Former Roosevelt Island Youth Program Counselor Charles Royster Passed Away Last Month At Age Of 60 - Friends And Loved Ones Petition RIOC To Honor His Legacy With Memorial Plaque At Current Youth Center

Charles Royster passed away suddenly on June 24, 2024 at 60 years of age. Mr Royster was a very important person to many in the Roosevelt Island community as a Counselor at the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (RIYP). Roosevelt Island resident Chris Montague reports:

Charles Royster, former program director for RIYP, sadly passed away a few weeks ago.

Despite the contentious relationship between RIOC and the RIYP towards the end of its program, for many growing up on the island from the late 80s through the earlier years of the 2010s, Charles was one of the main reasons why the youth center felt like a safe and fun space for kids to come and form a community.

I, on behalf of Charles's many friends and loved ones here, have started a petition to hopefully convince RIOC to honor Charles's legacy by installing a commemorative plaque at the current iteration of the youth center.

Charles was very much a warm, paternal figure, like a father or favorite uncle. He made the center a fun, safe place for the youth of Roosevelt Island to come to as a community after school. He instilled many positive values within the program members, and was someone both children and their parents alike could trust to be there as a source of support, comfort, and guidance. For many of us, he was the face of the youth center,  a superhero for many of us as exemplified in this photo of Charles.

He was dedicated to serving the youth of our community, and it feels only right that the community dedicate a memorial to him, so future generations of children who will never know what the center was like under his stewardship, will at least know of his legacy of compassion and dedication that made the center what it was for so many of us. It's a legacy that deserves to be remembered and honored, and a standard that sets the bar for what our expectations are for the center in regards to community building.

According to the Petition To Memorialize Charles Royster With A Plaque At Roosevelt Island Youth Program

If you've lived on Roosevelt Island longer than 10 years, chances are you either knew, or at least knew of, Charles Royster.

To many of us, Charles was the face of the youth center and a pillar of our community. He gave so much to us through his role at the youth center, and touched many of our lives with positivity, with kindness, with care, and with selfless service.

The current administration of the Roosevelt Island Youth Program is not the same as it was when Charles worked there. It has since been folded into the purview of RIOC, who now manages it.

Some more involved with the politics of the RIYP of old will be aware that there was some bad blood between people at RIOC and the former director of the youth center. As such, RIOC may not be inclined to honor or memorialize anything connected to that rocky past.

But we as a community should make it known that we believe Mr. Royster's legacy transcends all of that, and he deserves to be remembered as an integral pillar in the organization of the Roosevelt Island Youth Program, regardless of who is currently running it.

So please, sign this petition and make your voice heard. Let RIOC know that we would very much appreciate that they do the right thing and honor the legacy of a man who meant so very much to so many of us.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

Condolences to Mr Royster's family, friends and all who knew him.

United Nations Diplomat, Hostage Negotiator, Chief Troubleshooter And Former Roosevelt Island Resident Giandomencio Picco Died March 10 At Age Of 75 - Did Diplomacy "In The Real Theater Of Life"

Giandomenico Picco, an Italian diplomat who as the “chief troubleshooter” for the United Nations helped resolve conflicts across the globe, has died at 75. https://t.co/IvW0sLCv5j

— NYT Obituaries (@NYTObits) March 15, 2024

According to a March 15 NY Times obituary:

Giandomenico Picco, an Italian diplomat who as a lead negotiator for the United Nations helped resolve conflicts across the globe — most notably spending nearly a year in the early 1990s shuttling around the Middle East to secure the release of 11 hostages held by terrorist groups in Lebanon — died on Sunday in Wilton, Conn., in Fairfield County. He was 75....

... Tall, sharply dressed and always discreet, Mr. Picco was something of a mystery within the U.N. bureaucracy. He would disappear without notice from the headquarters in Manhattan, only to surface a few days later in Lebanon, Iran or Afghanistan, often without having passed through border controls along the way....

Click here for the full obituary of Mr Picco. 

Mr Picco and his family were residents of the Roosevelt Island Rivercross building in the 1980's - not sure of the exact dates.

Here's Mr Picco discussing his work negotiating release of hostages from Hezbollah.

Giandomenico Picco interview from Ten 8 Films on Vimeo.

Mr Picco talked about his career in diplomacy:

... I did not do diplomacy in the desk. I did not do diplomacy on the great halls of the UN. I actually did diplomacy with results not with the blah blah and not with the piece of paper. In the real theater of life. 

I took home eight American hostages, which had been kept there the longest one for five years, three British hostages and two German hostages. In the meantime and during this operation, I was myself taken four times, blindfolded, locked up in the back of the car and eventually talked so much that they've let me go because they couldn't take it anymore... 

Condolences to Mr Picco's family, friends and colleagues.

Sad News, Pioneering Roosevelt Island Resident Jale Turcihin Passed Away October 19, 2023 At 87 Years Of Age - Condolences To Her Family, Friends And Neighbors

Long time Roosevelt Island resident Jale Turcihin passed away earlier this week. Her daughter Olya Turcihin shares the news:

It is with great sadness that I write about my mother, Jale Turcihin, who passed away on October 19, 2023. Her life was filled with love and beauty. She was 87 years young. 

Beloved grandmother to Ayla and Leyla Stern. Loving mother to Olya. Predeceased by her husband and love of her life Ilusha, her cherished daughter Lelya. Also survived by sons-in-law Al Stern, Sten Evenhouse, and Alan Lupiani, and loved by so many. Born in Istanbul in 1936, graduate of Robert College of Istanbul and Ecole Lemania, Lausanne, Switzerland. Proudly worked for decades at Mobil Oil (now ExxonMobil), at first in Istanbul, and later in midtown. Moved to New York from Istanbul in 1967 and was one of the pioneers to move to Rivercross in 1977, which reminded her of living on the Bosphorus in Istanbul. She loved living in Rivercross and the island!

An avid daily reader of The New York Times who was always fashionably dressed, often in cashmere, and full of wit, humor and abundant amounts of love. Although she moved to New York more than five decades ago, she visited Istanbul many times, including most recently in 2019 and never lost touch with her birthplace. Her fondest memories of her youth included climbing trees, eating fruit from her family garden, the lifelong friends she made at boarding school and the beautiful family she created after meeting and falling in love with her husband, Ilusha. She was an excellent Turkish Sephardic cook, spoke Turkish, and Ladino as well as English, French and Spanish.

My mother will be so very missed by us, and so many of you on Roosevelt Island. 

Graveside services to be held on Sunday, October 22, 2023, 11 a.m. at the Shearith Israel, Beth Olam Cemetery, Queens, NY. Open house shiva between 2 and 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 22 (531 Main Street, Rivercross Apt. #506).

Condolences to Jale Turcihin's family, friends and neighbors.

Remembering Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Sharon Stern Who Passed Away July 25 At 77 Years Of Age - Polio Took Her Body But Not Her Determination And Knowledge

Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy reported on July 27:

The Disease Took Her Body But Not Her Determination and Knowledge.

Remembering Sharon Stern.

Sharon Stern passed away Tuesday July 25 at the age of 77.  She was a resident of Goldwater Hospital long before there was a Roosevelt Island.  Sharon was 77 years old and she lived in an apartment in 540 Main Street since the late 1970’s.  Sharon was one of a group of Goldwater residents who moved into their own apartments when the community was built.

I had met Sharon at Goldwater in the 1960’s and from then on we met occasionally and kept in touch when we visited and discussed our cats.

Sharon wrote poetry and published “Armature” in 2002.  
Sharon struggled with staff to assist her and sadly she only left her home the one or two days a week when she could safely manage.  She had episodes when her wheelchair failed and left her stranded.  She would not travel off the island due to bad experiences.

Sharon would attend synagogue services and wrote extensively using a computer.  She rejected many assistive devices to make her work easier. 

A few years ago she marveled at reaching 75 years of age.

May she be a rest now and we remember her constant  determination.

Jane Swanson, Assistant Director Government and Community Relations remembers Sharon Stern:

Back before Cornell Tech’s campus was built on Roosevelt Island, I had “office hours” in RIVAA Gallery on Wednesdays and Fridays where Roosevelt Islanders could drop-in and learn about our campus. It was also great to have the gallery open to visitors those days. People would come in to see me, the art exhibitions – or both.

One day Sharon Stern and her wonderful assistant Nicole came into the gallery. We immediately connected – her dry wit and intellect were captivating. She often wore a hat and looked just smashing. As others have pointed out, Sharon left her apartment only on Mondays and Wednesdays – when Nicole was with her. Getting ready and out was no small feat and she only trusted Nicole to help her do it.

After that first meeting, Sharon would drop by the gallery almost every Wednesday and we would chat. We would rib each other in a lighthearted way – she was VERY opinionated, and I respected that. We disagreed a lot but could remain friends.

Sharon was always willing to listen to my problems and complaints. Never once did she make me feel like my problems were trite compared to hers (which, of course, they were). And she usually knew just what to say – or not to say. I once told her that she missed her calling: she would have been an excellent psychologist. But her love of literature prevailed.

I was in awe of Sharon’s ability to manage her staff, get a college degree, live in her own apartment, operate her wheelchair while still using the ventilator, grocery shop, and in essence do all the “stuff of life” while being a person with quadriplegia, using a ventilator. Sharon was my hero. She was brave, whip smart, tireless, fun and the best listener in the world.

I will miss her.

According to this 2009 NY Times profile article of Ms Stern - "A Life Changed But Not Destroyed By Polio":

Polio may seem like a distant memory. But thousands of people still live with the effects of the disease every day. And many are only in their 60s.

One of them is Sharon Stern. In 1954, at age 9, she developed the dreaded “summer plague.” Although she experienced some recovery early on, she has had no use of her four limbs ever since. Unless you happened to visit an enclave of several dozen disabled people on Roosevelt Island in New York City, you would never meet her.... 

Click here for the full NY Times article (behind a paywall) or read the RIHS article here.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Tim Keller Dies May 19 At Age Of 72 - Prominent Theologian, Founding Pastor Of Manhattan Redeemer Presbyterian Church & Best Selling Author Is Remembered By Roosevelt Island Residents As a Good Neighbor And Friend

 The NY Times reported May 19:

The Rev. Timothy J. Keller, a best-selling author and theorist of Christianity who performed a modern miracle of his own — establishing a theologically orthodox church in Manhattan that attracted thousands of young professional followers — died on Friday at his home in Manhattan. He was 72.

His death was announced by Redeemer City to City, an organization affiliated with Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Mr. Keller announced on Twitter in December 2021 that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer....

 Click here for the full NY Times article.

What many did not know was that Tim Keller was a long time Roosevelt Island resident living with his wife and family at Manhattan Park since 1989.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roosevelt (@rooseveltislander)

According to his one time neighbors Sherie Helstien:

Tim and Kathy and their 3 sons were our neighbors in 30RR when tenants were moving in just as the complex was opening. We watched their lovely boys grow up and had many cordial and funny conversations with all of them. 

and Matt Katz:

We lived across the hall from the Keller's at 30RR for some years and then we moved to another building. Some years later we met Tim on the Red Bus and asked after the family. 

I mentioned that we had just gotten a new cat and were looking for an appropriate name. She was to keep our old cat, Zeke, company and warm his bones. 

Tim thought for a moment and said, "Kings, 1-4." That's all he said. 

When we got home I looked up the Old Testament reference and there it was... Abishag, a virgin who would keep old King David's bones warm although "he knew her not." Abishag kept Zeke's (and our) bones warm for many years.

Roosevelt island resident and pastor at Mosaic Church Dan Sadlier remembers Tim Keller:

We moved to New York 10 years ago with the intent of starting new ministries across the city. 

We didn't know what to expect; moving a family of seven at that point in time from the Midwest. However, I quickly realized a few different things. First, I needed mentors who could help me understand the landscape of New York. Second, I needed someone who would cheer me on and believed in what we were attempting to do. Third, we needed financial resources that could help us get our different ministries off the ground. 

Tim was one of the first to step in as a mentor. Redeemer City to City (which Tim founded) invited me into a regular mentoring process where I was able to sit with and learn from Tim regularly. They would also become one of our biggest financial supporters to date. Tim always modeled generosity. So many times pastors and priests become weirdly territorial, and yet Tim continued to give away his time, his ministries' resources, and his prayer so that we could see new churches, new community development programming, and new ministries come to fruition across the city. 

There were multiple times where we traveled back to Roosevelt Island together from his offices in Manhattan and we would laugh at the fact that as we walked down Main Street, more of our neighbors knew the younger guy from the Midwest than the New York Times best selling author who had quietly made his home on Roosevelt island as he continued his work all over the city and world. Tim loved it. 

Roosevelt island was his place of rest. He loved living on Roosevelt Island. He loved raising his family on Roosevelt Island, and he loved that we were starting Mosaic Church (once Hope Church) in his very own neighborhood. Tim held to a deep belief that if you are to truly follow the way of Jesus, you invest your life for the sake of the whole neighborhood. (Not just Christians, but all people). 

You seek religious freedom, not just for Christians, but for all people. Mosaic continues to aim to be a church for the neighborhood, one that blesses all of our neighbors regardless of whether or not they ever step into our space. In a polarized time, where the Evangelical Church does not often look much like the Jesus they preach, Tim continued to talk about and model the way of Christ that deeply loves all and refused to play partisan politics. I’m grateful to have had him as a mentor, and Mosaic Church will continue to be a place of peace, mercy, and grace because of servant leaders like him. 

He will be missed

Watch Carpool Karaoke with Tim Keller and his family as they drive around Roosevelt Island and sing Broadway show tunes.

Molly Worthen on the legacy of pastor Timothy Keller, who died on Friday at 72: "two fundamental ideas propelled him: Biblical Christianity is not a political position, and secular liberalism deserves theological critique." https://t.co/JjJNo9VbIJ

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) May 21, 2023

 

Here’s my postscript of ⁦@timkellernyc⁩. He might have been the most effective communicator of historic Christian teachings in America. Hard to think of any pastor w/ a resume like his. I try to explain his legacy and the void he leaves behind. https://t.co/ZlSvno9OcU

— Michael Luo (@michaelluo) May 20, 2023

@timkellernyc would be the first to say that all glory goes to God. It’s his work that he graciously invites us into and allows us to participate. God is at work always and everywhere.

We miss you already.
Thank you for teaching us so much.
We’ll see you soon#TimKeller #Tribute pic.twitter.com/9ozpMKQ0QX

— City to City (@RedeemerCTC) May 24, 2023

According to Timothy Keller website:

... A livestream worship service will be held in the coming weeks. More details will be provided here as they become available.

Condolences to Tim Keller's family, friends, neighbors and colleagues.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Mary Cavanaugh-Lutts Passed Away At 80 Years Of Age, Her Spirit, Quick Wit, Love And Compassion Will Be Missed - Condolences To Her Family, Friends And Neighbors

The family of long time Roosevelt Island resident Mary Cavanaugh-Lutts report:

Mary Cavanaugh-Lutts passed away peacefully at home on April 26th after a long battle with cancer. She was 80 years old.

Mary was born in Philadelphia, PA in October 1942 and attended Chestnut Hill College. She relocated to New York City in the early 60’s where she began a career in the cosmetic industry, working for Revlon and later as a Marketing Director for Love Cosmetics. In the 1980’s, Mary changed course and began a career in professional voiceover and television commercials. Later, she saw a need for home cleaning services to accommodate all the working parents on Roosevelt Island and started the Best Home Services in 1989.

Mary moved to Roosevelt Island in 1977 and has resided there very happily ever since. She was active in the Catholic parish and offered her time to many activities for the community including: Roosevelt Island Little League, Roosevelt Island Soccer League, Roosevelt Island Cub Scouts and worked with other long time RI residents to start the Little Apple Day Camp for families during the Summer recess.

Mary loved to read, excelled at Jeopardy and was always pushing her culinary limits. She was happiest when tending to her plants, singing, listening to music and spending time on the beach with loved ones.

To family and closest friends she was affectionately known as “Dukes” and as “Granny Dukes” to her grandson. Mary was sharp, strong and as folks know; took gruff from no one. Her spirit, quick wit, love, and compassion for others will be missed.

Mary is survived by her son Matthew Lutts and his wife Kimberly Lutts; grandson Gabriel Lutts, Groton, CT.

Mary Cavanaugh-Lutts was a strong advocate for the Roosevelt Island community. She was a frequent participant in the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Pubic Safety Committee meetings. Mary could always be counted on to ask questions and raise Roosevelt Island quality of life issues with  RIOC Public Safety Chief Kevin Brown.

Condolences to the family, friends and neighbors of Mary Cavanaugh-Lutts.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Steven Kleinberg Passed Away - Remembered As A Terrific Guy, Condolences To His Family, Friends & Neighbors

The Roosevelt Island Westview Task Force announced today: 

Westview Taskforce is deeply saddened to learn of the premature passing of Steven Kleinberg, a long time Westview resident and 20 year member of the Taskforce. Steven chaired the Engineering subcommittee and significantly contributed to building improvements over the years. A private service was held Thursday 4/13. Steven is survived by his wife Rosemary. Steven was 74 years old.

Rosemary Kleinberg adds:

Steve was a very terrific guy with a great sense of humor and a kidder.

He had a master's degree in pyschology although he never used it. He worked for over 50 years in Construction. He started as a Sheet Metal worker and changed over to a Senior Project Manager.

He's lived on Roosevelt Island for close to 40 years and had seen quite a few changes. He loved the convenience of being so close to Manhattan in a matter of minutes.

I know I will miss him very much, as he told me we all have to go at some time. It's just a matter of when. I didn't expect this so soon.

Condolences to his family, friends and neighbors.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident David Bauer Passed Away At 95 Years Of Age, Memorial Service April 30 - A Loving Husband, Father Of 6 And Passionate Advocate For Roosevelt Island Good Government And Transparency

The family of long time Roosevelt Island resident David Bauer report:

On Thursday, March 16, 2023, David John Bauer of 531 Main St. NY, NY. a loving husband and father of six passed away, age 95.

David was born on September 29, 1927 in Syracuse NY, to Fred and Anna (Roeckelein) Bauer. He received a Bachelor of Engineering from Syracuse University in Syracuse NY in 1948, and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in 1952 and later a Graduate Fellowship from University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School.

On August 27, 1949, he married Joyce Eileen Jones and together they raised six children. Four of the six were born in Lititz, PA. One of his many tasks as Borough Manager of Lititz, a picturesque community in southeastern PA, was to establish a historic district. Always ready to learn, this experience prepared him for similar needs in other communities he would serve.

On Father’s Day 1961, Joyce gave him a gift of free time from the family, then being six children ranging in age from 9 years to 3 months. So, he could read his beloved New York Times without interruption. In it was a posting for the position of Town Manager in Wethersfield, CT for which he applied and was awarded.

His love of history led him to trace his family's roots back 14 generations. David moved to Roosevelt Island in 1978 where he was able to use his passion for improving residents community experience by engaging the powers-that-be to make changes as necessary. David did this with a big smile and hearty humor, both in small and large ways.

David helped convert the privately funded library on the Island to a branch of the NY Public Library. He also founded and led the Maple Tree Group; a collection of Island residents who worked tirelessly for years, to get locally elected Directors placed on the Roosevelt Island Operating Council.

With most of his professional career spent working with municipal governments it was natural that he should be called out of retirement in 1994 and accepted a post with the city of L’viv Ukraine to advise on city administration in a democracy.

David was preceded in death by his father, Fred, his mother, Anna, his youngest sister Phyllis and his wife Muriel Karpeles-Bauer. He is survived by his sister Nancy Zastrow, brother Paul & Penny Bauer, his six children and their spouses, Elizabeth Bauer & Marty Milkovic, Johanna Bauer & Sergio Torriente, Susan & Curtis Weiss, Benjamin Bauer, Andrew Bauer & Joanna Schnurman, and Martin Bauer & Kathryn Fagan, cousin, Charles & Sia Bauer, 14 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 1:00 pm in the Community Room at Rivercross, 531 Main St. New York, New York 10044.

In lieu of flowers a donation may be sent to the ACLU via their website, or by phone at 212-549-2500. 

David Bauer was a strong, thoughtful voice advocating good governance and transparency for the Roosevelt Island community. For example, according to Mr Bauer:

...  Having worked in the local government sector during the major part of my adult life I have had to face up to the question you raise; how big a circle of confidentiality do you want to have. Eventually, through the passage of what is called a "Sunshine Law" it was determined that the public had the right to any information involving the local government, with the exceptions being 1) narrowly defined personnel matters and 2) when developing strategy for a court case. That "Sunshine Law" right goes so far as to require elected officials to give public notice and attendance whenever two or more officials meet to discuss public business, formally or informally. Public business has a different glow than private business. Rivercross is public business, having been supported in its inception by taxpayer financing, just as our whole Island has been.

I learned early on how futile it is to attempt to restrict access to public information, even meetings involving as few as two people. I found out through hard experience that if there is a matter, without regard to how large or small that matter seems to be, the policy of attempted secrecy just does not work and in fact the mere appearance of  attempting to keep something secret makes it more appealing for those on the outside to make every effort to find out what is going on, and sometimes imaging quite horrendous matters when in reality the matter was minor....

In regard to the governance of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC), Mr Bauer wrote:

... The Board should have the responsibility to hire and fire. The Board must accept the need for their citizen-bosses to understand the reasons for the Board actions.

In a representative democracy:

the ability of the elected policy makers to have their policies carried out by the ministerial staff is important;

the need for the electorate to understand the actions of the elected policy makers is equally important — the electorate must be able to judge whether the elected policy makers properly reflect wishes of the electorate.

If administrative staff resign from a position, the reasons for such resignation may well be kept as confidential by the resigner.

BUT, if administrative staff is discharged for cause, both the staff and the electorate are entitled to a public statement identifying the cause.

If the cause given is illegal activity, the policy makers should file appropriate charges.

If the cause is discontent with the way the staff carries out the established policy, that cause needs to be clearly set forth. The policy makers, for their own protection in maintaining the confidence of the residents, or even in seeking reelection, need to be clear as to the basis for their action....

Roosevelt Island resident and former Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz adds:

David was the inspiration for the Maple Tree Group, the early community grass-roots organization that, initially, was formed to address RIOC failures in maintaining Island infrastructure and then, took on the lack of democracy that an appointed government agency imposed. David spent time in Ukraine, working for USAID, as they struggled to invent a post-Soviet government and, in later years, taught physics at the College of Staten Island.  

As our neighbor, our colleague and our friend, he will be sorely missed.

David Bauer will be missed.

Condolences to his family, friends and all who knew him.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident And RIVAA Gallery Member Artist Rachel Garrick Passed Away At 93 Years Of Age, Celebration Of Her Life February 13 At RIVAA Gallery -Condolences To Her Family, Friends And Colleagues

According to the Roosevelt Island RIVAA Gallery:

It is with great sadness that the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association announces the passing of our beloved RIVAA member and longtime Roosevelt Island resident, Rachel Garrick. Rachel passed away in Florida on February 8,2023 at the age of 93. Her family was by her side at the time of her death. 

Rachel’s gentle nature and cheerful disposition will be missed by all who knew her. Rachel was a RIVAA member from its early years. She considered the gallery her second home. 

In honor of her wishes, a memorial celebrating her life is being held by her daughters at RIVAA gallery (527 Main St., Roosevelt Island) on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 5PM.

Rachel Garrick's obituary is here.

Rachel Garrick reported on the RIVAA Gallery web page: 

My interest in art began in the 5th grade with an orange crayon when I copied Ruben’s “The Head of a Boy.” I was given the opportunity to create several murals for the classroom wall in my Bronx, NY school. In high school, I got involved with stage and fashion art.

I went on to study oil painting with Isaac Soyer and Eleanor Lust along with anatomy, drafting and the mechanics of commercial art. Later in life my education continued at the Art Students’ League and joined several art organizations, which allowed me to attend the World Conference on Women in Beijing, China as a female artist. I have also designed some pamphlets and menus for clients.

My involvement with RIVAA gallery has given me the freedom to branch out into other painting mediums and I have rediscovered my childhood interest in water colors and pastels. Portraits and capturing people’s expressions has remained my main desire,  

but I have also developed a love for painting horses and depicting the strength in their bodies contrasting with their beauty as they run. 

My travels through the beautiful shores of southern California and lovely countryside in Italy has also inspired landscape work such as ROW OF TREES IN MONTECATINI (watercolor, 7 x 10), where I depict the trees as towering, mighty and elegant, creating shadows of darkness among the pastel colors of the city in the rain.

Condolences to Rachel Garrick's family, friends and colleagues.

Roosevelt Island NY Public Library Branch Celebration Of Life In Memory Of Beloved Colleague Yolonda Fay Boggan Thursday January 19 - Come Share Your Memories, Poems & Prose

Roosevelt Island NY Public Library branch manager Carlos Chavez reports:

Join us on Thursday, January 19, at 6:30 PM for a special event to celebrate the life of our beloved colleague, Yolanda Fay Boggan, She was a valued member of our Library community, serving in multiple roles, for 35 years and served the Roosevelt Island community since 2011.

Share your memories, poems and prose, be a part of creating vision boards, a weaving scroll, and a special jazz performance.  

No registration required. Open to all ages.

First Annual Barbara J. Chocky Award For Public Service Will Be Presented To A Roosevelt Island Or Upper East Side High School Senior Involved In Social Justice, Civic Or Political Issues - Eligible Applicants For $1 Thousand Award Must Show Ongoing Dedication To Continue Ms Chocky's Legacy, Application Due May 13

Barbara Chocky was a long time Upper East Side community activist and member of Manhattan Community Board 8 

Photo Courtesy Of Amy Baxter

which covers the UES and Roosevelt Island. Ms Chocky died October 11, 2021. 

According to an October 14, 2021 Upper East Side Patch article:

Barbara Chocky, a community leader who fought for affordable housing and defended the Upper East Side's most vulnerable residents during a decades-long career in public service, died on Tuesday at the age of 81.

The cause was leukemia, with which she had been diagnosed less than a month ago, said Elaine Walsh, a longtime friend of Chocky's and fellow member of Community Board 8.

Over the years, Chocky worked everywhere from Hunter College to the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, but it was the community board that took up the biggest chunk of her life. She was CB8's longest-tenured member, serving since 1981 and sitting through untold hours' worth of public meetings. 

"She was a short woman but a very powerful woman," Walsh said. "She had her fingers in a lot of different things."...

Leslie Gottlieb reports:

In recognition of her decades of outstanding community service and leadership, the first annual Barbara J. Chocky Award for Public Service will be presented to a high school senior who lives on the Upper East Side/Roosevelt Island and is involved in social justice issues, civic or political life. The $1,000 Annual Award will be presented in June, 2022.

The Award was started by Barbara’s close friends Pete Grannis, former Assemblyman and currently First Deputy Comptroller for the New York State Office of the State Comptroller, and Amy Baxter, former aide to Pete Granis, with a GoFundMe Campaign following Barbara’s death in October 2021.

According to City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, a longtime friend, ”It is very fitting to honor Barbara’s deep commitment to social justice by awarding an annual scholarship to a high school senior who demonstrates an ongoing dedication to continue her legacy.“ 

Barbara Chocky was a prominent political leader on the Upper East Side and in New York City politics. She had a Masters in Public Administration and was a Registered Nurse. She was a passionate activist who was committed to advocacy, social justice and public and community service. She also mentored many young professionals.

Eligible students must reside on the Upper East Side ( from E 59th St to E 96th St., from Fifth Avenue to the East River, and Roosevelt Island). All applicants should be in good academic standing at their high school and must submit a one page essay on their involvement in community service, electoral politics and/or government, as well as any volunteerism. 

Applications and an official transcript should be emailed to:  BarbaraChockyMemorialAward@gmail.com  by May 13, 2022. Finalists will be contacted for interviews in late May. The Barbara J. Chocky Memorial Award committee will consider diversity, equity and inclusion when reviewing applications. 

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The recipient will be presented with the Award in June.

Donations to the fund may be made to the Barbara J. Chocky Memorial Award on Go Fund Me.

Announcing the Barbara J. Chocky Memorial Award for Public Service for High School Seniors

Apply here: https://t.co/1CPl22lZlm pic.twitter.com/JEVHIW8uwC

— Barbara Chocky Memorial Award (@ChockyAward) April 25, 2022

Friends and colleagues shared their memories of Ms Chocky during a November 10, 2021 Special Meeting of Community Board 8.

 

More on Ms Chocky from NY Times obituary and Upper East Side Patch article.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident, FDNY Captain & Korean War Veteran John Connolly Died April 9 At Age Of 89 - Celebrate His Life Sunday April 24 At Chapel Of The Good Shepherd Memorial Service

Daniel Jordan reports:

My stepfather, John Connolly was a Korean War Vet, and retired FDNY captain that passed away on April 9th. He was a long time resident of Rivercross. We are holding a memorial service on Sunday the 24th in the chapel of the Good Shepherd at 2pm. Please join us in celebrating the life of John Connolly.

Condolences to the family and friends of Mr Connolly.

Gallery RIVAA Celebrating 21 Years On Roosevelt Island With Vernissage 21 Opening Reception Saturday March 5, You're Invited - Remembering Gallery RIVAA Founder And Force Of Nature Arline Jacoby Who Recently Died At Age 97

According to Gallery RIVAA:

Dear all, You are cordially invited to celebrate RIVAA's Annual Anniversary Exhibition - "Vernissage 21" with RIVAA Artist Members and Guests on Saturday, March 5th from 6-9 PM at Gallery RIVAA.

In honor of Arline Jacoby’s memory, her family asks that donations be made to RIVAA. Here is the link:

This is our twenty first annual exhibition (Vernissage) and we look forward to seeing the Roosevelt Island community at Gallery RIVAA.

Gallery RIVAA Secretary Laura Hussey adds:

It is with great sadness that the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association (RIVAA) announces the passing of founding member and first RIVAA President Arline Jacoby (1924-2022). 

 For twenty years RIVAA was the beneficiary of Arline's energy and enthusiasm for life and art and her determination, dedication and devotion to our organization. 

Arline was a practicing artist and teacher. Her knowledge and expertise were used in service of advancing the goals of RIVAA. Always our inspiring friend, colleague and ardent supporter she will be sorely missed. 

Arline's family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to RIVAA located at 527 Main Street, New York, NY 10044 

Ms Jacoby was profiled by the NY Times in 2017.

How Arline Jacoby, founder of the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association, spends her Sundays @Rooseveltisland https://t.co/dpFSbdBilr

— Green Shores NYC (@GreenShoresNYC) July 23, 2017

Here's Ms. Jacoby welcoming Chinese artists to the June 24, 2017 Opening reception at RIVAA Gallery for Exhibition of Liaoning Province Artists Association in China

and the September 14, 2019 birthday celebration at Gallery RIVAA where Ms Jacoby was lovingly described:

... As a force of nature...

 

Ms Jacoby's lived in the Roosevelt Island Riverwalk building for many years. Her.passing was also announced on the Rivercross Building Link.

Arline Jewel Plumer Jacoby 1924 - 2022 

The goal of life is rapture. Art is the way we experience it. -Joseph Campbell 

Arline was born in 1924 to Anna and Isador Plumber. She is the youngest of nine siblings; Lou, Pauline, Freda, Lilian, Joseph, Ethyl, Dorris, and Shirley. She attended Girl’s High in Philadelphia for high school and then went on to Tyler School of Art. Arline married Harry Jacoby in 1947 and they had three children, Annice, Tedd and Isa. She has 5 grandchildren Kaj, Jaiva, Corinne, Eric and Scott. 

While raising her children, Arline received her Master in Arts Education from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. She worked as an art teacher for decades in junior high and high schools on Long Island. In her later years, she took her show on the road, teaching art on cruise ships, artist retreats, and English in Shanghai. She continued to teach well into her 90s. She lived the last 30 years on Roosevelt Island, New York, where she taught art to senior citizens and founded the gallery RIVAA. 

Arline lived life grandly, sharing her great curiosity about the world and flaunting her fun fashion. She traveled the globe and found beauty and education wherever she went. She explored museums with a seemingly endless rapture and she could out-party her grandchildren. 

Her powerful energy lives on in her art, her family, her friends and the many students she taught over the years. Later this year we will do a live celebration on the East Coast. 

In lieu of flowers, please donate to RIVAA. For donations, please make a check payable to RIVAA at 527 Main Street, New York, NY 10044.

Condolences to Ms Jacoby's family, friends, neighbors and fellow Gallery RIVAA artsts.

Sad News, Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Lynette Chatanow Passed Away December 25 - Condolences To Her Family, Friends And Neighbors

Long time  Roosevelt Island resident Lynette Chatanow passed away December 25, 2021.

According to the obituary shared by the family of Lynette Chatanow:

Peacefully and with her family nearby, Lynette Chatanow passed away on December 25th. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Jerry Chatanow, who was married to her for 56 years, her daughters, Ivy and Jill and her two grandchildren, Kaylie and Claudia. 

She was a graduate of the University of the Arts and later was a lecturer at Parsons School of Design. She will be remembered for her talents in floral design. 

Lynette moved to Roosevelt Island in March of 1978. She was active with the Roosevelt Island Senior Center, the Roosevelt Island Garden Club, the Knitting Club and the Roosevelt Island Chabad. 

A private burial took place at Wellwood Cemetery, and will be followed in a few weeks by a virtual memorial.

Condolences to the Family, Friends and Neighbors of Lynette Chatanow.

Sad News, Roosevelt Island Pioneer Frank Bernard Gibbs Passed Away December 21 At The Age Of 87, Community Activist, Loyal Friend, Cabrini Church Usher, Deputy Boxing Commissioner & Sharp Dressed Man - Condolences To His Family, Friends & Neighbors

Roosevelt Island pioneer Frank Bernard Gibbs passed away December 17, 2021 at the age of 87.

According the obituary of Mr Gibbs shared by his family:

Frank Bernard Gibbs was the seventh child born to Charles and Ann Gibbs on September 10, 1934 in the Bronx. Frank was predeceased by his siblings Angelita Brunstorff, Eugenia Mitchell, Inez Gibbs, Bernadette Bovell and twin brothers Isaac and Charles Gibbs. 

Frank lived a full life in his short 87 years on earth. He was a tailor, a surrogate’s court clerk, a deputy boxing commissioner, community activist and loyal friend. He was a devout catholic and served as an usher at St. Francis Cabrini Church on Roosevelt Island. Frank always put his best foot forward. Many will see Frank in their minds eye dressed in a sharp suit and tie, shoes and a hat. He knew how to dress and would say ‘we got to look sharp’. 

He talked of growing up in the Bronx and playing stick ball. Frank would visit the Bronx regularly to reminisce with friends and family. He worked at Strecker Memorial Laboratory on Roosevelt Island before it was developed into a residential community. The island made an impression as he left his beloved Bronx and made Roosevelt Island his home in the 1970’s. 

Frank increased his family of friends and became family to many on this small island. Frank Gibbs made it a point to get involved in his community. He successfully worked to bring a farmer’s market to Roosevelt Island, he was a founding member of the Roosevelt Island Garden Club, he planned countless trips for the Roosevelt Island Seniors to Atlantic City, Ocean City, Niagara Falls, wineries, etc. 

Frank enjoyed life, music, food, laughter and friends. His love of salsa music matched that of a Puerto Rican. He even walked the Puerto Rican Day Parade for many years. He could name drop with the best of them, but did not have to do that. His relationships with politicians and musicians were well documented.  

He leaves to cherish his memories: sister-in-law Shirley Gibbs; nieces Deborah Gulledge, Shirlene Gibbs-Fletcher and Stacey Gibbs; great nephews Darnell Leslie and Georvhari Fletcher; great nieces Syretta Broden (Mathias) and ShirBriya Fletcher; great-great nephews Darren Leslie and Sadiq Broden and great-great nieces Matea and Serena Broden and so many friends.

Condolences to the family, friends and neighbors of Roosevelt Island pioneer Mr. Frank Bernard Gibbs.

Sad News, Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Eunice Tazuko Tamashiro Folla Died December 21 - Devoted Her Life To Loving Her Children, Family, Community And Giving All To The Education Of Young Children

Sad news. Long time Roosevelt Island resident Eunice Tazuko Tamashiro Folla died December

The family shares her obituary:

Eunice Tazuko Tamashiro Folla was a force of life, a radiant and joyful presence who devoted her life to loving, giving and educating – loving her children, her family, and her community, and giving all of herself to the education of young children. 

Born in São Paulo, Brazil to immigrant parents, Eunice navigated multiple languages and cultures from an early age, instilling in her an ability to appreciate the humanity in every person and to love and care across languages and differences. Eunice believed in building community and supporting others in all spaces she entered and engaged with. An immigrant to New York, she quickly became a beloved member of her communities and redefined family as one of countless immigrants far from their homelands. She was a true artist with profound aesthetic sensitivity and rife with intellectual curiosity. She was wildly hilarious in every language she expressed herself in and could make you laugh for hours with her endless jokes, wit and stories.

As the first generation in her family to go to college, Eunice deeply valued the transformative power of education and was a lifelong learner, earning her master’s degree in early childhood education while working full-time and raising three children in her adopted city, New York. She was a passionately engaged and treasured educator for many years, proudly carrying the title of Roosevelt Island pre-school teacher and giving 110% of herself to her profession every day.

Eunice navigated the world with an awe-inspiring sense of self and purpose, a radical comfort in her own skin that allowed her to care for and nurture others deeply. She embodied altruism and taught us that a life worth living is one in which you love fiercely and with your whole heart in service of others. A fighter to the end, she was a mother who honored all mothers. She saw humanity and potential in young and old. Her soulfulness and indelible impact will be remembered by those she touched through her love or her teaching. The sadness for saying goodbye so soon when she had so much more to give and to learn will be overcome by the memory of countless moments of joy she shared with family, friends, colleagues and students.

Eunice joins our ancestors, her mother, Hatsuko Kobashigawa, brother, Pedro Yoshito Tamashiro, oji, Taiyo Shiroma, and oba, Fumi Shiroma. 

Our guerreira, we love and miss you every single day and hold you in gratitude for the years we were blessed to have with you on this earth.

Com amor, saudade, e gratidão,

Renato, Daniel, Diana, Leo, Elza e Luca and beloved “granddogs” Oscar and Lou

A Go Fund Me page was created to help the family with expenses:

Please consider making a donation of any amount meaningful to support Eunice's funeral and final burial expenses. Her wish is to have her final resting place be with her Mother and Brother in Brazil. Thank you!

Condolences to the family, friends and neighbors of Eunice Tazuko Tamashiro Folla

96 Year Old Ethel Romm Died Last Month After An Extraordinary Life - Engineer, Interior Designer, Educator, Author, Journalist, CEO, Raconteur, Entertainer, Loving Mother And Roosevelt Island Resident

Ethel Romm was a wonderful woman who contributed greatly to the Roosevelt Island community. Sadly, Ethel Romm died last month. Daniel Romm shares the obituary of his mother, Ethel Romm.

Ethel Grodzins Romm (March 3, 1925 – November 9, 2021)

On November 9, 2021, Ethel Grodzins Romm died after an extraordinary life that encompassed careers as an engineer, interior designer, educator, author, journalist, construction manager, and technology company CEO. For 15 years she was Co-Chair of the Lyceum Society of the New York Academy of Sciences. She is also remembered as a lively raconteur, creative entertainer, and loving mother. She was 96 years old.

Early Life

Romm was born on March 3, 1925, in Lowell, Massachusetts, the oldest child of David Melvin Grodzins and his wife Taube Grodzins, eastern European Jewish immigrants. She grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, and graduated from Manchester Central High School in 1942. Her brother Lee became a physicist and inventor, and her sister Anne Lipow was a librarian and library science expert.

Upon graduating from high school, Romm was trained as a mechanical engineering draftsman at Bausch Machine Tool Company in Massachusetts. With many men away from home serving in the war, she was quickly hired by the U.S. Air Force at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts as a civilian draftsman, where she stayed for the rest of World War II, becoming a project supervisor. When the men returned, the Air Force fired the women whom they had trained. Romm later said wryly, “They couldn’t teach drafting to monkeys, so they had to hire women.” She worked for Associate Engineers, Inc., in Agawam, Massachusetts, from 1946 to 1954, where she headed crews that designed power transformers for General Electric.

Middletown, New York

She married newspaper reporter Al Romm (1926–1999) and moved, in 1957, to Middletown, New York, where her husband became the first editor of the Times Herald-Record newspaper. The couple had three sons: David, the host and producer of Shockwave Radio Theater on KFAI-FM; Daniel, a rehabilitative physician; and Joseph, a writer, physicist, and climate expert. Romm and her husband threw large, colorful parties at their home in Middletown, often for the casts of Broadway touring companies or politicians. Romm’s 50th birthday celebration had a “half century” theme. The invitation was printed half in gold and half in silver; it asked guests to “bring half a covered dish, so you don’t go home half-starved”.

During her 25 years in Middletown, Romm became an author, journalist, and interior and construction designer, and lectured on those subjects at Orange County Community College. In 1960, she won her third Dorothy Dawes Awards for excellence in home furnishings reporting. Romm has had articles published in Editor & Publisher, the ABA Journal, Esquire, New York Magazine, and Huffington Post, among others. She has written about '60s counterculture and the underground press (The Open Conspiracy (1970)), writing and editing style.

In 1972, Romm and her husband were invited to the White House as part of a gathering of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The Secret Service became aware that Romm had a reputation for speaking her mind and was opposed to the war in Vietnam. While the couple was waiting in the reception line to meet President Richard Nixon, a Secret Service Agent asked Romm her intentions regarding any statements that she might make to the president. Romm and her husband left the White House without meeting the president and later received an apology from the White House.

Hartz, Niton and Later Years

Romm divorced and moved to New York City, where she continued to write. She was a project and construction manager for Hartz Mountain Industries from 1984 to 1988.

From 1988 to 2005, Romm was President, Chief Executive Officer and co-owner of Niton Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts, founded by her brother Lee, which designed, built and sold lead and radon detectors, portable X-ray analyzers, and other environmental science equipment. Romm and her family sold Niton to a publicly traded company in 2005. Now 80 years old, she retired, returning to live in New York City.

From 2001 to 2016, she was Co-Chair of the Lyceum Society of the New York Academy of Sciences, which arranges lectures, discussions and other events for retired and semi-retired members of the Academy. She was also a member of the Roosevelt Island Resident Association Common Council. In 2016, the Jewish organization Workmen’s Circle devoted its annual winter benefit to a presentation on Romm’s life and work. She lived for the last few years in Washington, D.C.

Romm is survived by her sons Daniel and Joseph, granddaughter Antonia, grandson Jake and brother Lee.

Matt Katz captures the Ethel Romm known to Roosevelt Island residents:

Ethel and I were linked both by our love for Roosevelt Island and for our association at The New York Academy of Sciences where I ran the local lecture series for over twenty years and she hosted the Lyceum Society for retired members. 

 

I will never forget my first foray into Roosevelt Island politics when I ran for the presidency of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) representing this community through Island-wide elections. In 2000, running for my first term as RIRA Prez against an incumbent and as an unknown, I campaigned hard. 

 

Having set up a table in Island House to greet my neighbors there, Ethel joined me and, when residents passed me by (as they sometimes did), she raced down the hall, shanghaied the miscreants, and brought them back to be harangued (excuse me persuaded) by... ME. 

 

You want a shaker and mover like Ethel in your corner and my victory that year owed much to Ethel Romm!

Here's Ethel Romm describing her experiences working as a woman in the construction industry during an April 14, 2016 Non-Traditional Employment For Women/Cornell Tech job apprenticeship presentation.

Also, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) singing Happy Birthday to Ethel on her 91st birthday

and an 88 year old Ethel Romm explaining that she stays healthy and fit by walking up 20 flights of stairs daily in her Rivercross building.

Ethel was a one-of-a-kind. 

Condolences to her family, friends and neighbors.

Sad News, Roosevelt Island Lost A Great Friend - Life Frames/Living Library Founder Bonnie Ora Sherk Passed Away Recently

Roosevelt Island resident Matt Katz reports the sad news that A Living Library Founder Bonnie Ora Sherk recently passed away.

According to Mr Katz:

Our friend and long-time colleague involved with the beautification of Roosevelt Island, Bonnie Ora Sherk, 

                                                                                                  Image From A Living Library

passed away in August at her home in San Francisco. While not a Roosevelt Island resident, Bonnie had a second home in Manhattan and came to us over twenty years ago on a $50,000 Ford Foundation grant. 

Bonnie was a landscape architect with credentials in San Francisco and around the world. Her early focus here was Southpoint Park which was slated for major renovations, and Bonnie's schematics for that task were printed in The Main Street WIRE March 20, 2004 issue at the time. They included plans for a boathouse and launching site for kayaks regrettably never built. The Trust for Public Land conducted its own planning at the time, which would have included a make-over of the Renwick Smallpox Hospital Ruin. RIOC rejected these innovative ideas and produced our current, modest Southpoint Park. 

Bonnie was the founder and director of Life Frames, Inc. the sponsor of A Living Library (ALL) whose mission was, "to transform derelict environments with systemically integrated hands-on learning for all ages resulting in ecological, place-based branch Living Library & Think Parks in diverse parts of the world." Her work has been displayed at the P.S. 1 gallery in Queens as well as at the Biennale in Milan, Italy.  

Bonnie never received the municipal financial support in New York City that supported her projects in San Francisco, but took advantage of the RIOC Public Purpose Fund to continue creating projects, built with the sweat equity from all sectors of our population. She turned her attention to the PS/IS 217 schoolyard where both children and adults labored to haul the soil and manure necessary to transform the area under the hallway windows into a vegetable and flower garden. 

                                                                                                                 Image From A Living Library

She planted an orchard of fruit trees on the west promenade school property, tragically destroyed during major school renovations. There are still two pin oaks, planted by the school kids, across Main Street from the school entrance. 

Currently, A Living Library is represented by the garden 

Enjoy a few pictures from the busy fall season in the Roosevelt Island Living Library & Think Park. Read more: https://t.co/3dMWbj5O1n #CommunityEngagement #communitygarden #organicfood #organicgarden #FarmtoTable @NYCSchools @Rooseveltisland @RIOCny @SteinerSchoolNY pic.twitter.com/79f083UfRf

— A Living Library (@alivinglibrary) November 8, 2019

located between our new library building and Blackwell Park, now under renovation. The park, under the leadership of ALL Director China Bushell, is maintained with the support of many residents, old and young, and you may have joined the Trick or Treaters at that wonderfully (gruesomely?) decorated crypt over Halloween.

Those of us who worked with Bonnie over the years miss her terribly. We know how much she loved Roosevelt Island and Roosevelt Islanders. A memorial is tentatively planned for next May, Bonnie's birthday with a plaque to be placed on one of the garden's benches and a tree planted in her name. What could be more appropriate?

Here's a 2014 interview with Bonnie Ora Sherk describing her A Living Library life long project.

EcoArt Space has more on Bonnie Ora Sherk.

Condolences to Ms Sherk's family, friends and colleagues.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Richard Dishman Passed Away September 18 At Age Of 74, An Original Pioneering Member Of Community - Condolences To His Family, Friends & Neighbors

Long time Roosevelt Island resident Richard Michael Dishman  died on September 18, 2021. According to Mr Dishman's daughter Laura Dishman:

... In 1976, Rich and Marcia moved their young family to Roosevelt Island, joining a pioneering group of residents who believed in an inclusive community. Rich helped build this thriving community through his involvement with the Main Street Wire, Roosevelt Island Little League, and tennis and softball leagues, along with many other community activities over the years. He lived there until he passed....

Ms Dishman shares the obituary for her dad, Richard Dishman:

Richard Michael Dishman, Jr., beloved husband of Marcia Angela Patts Dishman, and devoted father and grandfather, peacefully passed away on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at home in his favorite chair. He is reunited with his parents, brother Edward Francis Dishman, and nephew Michael Edward McMahon. 

Rich was an avid golfer, genealogist, photographer, and consumer of extra rare hamburgers. He loved history, Nittany Lion football and the New York Yankees.  

The greatest joy of the last five years of his life was his grandson, Richard Michael Dishman, IV. Nothing gave him more pleasure and contentment than spending time with Richard, and experiencing that joy with his wife, Marcia. 

Rich believed in family first, self-discovery, and embracing new adventures. He always encouraged family and friends to pursue what makes them happy. He also believed that you’re never too old to have fun like a kid, some rules shouldn’t be rules, fireworks are good (with adult supervision of course), and loud singing and goofy dancing are necessary in life, especially when it embarrasses your kids.  

Rich was the husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, and neighbor that you could count on to come through for you in any situation no matter what he was doing. He was there for you no matter what. He had a gift for making the people he met feel special and happier for having interacted with him. His kindness and generosity knew few bounds. If you needed him, you could rely on Rich to offer his ear without judgement, his wisdom and experience, words of encouragement, sense of humor, and time. His arms and heart were always open wide for those that he loved and knew. Rich was much beloved by many relatives in his extended family and highly regarded as the patriarch of the Dishman clan. 

He was born on March 24, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York to Richard Michael Dishman, Sr., and Eleanor Bracken White. They left Henry Street in Brooklyn and eventually settled in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where Rich grew up. He graduated from Penn State University, and soon thereafter married Marcia on July 11, 1970. In 1976, Rich and Marcia moved their young family to Roosevelt Island, joining a pioneering group of residents who believed in an inclusive community. Rich helped build this thriving community through his involvement with the Main Street Wire, Roosevelt Island Little League, and tennis and softball leagues, along with many other community activities over the years. He lived there until he passed. 

In addition to his beloved wife of 51 years, Rich is survived by his daughter Laura Dishman and her husband Christopher Monteverdi, Charlotte, North Carolina; son Richard Michael Dishman, III and his wife Deniz, Houston, Texas; daughter Suzanna Dishman, New Orleans, Louisiana; son Edward Francis Dishman, Washington, D.C.; grandson Richard Michael Dishman, IV, Houston, Texas; sister Patricia McMahon, North Sutton, New Hampshire; sister Barbara Waldmann, Staten Island, New York; and his brother and best friend Henry John Dishman and his wife Linda, Weeki Wachee, Florida. Rich also leaves behind cherished cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

Condolences to Mr. Dishman's family, friends and neighbors.