68 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • APRIL 2020
OBITUARY
ROBERT BRENNAN SCHNEPS MEDIA COO The Schneps Media family
mourns the loss of our chief operating
PETER SMERGUT
FORMER LIFE’S WORC LEADER
Peter Smergut, loving husband of Annette
and father to Nadia, passed away
of natural causes on March 27. Due to
the current health crisis, remembrance
services will be held at a future
date.
Smergut served as the executive
director of Life’s WORC for
nearly two decades. Under his
leadership Life’s WORC grew
from a small boutique provider
to an organization that serves
1,500 individuals in the New York
metropolitan area. He and his
team created a Life’s WORC brand
that is known for its extraordinary
support of individuals with
intellectual and developmental
disabilities and autism as well as
the staff who support them.
While Mergut served as CEO,
the agency was acknowledged
as a Best Company to Work for
in New York City by Crain’s Business,
the 9th Best Large Company to Work
for in New York State by the Society
for Human Resource Management,
the ACHIEVE award as One of the 50
Most Engaged Workplaces in the United
States, and the Agency of the Year
by the New York State Self-Advocacy
Association. He served on a number
of associations that advocated for the
rights of individuals with disabilities
including as a member of the Board of
Directors of the Interagency Council,
the AGNY and NYSACRA.
Prior to joining Life’s WORC, Smergut
served as the Supervising Principal for
the New York City Special Education
District 75. In that capacity he was responsible
for the direct supervision of
61 elementary, middle, and secondary
special education schools serving 17,000
students throughout the five boroughs.
He previously worked as the principal
of the Manhattan School for Career
Development and was a founder of the
Manhattan Transition Center (MTC).
The MTC was selected as one of 38
New York State Compass schools of
excellence.
Peter has written and presented extensively
on issues of organizational
change in the not-for-profit and education
communities. He is a graduate of
the City College of New York where he
received a Bachelor of Business Arts in
finance and economics. Peter also holds
a Master of Science degree from Long
Island University and an Advanced Certificate
in Administration from Hofstra
University.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests
that donations in Peter’s memory be
made to the Life’s WORC Family Center
for Autism. Mail to: Life’s WORC, P.O.
Box 8165, Garden City, NY 11530.
Editor’s note: Life’s WORC was founded
by Victoria Schneps-Yunis, president of
Schneps Media, the parent company of
the Long Island Press.
officer, Bob Brennan, who
died on March 31 at the age of 68.
Bob passed away peacefully at
Good Samaritan Hospital in West
Islip. He resided in Babylon for
20 years with his loving companion,
Cathy.
Bob was the fourth oldest in a
closely knit family of 10 children,
born to the late Margaret and the
late William Brennan of Little
Neck: Mary, Bill (deceased), Tom,
Sue, Terrie, Grace, Joe, Dick and
Dan. Bob was a cherished brother
in-law to Roger, Rita, Glenn,
John, Karsten, Mary, Marie and
Jeanne. He was a dear uncle to over 20
nieces and nephews.
Beginning as a paperboy, Bob spent
his entire career in the newspaper
industry. As a young entrepreneur,
he owned and operated newspaper
franchises throughout Queens and
Nassau before becoming a newspaper
senior circulation executive.
For the past 15+ years, he
was the chief operating officer
of Schneps Media, where
he was the publishers'
cherished advisor on every
aspect of the business — especially
while leading their
huge expansion initiatives
throughout the boroughs of
New York City and into Long
Island, Westchester County
and Philadelphia.
Bob's passions were running,
skiing and playing
tennis, all of which he
excelled at. His outgoing
personality, good humor, inspirational
leadership and
business acumen endeared
him to everyone who knew him.
The value Bob placed on the importance
of family and the example he set
will never be forgotten. His untimely
loss is also deeply felt by many work
colleagues and friends.
In 1975, he married his long-time high
school girlfriend, Nancy (ex-wife),
remaining her forever dear friend.
During their long marriage, they
resided in Manhasset, raising two
cherished sons who survive him: Mike,
husband of Cara, and Matt, husband of
Katie. Bob also leaves behind Cathy, his
loving companion, and her son Jason,
husband of Molly.
A proud grandpa, he is also survived
by his precious first granddaughter,
Chloe, born March 12 to Mike and
Cara.
Bob will be interred in Nassau Knolls
Cemetery in Port Washington. In light
of the current situation, there will not
be a wake or burial services. Instead,
a memorial service will be scheduled
at a later date.
Robert Brennan.
Peter Smergut.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
