Cherished husband of Diane for 53 years, Gene was a lifelong Brooklynite who loved to travel; an educator who never stopped seeking knowledge; a proud purveyor of terrible puns; a music lover who encouraged the tone-deaf to sing; an avid reader of everything but instruction manuals; a determined—if disorganized—collector of the sublime and the ordinary; and a stubborn man of peace. He was as happy eating his Entenmann’s cake as he was devising a new use for the box it came in. He’d be glad to drive you anywhere, but could give new meaning to the phrase “scenic route” and the car he drove you in might be running on lantern oil. In later years, his mobility scooter served as an aide, not an obstacle, as he continued teaching, learning, photographing, protesting, traveling, and spending time with his grandchildren.
The son of Gladys and Max Reiser and son-in-law of Jack and Libby Goldman, Gene attended the High School of Performing Arts and Brooklyn College and retired as a senior labor negotiator for the City University of New York. He then served as president of Brooklyn Lifelong Learning at Brooklyn College and taught classes there on topics as varied as songs of social significance, the Spanish Civil War, art history, and Yiddish folk music.
He was the beloved father of Ben and Katie Reiser, Barbara Reiser and Bradley Browne, and Annie Reiser and Radley Metzger; honorary father of Leslie Annexstein and Todd Cox, and Khasey Jeter; brother of Adele and Bruce Fader, Michelle and Avram Derai, and Michael and Eileen Goldman; grandfather of Lily and Jack Reiser, Io Browne, and Jasmine and Leila Annexstein-Cox; uncle of Hallie, Jon, Shoshanah, Avishi, Karen and Eric, and cousin, friend, colleague, and teacher to many.
To honor his memory: vote, protest, support your local library and public school, support unions, adopt a shelter dog, sing
Interment Immediately Following Service:
King Solomon Memorial Park
550 Dwasline Road
Clifton, NJ
The family will receive guests following the interment and until 8:00 p.m. at Gene and Diane Reiser’s home:
716 E 22nd Street
Brooklyn, NY
The family will be sitting shiva:
Thursday, August 9th, 3:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday, August 10th, 300 p.m. to sundown
Sunday, August 12th, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
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