Honorable Thomas P. Phelan

Nassau Supreme Court Justice Thomas P. Phelan, who was known as a tough but fair judge for more than two decades on the bench, died at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre on Feb. 12 after a 10-month battle with cancer. Phelan, who continued working until his death, was 69.

Late in his career, Phelan concentrated much of his energy on cases involving the guardianship of incapacitated people, including the elderly -- "making sure they are being taken care of in the proper sense and the proper people are taking care of them," said his daughter Meredith Brown, of Bronxville.

Phelan was a founding member of the Irish Monument Committee, dedicated to raising money to restore a deteriorating memorial located south of County Court in Mineola that commemorates the 1916 Easter Monday Uprising by Irish nationalists in Dublin against British rule. More than a dozen nationalists later were executed for their role in the fight for Irish independence.

"Judge Phelan had a long and distinguished career tirelessly serving the residents of Nassau County," said Justice Thomas A. Adams, Nassau's administrative judge. "He was a compassionate and independent judge who had a significant impact on those who came before him."

Born in Brooklyn, Phelan moved to Oceanside when he was 3 and "he never left," his daughter said. Phelan and his wife, Noreen, who died in 2013, lived and raised their family two blocks from the house where he grew up.

Phelan received a B.A. from Stony Brook University and a law degree from New York Law School. He served as an assistant Nassau district attorney from 1971 to 1974, and clerked for a Supreme Court justice and a County Court judge for a decade before going into private practice. Phelan was appointed a District Court judge in 1991. He was elected to the Supreme Court as a Republican in 1996 and re-elected to another 14-year term in 2010.

Although he was known as a "stern, no-nonsense kind of judge" on the bench, his daughter said, "He valued family. All he wanted was to spend more time with us. If he could be surrounded by us at all times, he would be happy."

Phelan was active in his community, his daughter said. He was a past president of the Kiwanis Club of Oceanside Inc., and the Former Assistant District Attorneys Association. He was a distinguished board member of the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on Long Island and Irish-Americans in Government Inc., charitable organizations.

In addition to his daughter, Phelan is survived by daughters Bridget Hine of New Berlin, and Kelsey of Fresh Meadows, Queens; son Thomas of Oceanside; and brothers Tim of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, and Tod of Henderson, Nevada; and six grandchildren.

Visiting hours will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Sunday at the Towers Funeral Home in Oceanside. A funeral Mass will be offered Monday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Oceanside.

The family asks that flowers be sent to the funeral home. Or donations may be made "in Memory of Judge Phelan" to the Irish Monument Committee, c/o Joseph Hyland, Treasurer, 254 Nassau Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530.