Gary Gerard Lesniak, a longtime Wantagh resident and a Hauppauge business owner for more than 20 years, passed away on May 18 at St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage surrounded by his family. He was 58. Gary was co-owner/manager of The Bagel Stop,  a bagel store and delicatessen he operated with his brother Raymond from 1995 until 2021. When they were high school students at JFK High School in Bellmore, the  brothers worked at Bellmore Bagels, where they learned to make bagels. Two decades later, when both were at a crossroad in their careers, they purchased ovens and set up shop in Hauppauge. “I enjoyed going to work with him and seeing him every single day for almost 30 years,” Raymond said. Previously, Gary worked in advertising sales at the Freeport Pennysaver, Dun and Bradstreet and the Yellow Pages Directory. While selling ads for the Pennysaver at a local theater, Gary met Carolyn Popadin, his wife of 26 years. They have two daughters, Hannah and Cathryn, both students at Wantagh HS.

After leaving the bagel business, Gary studied to be an insurance agent, getting his license in the fall of 2021.  He was a salesman at Island Powersports in Massapequa since Oct. 2021, and especially enjoyed when he was the showroom’s top-selling associate. In March, he proudly took the oath of office as an Auxiliary Police Officer in the Nassau County Police Department. Gary earned an associates degree at Nassau Community College. After playing defense on his high school lacrosse team, he took his talent to Nassau, where his team won the state championship. Since childhood, Gary loved boating. He was an advanced swimmer and was a certified scuba diver. “The sea was in his blood,” his wife said. He earned his Captain license, a professional credential required to operate a vessel carrying passengers or cargo for hire, at  Sea School in Sea Cliff, N.Y. On the roads, his badge of honor was his “CAPTGARY” license plate.

Gary was a parishioner and board member of St. Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Church in Seaford. He was an animal lover and over the years rescued and adopted several cats. He had more than 100 hours toward his pilot license. He enjoyed family vacations in Maine and Disney World and watching his daughters’ dance competitions. Gary was predeceased by his father, Paul Lesniak. In addition to his wife Carolyn, his daughters Hannah and Cathryn and his brother Raymond, he is survived by his mother, Diane Lesniak of Ridge; his sisters-in-law, Maryann Lesniak  of Hauppauge; Suzanne Popadin of Bethlehem, Pa.; and Darlene Weir of Staten Island, N.Y.; his brother-in-law, Roddy Weir of Staten Island; several nieces and nephews; and his beloved cats, George, Mel and Reese. Visitation will be at the Chapey & Sons Funeral Home in Bethpage on May 23 from 3-5 and 7-9:30 p.m. The funeral will be May 24 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Gregory's Church. Burial will follow in Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Last Hope Animal Rescue in Wantagh.