Biography of the Late Great Earl Stroughton

Earl Stroughton, a 30-year phlebotomist at the Nassau University Medical Center in Mineola and president of the Civil Service Employees Association unit there, died of a heart attack Tuesday, July 10, 2007 at the hospital, at the age of 70. Robert McLaughlin, who was the Executive VP and will now become the president as a result of Earl’s passing.

Stroughton, was a Hempstead resident, and a phlebotomist who got his medical training while in the Army from 1958 to 1963. He was considered the best person at the hospital with a needle. "Everybody wanted Earl to draw their blood, he always got it on the first try," said McLaughlin said.

Upon leaving the Army he went to work at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, where he stayed until April 1978. He joined the Medical Center on May 1 of that year.

A longtime active union member, Stroughton's first position with CSEA was as Vice President of the hospital unit of CSEA in 1995, and he rose to Executive VP in 2001. In July 2005, he became president. Currently the NUMC unit has 3,000 members but upon Stroughton’s arrival in 1995 it had 5,000. It is CSEA Local 830’s single largest unit.

"He was always concerned about his fellow employees, and he spent a lot of his time not only dealing with the administration but also resolving conflicts between the membership and the administration and even between members," said Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the 10,000-member CSEA Nassau Local 830.

Laricchiuta added that Stroughton played a significant role in helping the medical center shore up its fiscal health.

Earl was also active in the community as a 10 year member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and a 20 year member of the local chapter of the NAACP.

Laricchiuta summed up the life of Stroughton and said, “I think the main theme about Earl should be his character. We called him the ‘Mayor of NUMC’ because everybody who worked there knew him. He was a kind and gentle man who always had time for everybody no matter what position you held. From laborer to doctor, Earl cared about people all the same. He made people laugh and he had an uncanny ability to let the most stressful situations just roll off his back. He was ‘old school’, meaning he let his instincts and his gut feelings guide him. Earl was not big on details and long debate. He said what was on his mind and many times he made the most sense in the room.”

Earl left behind his wife of 30 years, Sumera, daughters Cassandra Hill and Cassie Gary, and sons Earl Stroughton and Rodney Hill. He also had 9 grandchildren and 3 great-grand children.

He will be missed by his family, friends, and everyone in the CSEA and NUMC family.