Remembrances

Horace Mann School remembers with fondness the following members of our community who have passed away. (Please note:  Although we may not receive death notices of alumni in a timely fashion, we still share them with the community to honor the lives they led.)

Class of 1944 member Arthur S. Cohen, 96, of Highland Park, NJ, died Friday, October 25, 2024, at his residence with family by his side. Born in New York City, Mr. Cohen grew up in the city, graduated from the Horace Mann School (1944) and Rutgers University (B.A. Political Science 1947), and relocated his family to central New Jersey, residing in East Brunswick for five years before moving to Highland Park in 1963. Arthur worked for Bulova Watch Company for over 50 years, his only employer in his career. Arthur was dedicated first and foremost to his family (starting with his wife Barbara of blessed memory, to whom he was married for 65 years); to his community, especially the Jewish community; to Rutgers University; and to the San Francisco (nee) New York Giants. He was a revered long-time leader of the Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth, including serving as president. He also was a long-time member and officer of the Jewish Federation in “The Heart of New Jersey” of Middlesex County and a member of the JCC of Long Beach Island. Besides loving to spend time with his family, Arthur enjoyed reading, current news, politics, supporting Rutgers sports (all sports, but especially football and basketball), watching and listening to Giants baseball, and attending and being involved with friends at his synagogue. In his youth, he was an avid and skilled card-player, especially poker and gin rummy. Son of the late Sanford H. and Mary (Richman) Cohen, he was also predeceased by his beloved wife of 65 years, Barbara Cohen, his brother Leslie Cohen, and his sister-in-law Ruth Cohen. Surviving are his daughter, Nancy Cohen (of New York City), and his sons and daughters-in-law David and Rhonda Cohen (of Philadelphia PA, but now living in Ottawa, Canada, where David serves as United States Ambassador to Canada), and Sanford (Sandy) Cohen (of New York City), and his grandchildren Ben, Josh, Jacob, and Nathaniel Cohen. Funeral services were held on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at the Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth, with interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge, NJ. Memorial Contributions in Arthur’s name may be made to:  HPCT-CAE; The Jewish Federation in “The Heart of New Jersey”; Rutgers University Foundation; or the JCC of Long Beach Island. Arrangements were entrusted to Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, 239 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. Posted online on October 28, 2024

We learned recently of the passing of Anne Johns:

Anne Carol Johns, Horace Mann School for Girls Class of 1946, 94, of Silver Bay, NY, passed away on Friday, November 10, 2023, under the care of High Peaks Hospice staff of the Champlain Valley Senior Community in Willsboro, NY, where she resided for two years.

Born in Ann Arbor, MI, on March 4, 1929, she was the daughter of the late Ray E. and Florence (Glasgow) Johns. Anne graduated from the Horace Mann High School in New York City in 1946 and Wellesley College in 1950 with a sociology major. She married Allan E. Johns in June 1950, then taught kindergarten for several years before starting a family. After their two children were grown she worked as an executive administrative assistant for the legal department of Texas Gulf/Elf Aquitaine before joining Al in retirement at Arcady Bay in Silver Bay on Lake George in 1990. After several years of leisure, Anne rejoined the workforce as the assistant to the town assessor in the Town of Hague Office Community Center. She retired again, for good, in 2009 after 17 years. Anne enjoyed gardening, especially daylilies, tomatoes, green beans, and herbs. She loved watching birds at feeders on her deck, with a special fondness for hummingbirds. She was active in the Presbyterian Church in Putnam Station, serving as an elder, on search committees, volunteering for community dinners, and fundraising. She loved to sew, especially clothing for her family and making quilts; notably hand-stitching a quilt with friends who met monthly in Hague's community center. Anne also enjoyed dining out, attending concerts, and visiting museums with friends in a local retirees group, "The Poopies." For many years she relished attending the fall lecture series for seniors hosted by Skidmore College. Anne became deeply attached to her home in Arcady Bay while strengthening her love of Lake George and the Silver Bay YMCA. She is survived by her two children Carolyn E. Johns of Waddington, NY, and Allan E. Johns, Jr. of Putnam Station, NY; her two grandchildren, Nathanael Johns and Aryn Barreiro; and two great-grandsons, Evan Johns and Zane Barreiro. To offer online condolences, please visit www.wilcoxandreganfuneralhome.com

John Lewis Furth ’48, "Di" as he was known to many, 93, passed away on October 19, 2024, following a brief illness. John was born on December 25, 1930, to the late Jacob Furth and Elinor Eising of New York City. He graduated from the Horace Mann School in 1948 and Yale University in 1952. While at Yale, he was a member of the ROTC. He served in Korea as a forward observer from 1953 to 1954, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. Shortly after, he met and married, his wife of 69 years, Hope Layton. Together they raised their family in White Plains, NY. John and Hope later built a second home in Scottsdale, AZ, where they spent untold, happy times with friends and family, and developed a passion for Native American art. John had a long and distinguished career at Bache & Company, Burnham & Company, E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Co., Klingenstein Fields Advisors, and Cannell & Spears, first as a security analyst and later as the investment advisor to his loyal clients who trusted his wisdom, compassion, and gentle advice through bull and bear markets. John was a philanthropist throughout his life serving on the boards of the Androscoggin Memorial Fund, the Grand Street Settlement, the Foundation for Child Development, Blythedale Children's Hospital, and the Heard Museum. He served on the board of trustees of Barnard College and Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester. He had a profound impact on Yale University's academic, cultural, and residential life and on the Class of 1952. He is survived by his wife Hope; children Douglas Furth and Sarah Styles, Virginia and Scot Weisman, NY, and Pamela Furth; as well as his grandchildren John, Mary, Sarah, Nicholas, Paul, Max, Hannah, Noah, and Alexander; his great-grandchildren Mariah, Solomon, Mathias, Darren, and Theodore; and his brother William Furth. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to Blythdale Children's Hospital or The John and Hope Furth Professorship of Psychiatric Neuroscience at the Yale University Medical School. Contact the family for additional information. A funeral service was held at Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester in Rye, NY, on October 23, 2024.

Dr. John D. Sussman ’52 of Rutland, VT, and Sleepy Hollow, NY, died peacefully early Sunday morning, September 8, 2024. He was 90. A devoted family man, John lived for his wife, children, eventually grandchildren, and his pets. He loved animals, good friends, good food, reading (especially history), arguing about politics, and comedy. He had a rich, observant sense of humor that allowed him to see the comedy in life's everyday moments, to laugh, and make everyone around laugh with him. A truly good man and a sweet soul with a sometimes gruff exterior, he embraced the role of "curmudgeon" and proudly drove with a version of that word (CURMUJN) on his license plate. Born July 10, 1934, to William and Florence Sussman in Yonkers, NY, John graduated in the Horace Mann School Class of 1952, Amherst College '56, and NYU Medical School '59. In the mid-1960s he opened a private ophthalmology practice in Tarrytown, NY, with surgical privileges at Phelps Memorial Hospital. He was proud of being a successful physician and businessman, yet made a practice of not charging people who weren't able to pay. As he began to wind down his practice, he joined Hudson Valley Eye Associates in Hawthorne before retiring in 2010. In all he practiced ophthalmology for 47 years. In addition to his practice, John was also an accomplished pianist and landscaper, and in his younger years, tennis player. In 1959, he married Marcia Gellert of Yonkers. They had two children, but ultimately divorced a few years later. In January 1969 he married Gwen Lewis, a first-grade teacher originally from Iowa who shared his love of dogs. John and Gwen had twins in 1973 and raised them, along with Airedales, Scotties, West Highland Terriers, and an occasional cat, in Northern Westchester, before finally settling in North Tarrytown (now Sleepy Hollow), NY. He and Gwen were married for 55 years, and he maintained strong relationships with all his children throughout his life. In 2010, John and Gwen retired and moved to Rutland, VT, joining two of the children and their grandson. There John was a popular volunteer at the Rutland Regional Medical Center, a member of Rutland Jewish Center, and a frequent visitor to Vermont Sport and Fitness. John is survived by his wife Gwen, his children Ilene Rosen (Mark), Rob Sussman (Mirka), Liz Filskov, and Billy Sussman; and his grandchildren Pamela, Caroline, and Julia Rosen, and Connor Filskov. He will be sorely missed. In lieu of food or flowers, donations may be sent to the Rutland County Humane Society, rchsvt.org; or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, stjude.org. Tosing Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.

We recently learned that Michael Klapper ’54 passed away in 2021. His obituary reads as follows: 

Michael H. Klapper ’54, died peacefully on February 9, 2021, at home. He was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1937, the son of Regina and Fritz Hirschweh. The family immigrated to the United States in 1938 where Fritz died shortly after their arrival. His mother Regina then married William Klapper. Michael graduated from Horace Mann School in New York and Harvard University with a major in chemistry, where he was a member of the varsity fencing team. He then earned a PhD in biochemistry from the University of California - Berkeley. While there, he met and married Betty Friedman, a native of Cleveland, OH, and fellow graduate student. Michael spent his career at The Ohio State University as professor in the Department of Chemistry. His specialty was the study of proteins. He was the co-author of numerous scientific papers and mentored many young scientists. He later became interested in science education and served as a director of the National Center for Science Teaching and Learning. He was also the co-director of the Eisenhower Clearing House for science and math teaching materials at The Ohio State University. Michael was a great connoisseur of the arts, in particular the visual arts. In later years, along with Betty, he enjoyed collecting Judaica and established the "Art at the Center" Judaica shop at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus. Michael will be remembered as an ethical individual, exhibiting great generosity to his family, friends, the Jewish community, and many charitable causes. He is survived by his wife, Betty; sons Jeremy (Nancy) and Isaac (Lilian); granddaughter Melanie; and cousins, nieces, nephews, and close family friends in the United States, Holland, Israel, and Switzerland. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus, Congregation Beth Tikvah of Worthington, OH, or a charity of your choice. Here is the link to his memorial page:  https://www.epsteinmemorialchapel.com/obituaries/michael-klapper

Robert Simon ’55, age 87, of Brick Township, NJ, passed away on Thursday, August 1, 2024.Robert is survived by his companion of over 28 years, Velta Piccione; his three sons, Ken, Peter, and Danny Simon; his sister Sandra Shneider; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.Funeral services were held at Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels. Interment was at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, NY.

Frederick George Clarke ’60 was born on October 9, 1942, in New York City.  Arriving during WWII, he was the oldest child of Caribbean immigrants, Oscar Emanuel Clarke, a Jamaican, and Margot Louisa Clarke, a Cuban. His first home was East Harlem, a community of many immigrants from Puerto Rico and several other Caribbean islands. Growing up among this diverse group of new Americans seeking opportunity, education, and the freedom to fulfil their dreams, Frederick learned early about hard work, discipline, and determination.  Frederick attended a small but educationally advanced private elementary school called The Modern School. There, he was carefully prepared to qualify for acceptance into elite college prep high schools. He enrolled in Horace Mann High School, and throughout his career there, he excelled in scholastics as well as three sports – baseball, basketball, and soccer. He was an all-New York city soccer goalie in 1959, and his varsity basketball team won all-city finals in 1960. In addition to his educational and athletic activities, Frederick was a gifted pianist. At the age of four, he was introduced to the piano by a family member who was a music teacher. He showed early promise as a pianist and was eventually trained in classical piano by Cuban musician Luis Verona. At the age of 12, Frederick was hired by his church to play the hymns for Sunday services. Between rehearsals for church services and preparation to perform in concerts, the young musician practiced from one to three hours every day. Frederick also worked part time for Ganbarg Drug Store during his high school years, serving as a delivery boy on weekends. Mr. Ganbarg soon noticed that Frederick was a good worker and a quick learner. He taught him how to stock the shelves and check for inventory. Eventually, he coached him in assisting customers and working the cash register. Before his junior year, Frederick was handling every aspect of the business when the owner was away from the store. Frederick graduated from Horace Mann in 1960 and matriculated at New York University, majoring in English. He completed his studies and graduated from NYU in 1966. From the beginning of his working life, he was drawn to jobs that allowed him to work with underserved youth, developing educational and employment opportunities for them. In 1967, Frederick was recruited by Time Life Magazine to design and execute a program that would offer high school dropouts an opportunity to earn a GED and qualify for entry-level positions at the magazine headquarters in New York. He insisted that the program also offer students assistance in applying to college if they completed the necessary prerequisites. In 1968, he received the Black Achievers in Industry Award for achieving industry status as a motivator and pace setter for Black Youth. Having designed a successful program that allowed him to act as a mentor and guide to students who had dropped out of school and had limited prospects for earning a living, Fred found himself on a career path that would lead him into the field of human resources.  When he left Time Life in 1986, he was the corporate director of labor relations. Frederick had an entrepreneurial interest (“itch”) which he decided to explore in 1986. He launched two small businesses in the years after he left Time Life Inc., a landscape business and an auto maintenance business. Concerned about his ability to sustain these enterprises while supporting his children in college, he sold one and closed the other after five years. In 1990, Frederick became director of employment and labor relations for Princeton University. His years of experience as a labor director at Time Life served him well in this position. At the time, the university had a policy of staying as union-free as possible. When confronted with a union-organizing movement among the staff, Frederick was able to assist the university in changing its labor practices and in developing a management-union team that met throughout the year. The team worked on shop issues and were able to dramatically improve wages and management performance, focusing on training, annual reviews, and employee feedback. Frederick retired from Princeton University in 2007. Family life was of major importance to Frederick. He married his childhood sweetheart, Sandra Jean Tyler, in 1964, and became a devoted husband and a father of four. Fred and Sandra raised their children to value education; all four are college graduates. They also emphasized strong family connections and concern for others, including a sense of responsibility for community, country, and overall, the good of humankind.  Their efforts as parents have been well-rewarded! Fred and Sandy were married for 58 years. Upon his retirement, they moved to North Carolina, and lived a quiet but fulfilling life, first in Gibsonville and then in Burlington, NC.  He enjoyed engaging with his 11 grandchildren, following their educational progress, artistic and athletic accomplishments, and reflecting on the many joys of grand-parenting. He also enjoyed listening to his extensive music collection including all musical genres, reading a wide range of literature, and tending to his landscape and home. He was a life-long, avid sports fan, and took up golfing in the last eight years of his life. Frederick lived a fulfilling life devoted to excellence and achievement in all his endeavors. He is survived by his loving wife Sandra, his sister, Juanita Coleman-Merritt, his four children (Kelly, Kim, Khari, and Kareem), his 11 grandchildren (Kassidy, Kamille, Kalani, Naima, Ani, Kyra, Mikayla, Malik, Kai, Elijah, and Malcom), and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his mother and father, and his brothers, Oscar Emanuel Clarke and Michael Edward Clarke. Click here to view the official obituary and tribute wall:  Tribute Wall

Barry Klingman’60 -- Loving husband of Arlene, adoring father of Daisy, loyal friend, and masterful lawyer. Possessed of a keen intellect and generous heart, he will be sorely missed by all those whose lives he touched. Memorials to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center or Calvary Hospital, Bronx, NY. Published by the New York Times on December 18, 2021.

Warshaw Burstein, LLP wishes to note, with great sadness, the passing of our partner and longtime colleague and friend, Barry Klingman, who died peacefully on December 16, 2021. Barry served as the chair of the firm's tax department since his arrival in 1990. Prior to his joining the firm, he had a varied and successful career, including as deputy tax counsel of Gulf & Western, a shareholder at Lane & Edson, and New York resident partner at O'Neill & Borges. A graduate of Brandeis University and Brooklyn Law School, Barry received his LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law. He had an impressive range of knowledge in all areas of tax law. He was able to meet the varied and challenging issues that were presented to him by our clients in a disciplined and creative way. Our clients valued his ability to understand their needs and to address them with solutions that were thoughtful and practical. On a personal level, Barry had an engaging manner that was unique among attorneys. It won him the lasting affection of everyone that came to know him well. Clients and colleagues would call him not just for legal advice but also for the pleasure of speaking with him and enjoying his company. Besides being the consummate professional, he loved books that satisfied his enduring intellectual curiosity and had a lifelong addiction to movies, which he would steal off to see on Friday afternoons to wind up a productive work week. A highly ethical and decent person, he and his wife, Arlene, were a loving couple and devoted parents to their daughter, Daisy. Words cannot express how much all of us at the firm will miss Barry on a professional and personal level – he is irreplaceable. We wish Arlene and Daisy comfort and peace during this difficult time. Published by the New York Times on December 18 and 19, 2021.

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