Jeff Frayler to lead Huntington St. Patrick's Day parade

Jeff Frayler is a busy man as the president of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association, but on Sunday he will take a stroll down the streets of Huntington alongside friends and family as grand marshal of the town’s 78th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Frayler, 59, of Bohemia, will be joined in the parade by County Executive Steve Bellone, Nassau County PBA president James Carver and NYC PBA president Pat Lynch.

“Jeff has been an outstanding member of the community,” said Andrew Brady, Frayler’s longtime friend and the current president of the Huntington Ancient Order of Hibernians, which hosts the parade. “He’s just a great asset to Huntington, Long Island and the community.”

Rich McGrath, the former president of the Huntington Ancient Order of Hibernians, said Frayler’s volunteerism, work within the county PBA and his service in the U.S. Marine Corps all contributed to his selection as grand marshal.

Frayler has spent the past 14 years as the Suffolk County PBA president, making him the longest–running PBA president in Suffolk County history, McGrath said.

“He is the pinnacle of Suffolk County,” Brady said.

Before being elected PBA president in 1997, Frayler served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a sergeant from 1970 to 1973. Frayler then graduated from the then SUNY Farmingdale in 1976 with an associate degree and graduated with honors in Behavioral Science from the New York Institute of Technology in 1978.

During his more than 10-year career as a Suffolk County police officer, Frayler received several awards including a Combat Gold Award and an Exceptional Police Duty Award. He is also a certified bomb technician and firearms instructor who has taught dozens of police officers.

The Huntington Ancient Order of Hibernians will host the 78th annual Grand Marshal Ball tonight at the crescent Club in Huntington to honor Frayler. At the event, which will include a performance by the Petri School of Irish Dance, Frayler will receive his top hat, sash and cane to don at the parade.

“It’s nice to be part of the tradition and doing something local like this with my neighbors will be very cool,” said Frayler, who also volunteers with the Huntington Ancient Order of Hibernians.

The parade kicks off at 2 p.m. Sunday on New York Avenue in Huntington.

“Jeff is a personal friend to many in Suffolk and an outstanding veteran,” Brady said. “It’s an honor to have a person of his stature being our grand marshal.”