He was something of a downtown folk hero, bringing positivity to a harsh city with his humble shards of chalk. But he harbored his own struggles. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Deaths (Obituaries)”
Richard J. Meislin, Times Editor and Web Journalism Pioneer, Dies at 68
By Gotham Rex on June 25, 2021
He was both a computer whiz and an accomplished newsman when he began prodding colleagues and the newspaper itself to begin adapting to the online world. Source: New York Times
Herb Sturz, a Quiet Force in the Life of New York City, Dies at 90
By Gotham Rex on June 11, 2021
His agenda and reach, in government and out, extended from criminal justice to urban planning, though his constituency — prisoners, the homeless, the elderly and more — hardly knew his name. Source: New York Times
Jessica Morris, Whose Brain Cancer Was Her Cause, Dies at 57
By Gotham Rex on June 9, 2021
After her diagnosis of glioblastoma in 2016, she founded an organization that advocated for patients and research. Source: New York Times
Michael Smith, a Voice for Justice Reform, Is Dead at 78
By Gotham Rex on June 9, 2021
As head of the Vera Institute in New York, he spurred community policing and pressed for easing bail, profoundly influencing the law enforcement agenda. Source: New York Times
Ganga Stone, Who Gave Sustenance to AIDS Patients, Dies at 79
By Gotham Rex on June 4, 2021
At the height of the AIDS epidemic, she started God’s Love We Deliver, a charity that brought hot meals to people who were too ill to cook. Source: New York Times
Sister Margherita Marchione, Defender of Pius XII, Dies at 99
By Gotham Rex on May 29, 2021
She spent decades arguing that the pope had helped the Jews during World War II, despite accusations that he had abdicated his moral responsibility. Source: New York Times
Harvey Schlossberg, Cop With a Ph.D. in Defusing a Crisis, Dies at 85
By Gotham Rex on May 27, 2021
A psychologist who had worn the blue, he coached thousands of New York City police officers in hostage negotiations, creating a model for law enforcement. Source: New York Times
Joel Chadabe, Explorer of Electronic Music’s Frontier, Dies at 82
By Gotham Rex on May 25, 2021
As both a composer and an advocate, Mr. Chadabe devoted himself to what one music critic called the “marriage between humans and their computers.” Source: New York Times
Mark Levitan, Who Measured the True Face of Poverty, Dies at 73
By Gotham Rex on May 21, 2021
He came up with a more realistic threshold, changing the way New York City determines who is impoverished and persuading the Obama White House to follow suit. Source: New York Times
Terence Riley, Architectural Force in the Museum World, Dies at 66
By Gotham Rex on May 21, 2021
He was the chief architectural curator at MoMA, overseeing shows and the museum’s massive redesign, then moving on to the Miami art world. Source: New York Times
Arthur Pomposello, Impresario for a Cabaret Swan Song, Dies at 85
By Gotham Rex on May 21, 2021
He was the host at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel during an improbable resurgence of cabaret from the 1980s to the early 2000s. He died of complications of Covid-19. Source: New York Times
Margaret Rossi, Gift Shop Matriarch in Little Italy, Dies at 72
By Gotham Rex on May 19, 2021
Despite rising rents and the pandemic, “In her heart she wanted to keep it going,” her husband said of their business. She died of complications of Covid-19. Source: New York Times
Barbara Stone, Modeling Agent to American Beauties, Dies at 87
By Gotham Rex on May 14, 2021
At Stewart Models in the 1960s and ’70s, she specialized in fresh-faced American blondes and played a key role in the careers of Cheryl Tiegs and Cybill Shepherd. Source: New York Times
Curtis Fuller, Powerful Voice on Jazz Trombone, Is Dead at 88
By Gotham Rex on May 14, 2021
He was a fixture on the New York jazz scene since shortly after his arrival in 1957. He also made his mark as a composer. Source: New York Times