Services Set For Former Southampton Councilman Rick Martel: 'A Life Rooted In Love, Loyalty, And Community'

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — The East End is reeling after the loss of a man who dedicated his life to serving others.

Richard W. Martel, known to all as Rick, died on June 25 at 67 — leaving all who loved him heartbroken.

"Rick Martel came to Hampton Bays at the age of 13; a boy from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, arriving with his two brothers and sister to a new town that would shape the rest of his life. What Hampton Bays gave him, he spent a lifetime giving back," his obituary, posted on the Scott Rothwell Funeral Home site, said.

"It was through sports that Rick first found his footing in the community, and it was there that he met George Skidmore, the mentor and father figure who helped set the course of his life," his obituary read. "Rick never forgot what it meant to have someone in your corner, and he made it his mission to be that person for others."

He married his high school sweetheart, Debbie Manglaviti, "and together they built a life rooted in love, loyalty, and community," the obituary said. "They raised two sons, Ricky and Danny, and in his later years Rick found a new kind of joy in his grandson Daniel George, who became, by all accounts, the apple of his eye."

Rick, his family said, channeled his love of sports and service into everything he touched.

As the owner of Skidmore’s Sports, he was the force behind the Hampton Bays Little League and Junior Basketball leagues, and served as the Hampton Bays Booster Club President with hopes to give generations of local kids the same sense of belonging he had once found on those same fields, those who loved him said.

"For 50 years, he was a proud and dedicated member of the Southampton Kiwanis Club, where he focused on serving his neighbors and fighting food insecurity. He later formalized his commitment to the community he loved by serving as a Councilman for Southampton Town," his obituary read.

"His dedication did not go unrecognized," the obituary continued. "Rick was honored with the George F. Hixson Fellowship Award from Kiwanis International, the Paul Harris Fellow designation from the Rotary Club, named Man of the Year by the Southampton Press, and proudly served as Grand Marshal of the Hampton Bays St. Patrick’s Day Parade; each a testament to a life lived in service to others."

His obituary continued: "Rick loved his family, his sports, and the town that welcomed a 13-year-old Brooklyn kid and never let him go."

He is survived by his beloved wife Debbie; his sons Ricky and Danny; their wives Hanna and Kaitlyn; and his cherished grandson, Daniel George.

Services will be held on Wednesday, July 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Thursday from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the American Legion, located at 55 Ponquogue Avenue in Hampton Bays.

A funeral service will be held on Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Church of St. Rosalie, located at 31 East Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to the American Legion or the Southampton Animal Shelter.

His family said they plan to honor the man who shaped countless lives in the way he would have wanted: On Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at his wake, the Beach Boys will be playing and beer will be served. Everyone is invited to wear something that reminds them of Rick, whether a tie-dye shirt or a sports jersey, as toasts are made and memories of Rick's rich life are shared.

A full tribute will follow in Patch on Tuesday.