Long Island native and best-selling author Nelson DeMille has died after a battle with cancer, his family confirmed. He was 81.
DeMille died of stage 4 esophageal cancer Tuesday morning at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island in Mineola, his children, Alex and Lauren, told Newsday. They remembered him as a loving father and a dedicated storyteller, who was often surrounded by people engaged in one of his thoughtfully woven tales.
“He’s always been someone who brings people together,” Alex DeMille said. “I have lots of fond memories sitting around the dining room table, the Christmas tree, or in the kitchen having coffee or wine, he was just a wonderful host. He got joy out of being around people.”
Lauren added that her father loved listening to a good story almost as much as telling one.
“He was interested, asked the right questions and really got what was really funny or interesting about something you were sharing,” she said.
“Very engaged, which was part of what made him loved by so many people” Lauren continued. “You just felt so good when he was interested in what you were saying. He had a very interesting, generous mind.”
DeMille was born in New York City on Aug. 23, 1943 and grew up in Long Island, where he graduated from Elmont Memorial High School, per his website. He went on to attend Hofstra University for three years, before joining the army. He served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division and was decorated with the Air Medal, Bronze Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, according to his site. He was also awarded the Combat Infantry Badge.
Following his discharge, DeMille returned to Hofstra and received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history.
In 1978, he published his first major novel, “By the Rivers of Babylon.” His most recent book, “Bloodlines,” a New York Times best seller, was published in 2023. The year prior, he released “The Maze,” which is a fictionalized telling of the Gilgo Beach killings.
Over the course of his lifetime, DeMille wrote 23 novels, including 17 bestsellers.
DeMille, whose wife, Sandra, died in 2018, is also survived by another son, James.
