Remembrances

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

William Lee ’38 passed away recently. An obituary was not available at the time of publication.

Morton Sheldon Levin ’44, born April 21, 1927, in New York City, passed away at JFK Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL, four days into his 98th year on April 25^th from heart complications. He was predeceased by his younger brother Kenneth Levin and his niece Carrie Levin Perley. Morty was married to Patricia Rosensweig Morris for 57 years, living mostly in Florida. Morton graduated from Horace Mann School and Yale University and exited the U.S. Marine Corps in 1956 as a captain. After an early career in a family business, Barkin and Levin, famous for Lassie coats, he moved on to the hospitality industry joining Restaurant Associates and finally creating his own firm Levin Associates. His lifelong love was being a private pilot and advancing his avocation of photography, which was recorded in thousands of pictures, one book, and a 2020 gallery exhibition in Miami. Morton is survived by his wife Patricia; children Michael, Stephen, Robin, and Bill; three daughters-in-law Laurence, Amy, and Sharon; 12 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Published by The New York Times on April 27, 2024.

Frank Rettenberg ‘48 passed away on December 27, 2023. An obituary was not available at the time of publication.

Frederick George Berlinger ’54 passed away on May 8, 2024. Dr. Berlinger, 87, was born on December 21, 1936, in New York, NY. He attended Horace Mann School for Boys, entered Cornell University at the age of 16, and went on to attend Chicago Medical School. He received additional medical training at Montefiore Hospital in Bronx, NY; Columbia University; Bellevue Hospital in NYC; and the University of Michigan. His life’s dream was to become a physician and teacher. Fred was a major in the US Army Medical Corps from 1968 – 1970, having been drafted at the age of 31 upon completing nine years of medical training. He served in Vietnam from 1969 – 1970 at the 93rd Evac Hospital in Long Binh. He was fully immersed in multiple medical services and was indefatigable. During his tour, he worked as an internist and endocrinologist. He said tropical medicine was nothing like medicine at a university setting with modern technology and equipment. It was skill, knowledge, intuition, and using every piece of clinical judgment that saved the lives of soldiers he often referred to as “the kids.” He described the soldiers in their blue, government-issued pajamas burning up with fever as looking like brave little boys with no complaints and yet sicker than any patient he treated back in the States. They stole his heart then and now; he never forgot them. Much to his surprise, he also became a snakebite expert, traveling extensively throughout Vietnam to teach physicians and troops about snakebite treatment and management. He traveled weekly to care for children at multiple orphanages. Additionally, he took charge of the Medical Civil Action Program that provided healthcare in many Vietnamese villages. He personally provided care for men, women, and children. For his service, Major Berlinger received the Bronze Star, Vietnam Campaign, Vietnam Service, National Defense Service Medals, and two Overseas Bars. From 1970 – 2000, Dr. Berlinger resided in the Chicago area and fulfilled his dream as a director of medicine, academic professor, and then private practice physician. He retired to the foothills of NC in 2001 with family, his beloved dogs, horses, Nikon camera for his amazing photography, and an old typewriter to write stories, poems, and songs in his new paradise. He was fondly known as “Cowboy Fred” for his love of singing cowboy songs during trail rides. Fred and his wife Margaret graciously continue to share their life and home, a place where “Joy Abounds” with family and friends. In addition to his wife Margaret, Dr. Berlinger is survived by his son Adam, daughter Diane, stepchildren Paul Childress and Jeffrey Childress, and six grandchildren:  Jacob Berlinger, Zoe Berlinger, Alex Soteras, Michael Soteras, Burke Childress, and Bodhi Childress. He was preceded in death by his previous wife, Rachel Engar Berlinger.

Kenneth “Ken” Edgar Spatz ‘55 was born on February 17, 1938, in Manhattan, NY. He is the son of Eugene and Belle Spatz. Ken graduated from Horace Mann School in 1956. He then went to Paul Smiths College in upstate New York before transferring to Michigan State. He studied hotel and restaurant management. After college he managed several restaurants and hotel banquet facilities. Ken spent his young single years living on his boat, the “Belle M,” in New Rochelle harbor. He married Gale Hiller on February 15, 1976. Their son, Benjamin Spatz, was born January 7, 1980. Later he started his own business selling high-end meats to many of the top restaurants in New York City. Ken never really committed to retirement but after Ben left for college, Gale and Ken spent many years traveling the country in an RV. Their travels took them from coast to coast multiple times and even included an armed caravan through Mexico. After traveling in the RV, he and Gale moved to Cornelius, NC, to be closer to his brother Martin who had retired there years earlier, but that didn’t stick either. After 12 years they made another major move to Omaha, NE, somewhere they may not have even found on a map before their son had moved here. But nothing could keep them from their granddaughter, Virginia, and eventually her two sisters, Eleanor and Penelope. Ken and the girls greatly cherished those 8 years. Ken is survived by his wife of 48 years, Gale, son, Ben (Tina) Spatz, of Omaha, NE; and grandchildren, Virginia, Eleanor, and Penelope Spatz. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Belle Spatz. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to a favorite charity. Published on legacy.com by John A. Gentleman Mortuaries - Pacific Street Chapel on April 1, 2024.

Sidney Cary Cole ’57 of Boca Raton, FL and Deer Valley, UT, died on May 13, 2024. He was born on April 25, 1940, in New York, NY. He attended Horace Mann School and then Brown University, graduating cum laude. He earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his medical internship and orthopedic residency at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. He married Susan Mindel in 1966. He was a major in the Army stationed at Fort Bragg and then moved to Boca Raton, FL, to establish his orthopedic practice. Sidney was elected chief of surgery at Cypress Community Hospital in Pompano Beach. He was president of the AJC Palm Beach County office and a member of their national board of governors. Sidney was president of the local Brown University club, regional director of the National Alumni School Program, and interviewed Brown applicants for many years. He was assistant clinical professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Miami School of Medicine for several years. After retiring, Sidney volunteered at the Caridad Center, a free medical clinic for the uninsured and underserved in South Florida. Sidney loved to travel, read, figure out crossword puzzles, and play golf. He is survived by his daughter Allison (Cole) Druyanoff and son-in-law Michael Druyanoff, his son Robert Cole and daughter-in-law Beverly Cole, and grandchildren Alexa and Matthew Druyanoff and Morgan and Jack Cole. Published by New York Times on May 26, 2024.

Mark Sumner '60 passed away on December 23, 2023, after a brief illness. Beloved husband of Bonnie (nee Warshauer). Loving father of Noah, Robin, Nathaniel, and Sam. Proud grandfather of Atticus, Molly, Sumner, Charlie, and Benjamin. Dear brother of the late Carole (the late Bert) Feinberg. Further survived by other relatives and so many dear friends. A special thank you to Mark’s nephew, Dr. Lew Teperman, who managed Mark’s treatment brilliantly and with the utmost love and care; Bonnie’s brother, Lewis, who was there to help in the very beginning and since then, has given both useful wisdom and comfort; Bonnie’s sister, Sivia, who gave not only advice about her own knowledge and expertise in dealing with medical issues but in every possible material way made the last three months more comfortable and in fact bearable; and our friends and neighbors in Colorado who helped with everything from collecting mail to checking on the house, shoveling snow and more. Private graveside services were held at Prairie Green Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI. Memorial contributions to Literary Services of WI, Chabad of Downtown, or the Legal Society of Milwaukee appreciated.

Theodore (Ted) Grant Weinreich ‘60 (November 25, 1941 - February 17, 2024), 82, of Miami Beach, FL, passed away peacefully at home on February 17, 2024, surrounded by the love of his family. Devoted husband to Nora (nee Wells), loving father to Karen Weiss, Elizabeth (Ralph) Kirkpatrick, David (Shoshanna Sumka) Weinreich, and cherished grandfather to Rachel, Aaron, Lana and Naomi. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Marjorie Weinreich. The love and admiration of Ted to his family and friends was deep and mutual. Ted will be remembered for his unwavering determination, indomitable spirit, and his zest for life, especially in his waning days. Ted's embrace of life spanned many interests, including:  love for classical and folk music; the ocean, insects, and the natural world; and all food, particularly multi-course French meals and ice cream. He was an avid collector of art, cultural objects, and fossils, loving to share his knowledge of those objects with all. He felt a strong connection to Judaism, participating fully in multiple communities. This was expressed through both study and a commitment to Tikkun Olam, which he fulfilled through participation in politics (especially the effort to enable felons to vote), his residential community, and the city of Miami Beach as well as through fundraising for his beloved Cornell, charitable contributions, and regular blood donation with the Red Cross. Ted was a graduate of Horace Mann School (a community he was proud of recreating online during COVID for his 60th Reunion), Cornell University, and Columbia University, as well as learning throughout his life. In his professional life, Ted led Marvella, Inc., the costume jewelry firm founded by his grandfather Sol E. Weinreich, until it was sold in 1982 and was subsequently a leader in the eyeglass and frame industry. Funeral services for Ted were held at Temple Emanuel in New York City on February 20th, with interment at Mt. Hebron Cemetery in Queens. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests contributions in Ted's memory may be made to Cornell Shoals Marine Laboratory, (https://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/give-shoals) or to Save a Child's Heart (https://saveachildsheart.org/donate) two organizations that were close to Ted's heart. Published by The Miami Herald on February 24, 2024.

Ted’s classmate Paul Neuthaler ’60 penned this remembrance:

In Memory of Teddy 

Wallace Stevens writes somewhere that, in order to understand the whiteness of the Sun, you need to understand the "idea" of it. 

At this stage of our lives, Horace Mann is an "idea" -- it is the collect of our adolescence.  It is not the memory of what we did there, but the feeling of who we were there. The memory of Horace Mann is the idea that made us "us." I don't think Teddy explicitly thought of Horace Mann in this way; however, his tireless efforts to bring us together, to offer us venues to meet -- all suggested his implicit understanding of what HM was to all of us. To me, Teddy was the idea of all of us.

Andrew Neil Singer ’68 passed away on April 21, 2024. Beloved husband of Sandra Felgoise Singer, father to Isabel Singer, and brother to Rickie Singer Peaslee. Andy died the way he lived – fighting fiercely and valiantly against all odds. First an acoustic guitar player, then a lawyer at Skadden Arps, he settled into his career selling high-end audio equipment and became an icon in the field. His goal was to replicate live sound as closely as possible with the use of audio components and systems. A history buff, his knowledge of the Civil War often exceeded that of whatever lecturer he was listening to. He had an encyclopedic memory and will be remembered for his brilliance and authenticity. For those who want to make a donation, please consider a donation to weeksvillesociety.org. Weeksville is an historic site in Central Brooklyn, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America. New York, the Civil War, and Freedom are all things that were precious to Andy.

The following article appeared on April 23, 2024, on trackingangle.com, which reviews music on vinyl records and digital formats, and writes definitive reviews of turntables, phono cartridges and other audio equipment.

By Michael Fremer

Andrew Singer, New York City audio retailing legend, passed away this past Sunday April 21st at age 73, succumbing to pancreatic cancer after a prolonged battle that for a while he seemed to be winning. Singer was opinionated, gruff, didn't suffer fools and could be very difficult to deal with but beneath all of that he did have the proverbial heart of gold as anyone who dealt with him over time and got to really know him can attest. He also knew the equipment and the business, was a good listener who truly loved music and so, for many years was a very successful retailer.

Singer was a musician, a Civil War buff and an attorney before settling into a highly successful career as a high-end audio dealer on 17^th Street in lower Manhattan. It was a career launching pad for salespeople, some of whom entered the business and others who became equipment reviewers. As the retail business changed and real estate values spiked, Singer closed the store, later opening a second floor retailing location across from the Fashion Institute of Technology, which remained open until his passing. The store's future has yet to be disclosed.

In a 2017 column I wrote, "The week Stereophile featured an iPod on the cover, I was thrown out of a well-known New York City audio salon. ‘Get out!’ the owner yelled at me. ‘I don't sell iPods! I don't want you in here!’

That of course was Andy Singer. He threw me out. I'd gone there at the behest of an individual working for either the first or second organization that bought Stereophile, who was attempting to start a new luxury goods magazine and wanted me to pose next to pair of B&W loudspeakers. This would take but a few minutes so he didn't feel it was necessary to clear it first with Singer. We walked in, I stood next to the speaker but before the photograph could be taken, Andy yelled "Get out!" He meant it. So we left.

Of course Andy got over that and I was welcome in his old store and in the new second floor one he opened after closing the street level one. After he bought the SAT turntable and SAT tonearm (I think it was the unit I reviewed), he asked me to drive up to his Westchester home and set up a costly Analog Relax cartridge. By then Andy was receiving chemo for his cancer but he appeared strong. It was my first visit to his home. He had a Civil War miniature enactment on a table in the listening room.

We sat around talking for a while following the set-up work. It was the first opportunity I had to really get to know him. He was truly a warm, thoughtful soul. A real mensch. Next visit up was to replace the Analog Relax cartridge that needed to be returned to Japan for a rebuild. Andy was considerably weaker at that point.

About a month later, not having heard from him, I called to see how he was doing and to inquire about the cartridge's whereabouts. He was grateful for the phone call, he told me, and said he was still waiting for the cartridge and would call when it arrived.

He didn't sound at all well so this news was hardly a surprise. I'm sorry I missed his best retailing years, most of which were when I was living on the West Coast. I'm sure the others will have great stories to tell.

Rest in peace, Andy, glad I finally got to know you better. Singer leaves a wife, a daughter, a fine sounding audio system and a large record collection. I think he'd find that funny so don't comment to complain.

Dr. Joshua Burack ‘74 died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism. An obituary was not available at the time of publication.

Community Members and Non-Graduates

Joan Brady Bowen, former administrator, faculty member and parent of five HM alumni, died of natural causes at her Riverdale home on February 28, 2024.

She was born in Manhattan in 1932. Mrs. Bowen was predeceased by Alfred H. Bowen, her husband of 63 years, her sisters Florence Donohue, Helen Coy and Rosalie Brenner, and her son-in-law YongSoo Ha. She is survived by her seven children: Christopher (Darlene), Robert (Armilyn), Edward, Kenneth (Laura), Andrew (Sam), Kathleen Ha, and Daniel, as well as her grandchildren: Timothy (Lauren), Constance Borro (Rudy), Nicholas, Jennifer HoanzI (Michael), Alyssa Ha (Luke Baron), Kathryn Ha Zipf (Steve), Grae (Owen Lindquist), Benjamin (Anna), Elizabeth, and Rosa, and eleven great-grandchildren: Stella, Alfred, Theadora, Oliver, Joseph, Cordelia, Winn, Gus, Sebastian, Josephine, and Raphael. She is survived by her brother-in-law Bill Bowen, nieces and nephews, childhood friend Bernice Hauser, and dear friends in Hague, NY.

Residents of the Bronx for more than 60 years, Joan and Al enjoyed spending summers with family at Silver Bay and Arcady Bay in these cherished communities. Joan was a high-achieving student and dedicated educator with a lifelong love of learning. She became valedictorian of her junior high school and attended Hunter College High School. Joan studied at Hunter College where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. She graduated from Hunter College with both her baccalaureate in Mathematical Statistics, magna cum laude, and Master Degree in Secondary Mathematics Education.

In 1970, she began a career of more than 30 years at the Horace Mann School, where she held both administrative and teaching positions. At a time when women were routinely paid less than men, Mrs. Bowen led a faculty committee that instituted a fair compensation plan and equal benefits for all. Mrs. Bowen served as the Head of the Math Department, Head of grades 11 and 12, Division Head of grades 7 through 12, Assistant to the Head of School, and Interim Head of School, making her the first Headmistress in Horace Mann's history. She particularly loved teaching Advanced Placement AB and BC Calculus. In 1997, she received the College Board Award for Outstanding Contribution to the AP Program. Horace Mann still commemorates her each year by awarding the Joan Brady Bowen Prize to an outstanding Mathematics student. Her loving heart, sense of humor and brilliant mind, which never grew dull, were brilliant beacons to all who knew her.

Former mathematics teacher Keith William Dupree died on March 16, 2024, at 81 years old. Keith was born to Helen Humphries Dupree and William Dupree on September 17, 1942, at Granville Hospital. Keith’s education included an M.A. from Brown University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth, magnum cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Society, and a full scholarship. He was Granville High School’s valedictorian and record holder for the highest grades in his class for over 50 years. Prior to his retirement, Keith was employed as an Ameriprise financial planner and a math teacher at both Wilton High School and Horace Mann School. Keith was an avid runner for almost 57 years. He was a member of the Roxbury Runner’s Club in his 60’s and 70’s and the Danbury Athlete’s Attic Running Club in his 30’s and 40’s. Keith rarely missed his daily jog and ran marathons until his late 60’s. He was a strong believer in community and was a member of the Lions Clubs in Newtown, CT; Silver Spring, MD; and New Milford, CT. He reliably volunteered at the Dorothy Day Hospitality House. He supported his church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury, as a past president and member for more than 50 years. He and his family spent time every summer at the Star Island spiritual retreat at the Isle of Shoals, a tradition carried on with his children and grandchildren. In addition to running, he was also a hiker, backpacker, and bicyclist, silently competing against himself to continually best his personal record. He also loved cards and would look forward to weekends playing bridge with his childhood best friend. He would frequently be seen analyzing the latest bridge column from the Danbury News Times. Keith inherited being a baseball fan from his father, a solemn Vermonter except when a Mets game was on the TV. Keith cherished childhood memories of playing pick-up stickball with teammates in Wells, VT. One story often recounted is the day he and his teammates hit a ball and broke his grandfather’s window. Sitting beside his grandfather as he replaced the glass, a lesson etched deep as a pillar of Keith’s belief he passed down to his children – take responsibility for your actions and leave things as you found them, or better. Keith began writing poetry in 1972, catching the little moments in a day or reflecting upon his interactions with others. He had a loving and attentive relationship with all who knew him. Keith was a Vermonter, shoaler, woodsman, dog owner but a cat-person, poet, ice cream lover, husband, father, baba (grandfather), and friend. He was quiet, gentle, tolerant, and patient. He leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Marie Madsen Dupree; children Jonathan Charles Dupree (Lisa Mary Lee) and Sarah Rebecca Estelle Dupree (George Andrew Dunham); and five grandchildren:  Jordan Dupree, Marcus Dupree, Jocelin Dupree, Isabella Dupree, and Alyvia Dupree. He was preceded by Helen Humphries Dupree, William Dupree, and Daniel J. Boone. A celebration of life service was held on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury, CT24 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury CT 06811. The service will also be available via Zoom, please contact OfficeManager@uudanbury.org for the link. In traditional Vermont/UU fashion a potluck supper to follow. Food coordination through lele.bean@hotmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations to UUCD (https://uudanbury.org), Star Island (https://starisland.org/), or the Parkinson’s Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org/) would be greatly appreciated.

Harriet Lucile Heming Simpson died peacefully on April 19^th at her home in Berkeley, CA. She was 94. Mrs. Simpson was born in New York City, attended Horace Mann School and The Brearley School, and graduated from Stanford University in 1950. She was married to Dwight Simpson, a university professor. Professor Simpson died in 2006. Mrs. Simpson is survived by her sons Anthony Simpson and David Simpson, and her daughter Margaret Simpson. Another son, Charles Simpson, predeceased her, dying in 2009. Mrs. Simpson is also survived by 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Another grandchild, Evelyn Simpson, predeceased her, dying in 1989. Mrs. Simpson lived a long and fulfilling life. In addition to raising four children, she pursued lifelong passions for culture and the arts and political activism. In 1963 she and her husband participated in the March on Washington, hearing Martin Luther King’s celebrated speech in person. She was also very active in other causes, including nuclear disarmament and protesting against the war in Vietnam. Living in Berkeley continuously since 1967, she returned to study at San Francisco State University, gaining a Master’s degree in special education. With those credentials she taught young children with learning disabilities in the Berkeley public school system. Mrs. Simpson also served on the board of the Merola Opera Program in San Francisco, which trains and develops some of the world’s most talented young opera singers. Later in her life, Mrs. Simpson developed a nascent talent as an artist. In her large, functional, light filled studio in downtown Berkeley, she produced a prodigious output of beautiful paintings of a wide variety of subjects, including still life, landscapes and portraits. Mrs. Simpson was also an intrepid and adventurous traveler, particularly many years ago when the amenities were not what they are today. The Trans-Siberian Railway, small boats on the Amazon, driving through central Anatolia in Turkey, a Trans-Canada Rail journey, Iran pre-1979, exploring the wild, remote beaches of the Oregon coast; these were only some of her many unusual destinations. Mrs. Simpson will be greatly missed by her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Médecins Sans Frontières.

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