Great Neck Residents Honor Memory Of Beloved Mail Carrier

GREAT NECK, NY — Dozens of Great Neck residents gathered at the Village Green Park this month to unveil a tree and bench honoring a beloved mail carrier who died last year.

To them, USPS' Tommy Janickey didn't just deliver their mail. In his 40 years of service, he fostered meaningful relationships with them — and even touched the lives of those he never met, like Nassau County Legislator Ellen W. Birnbaum. The Democrat from Great Neck was among the dozens who paid tribute to Janickey at the ceremony on Sept. 14.

"This tribute is particularly fitting because it is located in a part of the Village Green that is right across from the post office where he worked for more than four decades," Birnbaum said. "Even though I did not personally have the pleasure of knowing Tommy, I, as a longtime Great Neck resident, have heard from so many of my friends and neighbors about this truly unique man."

The event was made possible through fundraising efforts spearheaded by Great Neck residents John Motchkavitz and Judith Kamali. Together, they raised $4,000.

Their endeavors were supported by members of the Great Neck Alert Fire Company and Alert Benevolent Association, the Fountain of Kindness, and families on Janickey's route, according to Birnbaum's office.

"Tommy was not only a letter carrier for many of us, but a friend who became an important part of the Great Neck community," said Motchkavitz, who is also a teacher at Great Neck South High School and a member of the Alert Fire Company. "We felt that his life needed to be honored and that is why we all helped raise the funds to dedicate a tree and a bench in his name at the Village Green Park."

Reminiscing about Janickey, Kamali said he "delivered laughs, love, and celebrated all our milestones with us," adding that "we needed to honor his memory in a way that he deserves."