Meet Kathy Ioannou, who has run 26 marathons

Dyker Heights resident Kathy Ioannou recently  completed her 11th TCS NYC Marathon. In addition, she  has an extraordinary record of having completed other prime-time marathons in London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, Boston, plus the U.S. Marine Corps Marathon, which carves through Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va.  She is a Morgan Stanley Corp. executive director and former Bay Ridge Cares vice president.

Among the signs we saw displayed at the 2025 NYC Marathon were, “You’re the reason Brooklyn loves you, you are amazing,” “Pace yourself,” “Let’s go Dad,” “Run Mah run,” “Matty 2 shoes,” “Every mile counts,” “Welcome to Brooklyn,” “Miles for Mark, You got this!” and “Win Aunt Kat, may the course be with you.”

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Volunteers in action! Three cheers to the legionnaires from the Coffey-Wilson Post #688, who recently scraped down and put a fresh coat of paint on the 36-foot-long 12-inch cannon you see when you walk along the pathway through the main gate of the Fort Hamilton Army Base.

This particular artillery piece was one of several deployed by the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps at Fort Hamilton. It was called a disappearing gun because it was on a retractable carriage so it could be hidden from the enemy. The paint project was coordinated by Justin Batt, the curator of the New York Harbor Defense Museum.

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As the countdown to the 250th anniversary of the United States moves along, at its November meeting at Brooklyn Borough Hall the Society of Old Brooklynites held a discussion on ways to participate in and promote this once-in-a-lifetime historic event. They also expressed their support with the ongoing effort to convince  the MTA Bridge and Tunnels unit to place a giant-size American flag on the Verrazzano Bridge in time for the July 4, 2026 celebration. 

At this meeting, Society President Frederick Monderson urged the attendees to also write letters to the MTA Transit Authority to place a commemorative plaque on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle Park Place station to honor the people and elected officials who worked together several years ago to save the Shuttle. Three of the Society’s executive board officers are Bay Ridgers: Sherman Silverman, Ted General and Michael Spinner.

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On Sunday, Nov. 23 at 11 a.m., the Brooklyn Cathedral Club will hold its annual memorial service at St. Anselm Church, Fourth Avenue and 82nd Street. It will be followed by a communion breakfast reception at the Bay Ridge Manor, 476 76th Street. Harry L. D’Onofrio is the current Cathedral Club president, and Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan, head of the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese, is the club’s spiritual leader.