Donald Fingar
Navy
Coram

Donald Hugh Fingar was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on June 6,
1923. He was the son of Hugh and Myrtle Fingar. In 1926 the family
moved to the Bronx and in 1934 they moved again to Coram where his
father, Hugh Fingar, bought the local general store. Don and his
two sisters, Doris and Lois, attended the one room school which was
just across Route 25 opposite their home. Donald graduated from
Port Jefferson High School in June of 1940. In 1941 he entered
Pratt Institute in Brooklyn where he was studying chemical
engineering. Don enlisted in the Navy in October 1942 and began
serving active duty in the spring of 1943. Also in 1943, he was
selected for Naval Flight School. During his training in Flight
School, Don was stationed in several states. He was not called into
combat and was discharged on January 6, 1946. From 1951-1976 he
served on the Middle Island (later called Longwood) School Board and
was either the President or Vice President for most of those years.