In the very early 50's Marty Van Lith's parents saw one of Walter T Shirley's TV commercials and took the drive out from their city home to look things over. They bought and built a summer home on Sheridan Road right on the east bank of Unkechogue Creek. Then they moved permanantly to Shirley in 1959 and Marty started at Floyd where he graduated in 1964. He still lives nearby in hamlet of Brookhaven. He is married to another Floyd student many of the readers should know Anita Cohen. Since the summer of 2003 he has been very helpful to me on my project in research , advice and all types of support and encouragement including taking me out on the bay last October. In the last few weeks he has spent many hours in both the Patchogue & Shirley libraries and sent me many of the photos and documents that involve the life and times of Walter T.

These photos here are some of the very first he sent me last summer and they seem to be right at home here.