Grand marshal finally gets St. Patrick's Day Parade

For years, Preston Jankowski had marched in the annual Westhampton Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and it had become his dream to eventually become the event’s grand marshal.

After COVID-19 canceled the parade for the two years during  which he was supposed to be its grand marshal, Jankowski, 67, a developmentally challenged resident of Quogue, finally realized his dream on Saturday as hundreds returned to Main Street for the annual parade.

As he wore an orange, white and green-colored sash embroidered with the years 2020 and 2021 as crossed-out years while the year 2022 was left uncrossed, Jankowski and family waved to the green-clad crowd on Main Street on the podium stage as floats from local businesses, fire departments, ambulances, cavalry horses and bagpipe players filled the street.

Phyllis Kessler, Jankowski’s sister and legal guardian, said after the parade that it was a monumental moment for her brother, especially after he was “very depressed” when COVID-19 canceled the parade for the past two years.

“My brother’s waited a long time. It’s been a long life wish of his to be the grand marshal,” Kessler said. “Every year he would say to me, ‘Why am I not the grand marshal?’ My brother is very loved by the community, everybody knows him. If he walked along the parade route, you would hear everybody yelling for him.”

Friends and family say that Jankowski is affectionately referred to by the community as the “Mayor of Quogue” due to his generous and friendly personality, as well as because he used to ride a three-wheeled tricycle around nearby communities. Jankowski is also an honorary member of the Quogue Fire Department, the Knights of Columbus and the Quogue Village Beach Lifeguards.

Tom Otis, a first lieutenant with the Quogue Fire Department, said Jankowski is a friend of his family and the entire community has a special place in their hearts for Saturday’s parade grand marshal.

“He loves people. He’s a very jovial person. Yesterday, he called me to pull an April Fool’s prank on me, he told me the entire Yankees team got traded,” Otis said with a laugh. “He’s been here forever, and he loves being around people. He’s a special person.”

Tim Laube, an organizer of the Westhampton Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade, said Jankowski was “a bit of a local hero and icon,” and was chosen to be the grand marshal due to his years of serving on the parade’s committee.

“Back in the day, he’d show up and carry boxes to whoever needed the help,” Laube said. “Everybody loves him, and the outpouring of support we got for making him grand marshal is incredible.”

Noting that Jankowski also had kidney surgery in March, Kessler said they were worried he might not make the parade. When Jankowski finally got his moment, Kessler said he was overcome with emotion.

“My brother was on the stand, and his eyes swelled up in tears,” Kessler said. “This is a dream come true for him.”