Chester W. Massey

Chester William Massey, better known as Chet or “Moose,” passed away October 29, 2019 at the age of 88 surrounded by his family. He will be deeply missed by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as well as his long-time companion, Jessie Fentnor, whose children and grandchildren he loved and cherished as his own.

Born to Chester William Massey and Bertha Darrow Massey on May 21, 1931, he grew up in East Moriches with his sister, Jeanene, and brother, Wendell.

In summers, he’d spend time with his Aunt Grace and Uncle Gus and earned money picking beans, earning 5¢ a bushel. Other kids also worked in the fields, most of them more interested in throwing beans and fooling around, and among them was his future wife, Jean Tuthill.

Chet was a high school athlete, putting his height to good use on the basketball court. One of his fondest school memories was of his senior class trip to Washington DC. He worked hard to earn money for the trip and bought a new suit to look his best.

After graduation, he joined the US Navy, finally reaching the grade of Engineman First Class aboard a mine sweeper, the USS Fulmar (AMS-47). While home on leave, he reconnected with Jean Tuthill and they married in January of 1954. However, Jean was homesick, so he left the Navy and returned to Eastport, where he joined the US Coast Guard Reserves serving local waters.

With his earnings from the Navy, Chet bought a farm and began raising Pekin ducks with his father. This was when Eastport, with its numerous waterfront farms, was considered the “Duck Capital of the World.” Later his sons joined the business and the Chester Massey & Sons duck farm was one of the last Long Island duck farms to close.

Chet supplemented his income by working as a union carpenter. He was proud to have helped build many local landmarks.

Dedicated to serving his community, he was a life member of the East Moriches Community Ambulance as well as the Eastport Fire Department. He served as fire commissioner for many years and was often honored as one of the top 10 responders. Everyone in the family knew to get out of the way of his truck when the fire whistle blew. Always upholding the importance of education, he served as Vice President on the Eastport High School board for many years. He was also a faithful worshipper at the Eastport Bible Church.

Chet was an avid outdoorsman and hunter. He trained several Labradors as retrievers and enjoyed taking them to the Eastport Country Club for shoots. He always looked forward to the annual Hunters Garden gatherings. In his later years, he preferred to just observe wildlife instead of hunting it, always keeping a pair of binoculars handy to observe the waterfowl, deer and birds around his home.

After losing his wife, Jean, in 1986, Chet travelled to Israel and Palestine to tour the holy sites with a biblical scholar. He also joined a group from the Eastport Bible Church to help build a church in Puerto Rico.

Later he reconnected with a high school sweetheart, Jessie Fentnor. They enjoyed travelling together, making numerous trips in the US as well as Europe. After his retirement, he finally had time to go out on his sailboat, fly his Cessna airplane and go for rides in his 1931 Model A Ford.

What he enjoyed most of all were visits from his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They all had a very special relationship with their “Papa” and loved to spend time with him. He was immensely proud of all his children and grandchildren and their achievements.

Known to most local residents as “Moose,” Chet cut an imposing figure at 6’ 6” with his broad shoulders and full beard. Those close to him knew him as a gentle giant with a mischievous sense of humor. At any gathering, he could be found camped out near the raw bar, and hating goodbyes, he always quietly slipped away just after desert was served. Larger than life, his absence will leave a huge hole in the lives of his family and friends.