Carl L. Efsits

September 12, 1939 – July 2, 2026

Carl Leopold Efsits was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend. Carl passed away peacefully just after midnight on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026, at the age of 86, with his children, each holding a hand, and several of his family surrounding him.

Carl was born in The Bronx, New York, on September 12th, 1939. A year later he was adopted by Leopold and Elnora Efsits of Cambria Heights, Queens, where he was raised. He had a sharp mind and a knack for knowing how things worked, and how to fix them, especially with electronics. After graduating from Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical High School, in Jamaica, Queens, with a focus on electronics, he went into the workforce, first as a blacksmith, then with Western Electric, a subsidiary of AT&T at the time, building and repairing telephone equipment. This, and his natural expertise in electronics, led to his career of over 30 years with the New York Telephone Company (later NYNEX) where he was a planning engineer, designing the flow and switching of communication traffic through New York City’s telephone lines.

Carl married Loretta (Lori) Sirinek on November 25th, 1962, and they moved to East Northport, Long Island, where they raised their two children, Todd and Lisana (Richard). Eventually seven grandchildren were added to the family: Kyrie (Adam), Jordan (Maria), Hannah (Jess), Lili (Hayden), Elijah, Gabriel, and Ian. And four great grandchildren followed: Rayah, Liam, Cullen, and Elliott. Carl and Loretta moved to Indiana in 2002 to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Carl’s knack for knowing how things worked, and how to fix everything, benefited him beyond the New York Telephone Company. He loved rebuilding cars, mostly out of necessity, however, as he refused to let anyone else work on a car, he could fix himself… even if it meant having the local library get the shop manuals for a 1985 Ford Thunderbird so he could rebuild the transmission in his garage. His last car project was a 1984 Mercedez-Benz 450SL that he took for his last ride in the Spring. He also loved restoring boats, as he was an avid boater, and his best work was the beautiful restoration of a 1950 42’ Chris Craft Commander. But Carl’s favorite thing was to help people with whatever project they were working on, whether family, friends, or Pet Refuge in Mishawaka where he spent much of his time after retirement fixing, rebuilding, or spending time with the dogs and cats… sometimes even sitting in their kennels with them to help them feel comforted.

Carl’s sharp mind also enabled a very sharp wit and capable communicating with a storyteller’s craft. His communication skills were much sought after, whether to explain switching designs at NYNEX to the stakeholders or as an impromptu emcee at public events. His storytelling and wit are what people remember most about him. What may be his wittiest response ever was captured on local live TV. Carl was an active member of the Conservative Party of New York State from its start and ran for the office of Highway Superintendent of Huntington Township on the Conservative ticket. When asked by a reporter during a press conference what his stance was on abortion, without skipping a beat he responded, “I am against anyone having an abortion on a Huntington Township road. Next question, please

Carl was perhaps most proud of his involvement with Ketewomoke Yacht Club, in Halesite, New York, where he was an active member for over 20 years. He served as Commodore in 1979, and then as chair on both the membership and by-laws committees until he left Long Island. It was at the yacht club that Carl could fully put into practice all of his talents. He regaled many with his stories of club events, work parties, and its members until his last days. Some of the stories are even true.

Carl will be honored with a celebration of his life on Saturday, July 11th, 2026 at Open Door Christian Fellowship (51586 County Road 5, Elkhart, Indiana 46514). Visitation will be from 5-6pm, with a memorial service starting at 6pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pet Refuge, 4626 South Burnett Drive, South Bend, Indiana 46614.