8 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • DECEMBER 2017 8 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • SEPTEMBER 2017 8 LONGISLANDPRESS.CO M • SEPTEMBER 201-----------TUTU111
By VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
and TIMOTHY BOLGER
We were putting the finishing touches on our
cheerful holiday issue full of gift guides and other
fun seasonal stories when we heard the news
that shocked our staff and countless others.
John Kominicki, the publisher of the Long
Island Press who revived the title into a monthly
magazine just four months ago, died Dec. 5
after a brief battle with stomach cancer. As a
melanoma survivor, when we heard that he was
diagnosed again, we were hoping and praying
that he would pull off a repeat. But at 62 years
young, John was called to his next assignment,
his wife, Marie, sadly reported.
“His passing was peaceful, smooth, and — true
to form — full of humor till the end,” Marie and
their daughter, Anya, wrote on John’s Facebook
page.
As soon as the news broke, condolences immediately
poured in from those who knew him best
and those who only read his work. But, as cliché
as it sounds — and John, we know you’d prefer
we avoid the journalistic sin of using clichés in
your publication — Kominicki, we hardly knew
ya. John made his mark on LI and the world well
before getting hired in July to relaunch the Press.
Stars & Stripes. USA Today. The New York
Times. The Dallas Morning News. Long Island
Business News. Innovate Long Island. Just to
name a few. The New Hampshire native and
U.S. Army veteran had joined us as a seasoned
reporter, editor and publisher with a thick stack
of clips from across the nation and abroad.
He bought the ticket, he took the ride, to paraphrase
his favorite author, Hunter S. Thompson.
John was such a force — not to mention great
writer, storyteller, singer, speaker and cook —
that he was inducted into the Press Club of Long
Island (PCLI) Hall of Fame in 2014.
“Long Island lost a titan of the journalism industry,”
said PCLI President Chris Vaccaro. “John
Kominicki was a visionary and a seasoned
journalist who knew how to tell a strong story
while making an impact on the community... He
is a legend and will be missed.”
His former colleagues at LIBN were brimming
with fond memories of their prior publisher.
“After one with meeting him, people recognized
that the man was special — as a businessman,
a leader, an innovator, an intellectual and a
fun-loving person,” said former LIBN editor
Carl Corry. “As a writer, John was simply the
best I’ve ever known… John also had a knack
for getting people to open up, simply because
he loved stories — both telling and listening to
them.”
In his short time at the Press, he made an impression
on us as well. Actors sometimes speak
of how they need to avoid watching the great
ones they costar with and not remembering
their lines as a result. John had a similar way of
distracting you with his brilliance if you were
lucky enough to witness it up close.
“John continually sought out new challenges,”
Marie told the Press. “He was excited at the
opportunity to join the Long Island Press team
because he believed strongly that there is a place
for print journalism, even in the digital age.”
He may no longer be with us, but he also put
his stamp all over these pages your holding. We
could not have built this without John. It’s one
of his last gifts to you, dear readers, and we will
do our best to honor his legacy in this and future
issues.
Besides his wife of 33 years and daughter, John is
also survived by his mother, Alma, sisters Stefanie
Price, Michelle McLaughlin and Jennifer Danly,
and brother, Russel Johnson. The family plans to
hold a memorial service for him in the New Year.
The Press will publish more tributes to John in the
coming months. Send your memories to tbolger@
longislandpress.com
OPENING LINES
Hats off for the boss
John Kominicki, publisher and executive editor, Long Island Press 1955-2017