Peter A. DeRosa, a World War II veteran, photographer and resident of West Islip, died August 30, 2004 at the age of 92.

Mr. DeRosa was born and raised in Cedarhurst and attended schools there. He was called into the service when he was 30, and was a member of the U.S. Army Engineer Corps where he used his skills as a motion picture projectionist to help the United States bring training films to its armed forces. He then served in the Philippines.

During his service, Mr. DeRosa met and developed friendships that lasted him a lifetime, said his daughter Barbara Picariello of Bay Shore.

Following his discharge from the Army, Mr. DeRosa went back into the motion picture industry, where he was a member of Local #640 until his retirement.

"My father had a great sense of humor," said Picariello, his daughter. "He was a staff sergeant in the service, and taught us responsibility, respect and the importance of doing things well. If we were ever idle for a second, we found a shovel or a rake in our hands," she said, laughing.

Mary Martino, who, with her husband Frank were longtime friends of Mr. DeRosa and his family, described him as a very talented and gentle man.

"We knew him for 50 years and over that time he helped us do many things in our home," said Martino who lived next door to the DeRosa’s in Queens. "He knew about painting, and was a good carpenter and electrician. We will miss him."

Mr. DeRosa’s father was a barber, and while Mr. DeRosa never wanted to take up that profession, he went to barber school. His passion was for photography and motion pictures, however, and while he was in the service, he would take photographs of the other soldiers and mail the negatives home where his family developed them in a dark room in the basement of their home. They would then send them to the families of the soldiers, many of whom were extremely grateful for the pictures.

"One was a silversmith and made some jewelry for my mother," said Picariello.

While living in Queens, Mr. DeRosa was active in the church there. He and his wife Florence, who predeceased him in 1996, moved to West Islip in the 1980s. The couple were married 50 years.

In addition to his daughter Barbara Picariello and her husband Alfred of Bay Shore, Mr. DeRosa is survived by his son Peter of Bay Shore and his grandchildren, Caroline DeRosa of Washington D.C., Peter and Diane Picariello of Bay Shore. His sisters, Frances Proscia of Cedarhurst, Rose McDougal and her husband Jerry of Islip, and Violet Buffett of Florida also survive him.

In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his daughter-in-law Lorraine DeRosa, and his close friend Sam Conte.

Mr. DeRosa reposed at the Lang-Tobia-DiPalma Funeral Home in Babylon. A mass of Christian burial was celebrated Friday, Sept. 3, 2004 at Our Lady of Lourdes R.C. Church, West Islip. Interment followed in Pinelawn Memorial Park, Pinelawn.