Michael “Bubba” DeRosa, a lifelong resident of Hampton Bays and a physical education teacher and athletic director in the Bridgehampton School District, died on Friday, July 10, after battling glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer, for over a year. He was 42.

DeRosa’s glioblastoma diagnosis came when on March 27, 2025, less than a week after traveling to Binghamton to watch his Bridgehampton varsity boys basketball team compete in the New York State Championships, he suffered a medical emergency while teaching a physical education class at Bridgehampton School and lost his ability to speak. Thanks to the quick action of his students, DeRosa was eventually taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, where it was discovered he had a brain tumor and stage 4 glioblastoma.

DeRosa is survived by his wife, Dyana DeRosa; their daughter, Mia; his parents, Ralph and Denise; his brother Terrance and partner Thomas Hopwood; and his brother Christopher DeRosa and wife Alejandra DeRosa. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations instead to The Kanas Center for Hospice Care  or to StacheStrong to fund brain cancer research.