, two granddaughters Mary-Kate and Mikaela, his daughter Kirsten McGhee and her husband Jamie, two grandsons James and Nathaniel, and his nieces and nephews. A wake will be held on Sunday January 5th from 2-4pm and 7-9pm at Weigand Brothers Inc., 49 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park, and a funeral on Monday January 6th at 10:00am at the Church of St. Aidan, 505 Willis Avenue, Williston Park. To continue Tony's lifelong support of education and the De La Salle Christian Brothers, donations in Tony's name may be sent to the De La Salle Brothers of the Christian Schools, Lincroft Development Office, P.O. Box 238, Lincroft, NJ, 07738.