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Jeffrey Philipson (1940 –
2024)
New York businessman and
artist, Jeffrey Philipson, 83, of Riverdale, New York, died in The Bronx, New
York on January 30, 2024 due to complications resulting from multiple
sclerosis.
Jeffrey was born in
Brooklyn, New York on November 13, 1940, the middle son of George Philipson
and Sarah Altschuler and brother to Ira and Steven. Jeffrey attended The
Wheatley School in Roslyn, New York, where he made lifelong friends with Eddie
Kritzler, Charlie Shapiro (both 1958 and deceased), and many
fellow classmates, before attending the University of Vermont. At UVM he
befriended Fred Goldberg, future godfather to his sons. Jeffrey left school
early to take over the family business from his ailing father. As a business
owner and soon a father of two, Jeffrey was also a self-taught student of
fine art, art history, psychology, world history, politics, and
biography.
In Whitestone, New York,
as young parents, Jeffrey and his first wife, Andrea Gates, raised their
sons, Glenn and Adam, alongside their neighbors Steven and Louise Bergerson
and their sons, Eric and Andrew. The families remain lovingly close to this
day.
Jeffrey met the love of
his life, Virginia Higgins, in 1980 at a house party in Jersey City. They
lived their 40 years together, until her death in 2020, with their cats,
Spunky, Toughy, Missy, and Sheba, first in The Breukelen building in Brooklyn
Heights, with a breathtaking view of New York Harbor, and then in Riverdale,
New York. Virginia’s daughter, Heather Higgins, joined them in Brooklyn
Heights in 1984 and Jeffrey loved her as his own daughter.
Jeffrey and Virginia were
thrilled to be grandparents and doted on Adam and Alma’s children, Amanda and
Aldan, proudly cheering on their countless academic, theatrical, and sporting
accomplishments and hosting birthday parties and an annual Christmas celebration.
They also thought of the children of their dear friends and neighbors Robin
Weinstein and Paul Alpert, Brandon, Zoe, and Ryan, as their grandchildren,
hosting art camp, sleepovers, birthday parties, and an annual Easter egg
hunt.
For over 30 years,
Jeffrey was the third generation owner of Philipson Press, innovating as
technology and market consolidation transformed the industry, shuttering so
many independent printing shops. During his career, he had stores in Bedford
Stuyvesant, Wall Street, Greenwich Village, and Tribeca. All of his children
were schooled in customer service, working a broom, and operating the shop
equipment. Jeffrey maintained the shop at 52 Warren Street until he sold the
business and retired in the late 1990s. Jeffrey was a champion and generous
supporter of the Tribeca artists and small business people he was so happy to
serve and befriend.
Jeffrey was a talented
athlete, excelling at basketball, boxing, and football as a student and at
squash as an adult. In the 1980s, his passion for sports was diverted by
multiple sclerosis, a cruel disease without a cure, which he did not let
diminish his life. He sought out cutting edge treatments and
purposefully stayed active to keep his body and mind strong and fit. So
remarkable was his resilience in the face of the disease, the MS research
community raised him up as an astounding success story. Ultimately, he became
paralyzed in 2012 and moved to The Hebrew Home, his treehouse overlooking the
Henry Hudson River.
Throughout his adult
life, Jeffrey delighted in making abstract sculptures and drawings. He
relished his long talks with his Aunt Sara Pildes about art theory and
technique. Her stories about painting every day inspired his creative
process, as did the instruction from his teachers, including Elisa Eisenman.
He adored and was fascinated by trees; he became particularly attached to the
ones he saw every day and featured them in some of his art. He was also a
lover of music. He played the Dulcimer as a young man and the harmonica more
recently, often improvising ditties for his family or to entertain
himself.
A touchstone moment for
Jeffrey was when family and friends traveled to Alma’s hometown, Santa Maria
Coatepec, Mexico, in 2001 for Adam and Alma’s wedding. The three Philipson
brothers and their wives laughed their way through great traveling adventures
and were the main attraction on the dance floor after the wedding.
If you knew Jeffrey, you
knew he was very witty and loved both to be funny and to enjoy the humor of
others. When telling a story, he would cock an eyebrow or make an exaggerated
face to great effect. What is perhaps most remarkable about Jeffrey is that
throughout the adversity he experienced, he retained his inherent optimism,
patience, and gracious cheerfulness. May Jeffrey’s memory be a blessing to
all who loved him.
Jeffrey Philipson was
preceded in death by his life partner, Virginia Higgins, and his older
brother, Ira Philipson. He is survived by his sons, Glenn Lawson (Joe) and
Adam Philipson (Alma); his step-daughter, Heather Higgins; his grandchildren,
Amanda, Aldan, and Aria; his younger brother Steve Philipson (Barbara), his
sister-in-law, Rebecca Philipson; and many loving nieces and nephews and
their children. Jeffrey and Virginia’s family will be eternally grateful to
the Weinstein-Alpert family for their unending love and support throughout
their years in Riverdale.
The family will make
arrangements for private gatherings with loved ones to celebrate Jeffrey’s
life.”
Writes Heather Higgins -
“Hello Wheatley Alumni,
It is with profound sadness and hearts filled with love that my brother, Adam
Philipson, and I write to share that Jeffrey Philipson, proud Wheatley
alumnus, passed away on January 30th after a long battle with multiple
sclerosis. He had many lifelong friends from Wheatley who were very dear to
him. He cherished those memories. Heather Higgins and Adam Philipson”. HEATHER
HIGGINS, heather@heatherhiggins.com, 434.760.3330
1964 - Susan Obrant - Exhibition at
Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art, 1701 Main Street, Peekskill, NY,
2/15/2024 to 4/10/2024, 3-5 PM.
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1965 + 1967 -
Richard Strauss and Leslie Buckner Strauss
Writes Leslie -
“Richard and I are celebrating 50 years of marriage this year. We’re
wondering how many other Wheatleyites, besides Bob and Jill Forte, can say
that- not just being married for so long, but to a schoolmate? Pretty
amazing! We are in Chester, CT, a small town about 8 miles north of the Long
Island Sound on the CT River. We raised two daughters here, and now we have
six amazing grandkids to enjoy. We also enjoy visitors.”
1967 - Robert Hecht - An Usher At
the Usher Super Bowl
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Writes Robert Hecht (who
recently moved to Las Vegas) - “Unbelievable!
I got to usher at the Super Bowl at the 50 yard line, in a Million Dollar
Suite. I met too many celebrities to mention, but among them were Lebron
James, Wayne Gretzky, the owners of The Raiders and The Golden
Knights, Gayle King, Martha Stewart, Jim Nance, and other rappers and
basketball players. My new besties are Martha and Mahomes’s wife. All in all,
an amazing experience.
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1967 - Ilene Kornblath
Rosenbaum - Memories
Writes Robin Freier (1972) - “I am shocked and sad to hear about Ilene Kornblath’s
passing! She was such a sweet person - always had a beautiful big smile! Our
parents were friends, and I had reconnected with her through Facebook several
years ago. We often commented on each other’s comings and goings. I will miss
her beautiful smile.
Writes Art Engoron (1967) - In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I often hitchhiked.
One day I was riding in the cab of a tractor-trailer heading east on the Long
Island Expressway where it crosses over the Cross Island Parkway, moving very
slowly because of traffic. I happened to look out the window and noticed
Ilene Kornblath driving a red convertible sports car with the top down. I
called out to her, and of course she offered to drive me the rest of the way.
So in the middle of three slow-moving lanes of traffic, I hopped out of the
truck and hopped into her car, and she drove me all the way to 26 Bengeyfield
Drive. Truth is stranger than fiction.
1967 - The Brave Souls at
Wheatley’s 60th Anniversary Celebration, 10/15/2016
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Front Row - L-R
- Suzy Liebert, Scott Frishman, Mara Danziger Robinson, Debbie Friedman
Lieberman, Frances Miller Merkler, Amy Pastarnack Hughes
Back Row - L-R - Phil
Fea, Susan Miller Penn, Corinne Zebrowski Kaufman, Art Engoron, Nancy
Stevens, Judy Orgel Meilinger, Howard Senft, Larry Weiss, Scott Geery
1969 - Gerry Gersh - Marital Bliss
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Writes Gerry - “Hi Art! Patty & I celebrated my birthday on
Valentine’s Day, which is my actual birthday, at the Bird & Bottle Inn in
Garrison, NY. It’s been operating since 1761 and features 1700s ambience, a
musket hanging on the wall in the bar, and a HUGE stone fireplace raging in
the large dining room. Love ya, Ger”
1971 - Neil Rosenberg - Four
Lifetimes in One Life
I was a
less-than-stellar student (my own fault) as a member of The Wheatley School
Class of 1971. Among my most memorable experiences at Wheatley was the
time I spent with a small computer that was installed in the Audio Visual
Office, teaching myself to program. I also cherish the opportunity to
have learned from some really great teachers, such as Messrs. Bongarzone and
Workman.
Following graduation I
went to MIT, where (again) I was an unremarkable student. My most
notable activity at the “tute” was exploring creative photography under the
mentorship of Minor White, a noted artist and educator. It was there
that I met my future wife, Nancy, a Wellesley girl. As of July we’ll be
married for 49 years.
This was followed by
Master of Science work at Stanford as a “Product Design” major, where I
finally started to mature and get fired-up. After graduating we moved
back to New England, which we greatly preferred to the California
experience. I took a job at Hewlett Packard in their medical division,
doing engineering work on various aspects of EKG equipment and supplies.
During the next several
years I had various three-year stints at companies like Centronics,
Dataproducts, Wang Labs and NEC Information Systems. It was at NEC that
I met my future business partner, Glen Horton. He and I commuted
together for those three years, scheming about breaking free to create our
own software business. In 1985 we mutually pulled the plug on NEC and
formed Inner Media, a software consulting company. We each had an
office in our respective homes, which allowed us to be home for our respective
growing families – it worked quite well, and over time we developed and
released our own private-label software products, one of which is still being
sold (amazingly).
I became bored with
software and changed gears dramatically. Having an interest in piano
rebuilding, I joined the local guild, built a large shop on our property and,
under the mentorship of one of the guild members, learned the craft. I
did that for about three years (typical), but it, too, proved tiresome after
about the twentieth rebuild. By that time our kids had both graduated
from the local high school (Hollis-Brookline NH) so the time seemed right to
see if I could do something useful in education, particularly tech ed.
The principal was a friend and he instantly hired me to start up a Technology
Center at the newly renovated high school.
During the next few years
I wrote and taught whatever courses I could imagine, ranging from robotics to
video production, eventually to add courses from the Project Lead The Way
(PLTW) cooperative. I started a FIRST robotics team (FRC 1037) at the school,
which took off. After a short while the team had more students than the
football team and had garnered considerable interest in the community.
An opportunity arose in
the Manchester NH school district for a leader to bring this kind of STEM
education to their considerably larger student body. I moved my focus
to that district, working to educate faculty and administrators in how to
create such programs. I also continued to teach, moving regularly
between their four high schools. This was a heady time, busy and very
productive. It was after a few years in Manchester that I learned of a
pair of openings at FIRST corporate, which was nearby in the mill
district.
There were postings for a
Scholarship Director and Engineering Manager. Since Nancy had prior
experience with scholarships (mostly through our involvement with the Rotary
in Hollis), she was a natural fit for the scholarship position. I decided
to wait for her to land that job (which she did) before applying for the
Engineering Manager position. Eventually we both joined FIRST, an
amazing and life-changing experience for us both. During that time I
worked with many talented and highly motivated people, among them Dean Kamen,
Woodie Flowers and many more that I met at the various regional
competitions. A number of these are great friends to this day.
Living and working in New
Hampshire had its health costs however. After having to shovel/blow
considerable snow for multiple winters, I ended up with pneumonia twice, and
I feared that a third bout would kill me. So, in early 2010 we decided
to move to a warmer clime. We read the books and decided to check out
Asheville, NC. We traveled there to find a new home, which we did, and
throwing caution to the wind bought it, and over the next year moved out of
New England. As a bit of irony, as the last moving box was delivered
snow started to fall and didn’t stop until we had two feet on the ground: no
power, no water, no heat.
Things improved,
thankfully, and we gradually created a new life in the Asheville area.
Made new friends, and I taught engineering to Mechatronics students at UNC
Asheville. I founded the “Robotics Opportunity Committee”, whose
charter was to bring STEM education to under-privileged communities. I
also created and taught several courses at the Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute (OLLI) at UNC Asheville. During that time our daughter,
Lauren, living in Northborough MA, produced two beautiful daughters of her
own. As grandparents we were extremely bothered that, due to covid
restrictions, we were unable to see them and be part of their lives.
This had to change.
With the help of Lauren
we bought a nice (we thought) house in Grafton MA, sold our NC home, and
moved to a new dwelling. It was a time when a good home was exceedingly
difficult to find and purchase, so we had to overbid and remove any
restrictive language from the offer. Things like inspection. Over
the first year of ownership we spent every available penny and then some on
fixing all the things that needed work. There was a LOT to do, but we
finally had the place under control.
It happens that our new
home is only a town or two away from Worcester Polytech, WPI, and I learned
from a friend that they were looking for a lab manager for the Robotics
Engineering Department. This sounded great, as it offered me the people
contact I wanted, a chance to give back in a way that suits my background,
and best of all, I didn’t have to do any grading, which I abhor. For
two years now I have filled that role, and I find it very fulfilling and
enjoyable. Now that I’m in my seventies, it’s great that I can still be
‘in the game.’
A postscript to this
story is that I’ve renewed my interest in creative photography in a big way,
have joined up with a group of like-minded artists, and recently won an award
at a local fine-arts exhibit. A few of my photos can be seen at
That’s about it; sorry to
be so long-winded. Fond regards, Neil Rosenberg, Class of 1971”
1974 - James “Rusty” Becker -
Deceased
Sister Meredith
Becker, 1981, pre-deceased him.
1974 - Meryl Lynne Kivowitz Stone -
Deceased
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Write Debra Copeland and
Elyse Rame Beyer (1974) and Sharon Kivowitz Siegel (1977) - In early November, a light went out. We were
saddened and shocked to hear that Meryl Lynne Kivowitz Stone had passed in
her sleep. Elyse called Debra to relate the sad news through a
teary-sounding voice.
At one point in her life
Meryl became a bit reclusive and chose to stay connected with only
a limited number of friends within an inner circle. We’ll do our best
to share what is known.
After graduating from
Wheatley, Meryl attended SUNY Oneonta. She eventually moved to Chicago,
where she met her second husband and worked at the Merrill Chase
Gallery, a prestigious art gallery. She started in sales and eventually
rose in the corporation to become vice president in charge of corporate
sales, a division of the company that she created. Meryl loved this
career and flourished in Chicago.
Unfortunately, Meryl
suffered several traumas throughout her life, which
confronted her with many challenges.
Meryl’s sister and
cousins held a Zoom Shiva for her, during which people shared great Meryl
stories.
Meryl never demanded
attention, it just came to her. She had sparkle – in her
eyes and all around her. Meryl loved Israeli dancing and
singing. Ilona Willick (1974) fondly remembers going to Meryl’s
house and taking turns dancing to Monkees songs in the basement while her
grandmother watched. Meryl had a beautiful singing voice. There
was one particular song she sang with her dad – which Elyse, Sharon and
Kivowitz cousins remember. What came through was how warm, loving, and
caring Meryl had been. She was one of the most giving and generous
people we ever knew. She stayed with people down on their luck and gave
to so many in need. She made friends with everyone and would listen to
everyone without judgement.
Typically, Meryl always
showed caring for others, no matter what was going on in her own life.
When Debra’s sister, Joanne (“Jojo”) (1970), was diagnosed with Breast
Cancer (“BC”), Pam Sweeney (1974) remembered
that Meryl had BC at 27. Pam suggested a BC support network.
Debra reached out to Meryl, and Meryl reached out to Jojo and
provided advice on “to dos” and “not to dos.” Jojo called
Debra afterward; it was the most elevated her voice was in a year and ½ of
surgery and chemo.
Debra was so grateful
that she told Meryl that anytime she needed Debra, Debra would be there for
her. When Meryl came to NYC for her bi-annual testing at
Sloan-Kettering, Debra took the day off from work and spent it with
her. Meryl’s generosity of spirit will forever be etched upon Debra’s
heart.
Meryl admitted to Debra
that her greatest sadness was not being able to have children. So, when
Meryl’s husband’s (Ron’s) daughter’s stepchildren from Ecuador needed a
place to live, Meryl and Ron welcomed them. At that time, Meryl shared
“… now I’m going to be a Mommy.” What a great turn of life
events. Eventually, only the daughter, Paulina, stayed, and she
lived with Meryl and Ron for many years. Paulina had a son, Dannon,
whom Meryl loved like any grandmother would love her grandchild.
Meryl and Ron spent
their best days during summers in Chautauqua, NY, where they had a home on a
lake. They attended many educational and cultural events at the Chautauqua
Institute and entertained a great deal. It was truly beautiful, and it was
Meryl’s happy place.
Meryl and Ron moved to
Florida and soon thereafter Ron experienced a terrible car accident
and was left with a traumatic brain injury. Meryl was by his side every
day at the hospital. Hospital staff commented on how devoted to him she
was. This shouldn’t surprise anyone who knew her. Meryl and Ron
stayed together; however, Ron’s condition was difficult to
live with, adding to Meryl’s challenges.
Meryl was predeceased by
her father Bernie, mother Sheila, and younger sister Susan.
Meryl is survived by Ron and Dannon, her sister Sharon and Sharon’s
family, and a large extended family to which she was very close.
We don’t have much
information about the circumstances, but we think Meryl passed away
peacefully in her sleep. The Lord knows, she needed peace and
to be free of any bodily pain. Her husband, Ron, chose not to post an
obituary.
Farewell to Meryl, a
light in this world. May her soul be light and her
body pain-free and as light as the beauty of her singing voice.
Birth date: October
2, 1956
Date of Passing:
November 8, 2023
Writes Elyse Rame Beyer (1974) - “I always stayed in touch with Meryl and had gone to
visit her a few months before she passed, which I did once or twice each time
I was in Florida. As difficult as it was to see her in the condition
she was in, we were still both so happy to be together. Meryl was more
than just a friend, she was like a sister intertwined in each other’s
families and lives. We were best friends from a young age after her
family moved to Belmont Drive in the Country Club. She was always in my
house or I in hers. My mother always knew that if Meryl was over, Mom had to
set another place at dinner. My mother was a wonderful cook, and Meryl loved
to eat. My mother used ask where she put it all, as Meryl was always so
skinny. The night of the blackout in 1965, I was staying with Meryl and
I remember my mom and sister coming to Meryl’s house, where we all spent the
night together after our fathers got stuck in New York City.
I remember when I broke
my chin roller skating in her basement. She was the first person I saw when I
walked into a small French restaurant in Chappaqua, where I was going for
what I thought was a brunch, only to learn something was up when I saw her in
the doorway, as she had come in from Chicago for what was to be my surprise
wedding, which she and other friends helped my now-husband Mark Goldberg pull
off. I remember her driving to Florida with me and my grandparents and how we
celebrated all birthdays, weddings and events together. I was often
included in family events, holidays, and even her father Bernie’s retirement
party from Mattel. The company made a Barbie movie just for her dad. I
will always remember going to Chicago for her step-daughter’s wedding; they
had rented out buses to take everyone on a whirlwind tour of Chicago sights
and famous eateries. Our friendship stayed strong and we were there for
each other though joyous and difficult times for over 60 years. There is a place
in my heart that lights up when I think of her, despite all her difficulties
in later years. I truly hope that she rests in peace.”
1974 - David Lebowitz - Deceased
Writes Michael Dubb (1974) - It is with a heavy and broken heart that I pass along
the sad information that David Lebowitz has passed away. David fought a
valiant battle with both cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
Dave started kindergarten
at the North Side school and went through The Wheatley School
system. Upon graduating from college, he operated,
until his passing, the Mr. Jay Appliance store in Williston
Park, started by his father, Jay. Those who remember the store may recall
that its motto was, ”the Gentleman of the Appliance Industry.” David was a
true Gentleman: humble, caring, good natured, and with a great sense of
humor. He was a wonderful husband to his wife, Amy, a devoted father of 3
children, and a beloved grandfather.
Shiva will be observed at the Clubhouse at Country Pointe at
Plainview, 1 Charles Wang Drive, Plainview NY, At the following times
[including] Monday, noon to 4.00pm and 6.00 to 8.00pm.”
Writes Gregory Cave (1974) - “Dave was a fine friend and classic gentleman. A
classmate of mine since 5th grade. He was also known as ‘Hips.’ R.I.P.”
1960 (Rochelle “Shelly” Levine
Dicker) - “I love reading these
articles and memories of wonderful days at The Wheatley School.….And we were
never allowed to say “Wheatley High School!”
1970 (Jane Roeder) - “Please keep the Newsletters coming. 😊”
1974 (Gregory Cave) - “Thank you Art…..Wheatley Rocks!”
1974 (Elyse Rame Beyer) - “Thank you so much for all you do to keep our Wheatley
community in touch.”
1981 (John Hughes) - “I appreciate all you do with the Newsletter.”
1985 (Alexander Barnett) - “Thank you for all the great work on the Newsletter. I
love reading it and staying connected to the Wheatley Community.”
A Friend - “I enjoyed Newsletter # 136. I am looking forward to
Newsletter # 137.”
That’s it for The Wheatley School
Alumni Association Newsletter # 137. Please send me your autobiography
before someone else sends me your obituary.
Art
Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967
