Photo of Polly (early 1970’s) in Washington Square Park, NYC

This June marks the 40th anniversary of Polly’s in-ground, earth-sheltered, passive solar house which she designed and built on Glenview Drive in Southampton, New York.  Her house required an excavation that would become fifty feet of triple-pane sliding glass doors. It was built into one of the few hills on Long Island directly facing solar (not magnetic) South. Each day Polly would drive from our home on Peconic Crescent on her Vespa to the construction site where she not only acted as general contractor supervising the masons, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc., but she also did her share of manual labor working alongside our son, Loren, and the other members of the construction crew. Reluctantly, when we moved to Florida, we sold that wonderful house with its fifty-foot loft and its spa at the top of the hill (the driveway leading to the garage next to the spa rose at a 30 degree angle) to a couple that loved it almost as much as Polly and I did.

Courtesy of Peter Robertson of Wollongong, Australia:

"My heart tells me it's your birthday
I still believe my heart when it talks about you
Mom, what must this heart want for you?
Treasures? Honors? Thrones? No, my faith!
But a happiness equal to mine when I see you.”

It’s a great poem for a very great lady Marty, one who touched many others.

I know that you will miss her enormously. She was the love of your life after all. But you will never forget the memories of the wonderful times, people and places you shared together.

I must admit, reading the many memories left on her site, I had no idea that there was such a big V12 engine under that quiet demeanour of hers!

Rest In Peace Polly… the world is poorer for your passing, but wonderfully enhanced by your living.



A lovely poem to celebrate Polly by the incomparable, Victor Hugo, my favorite author.

En 1816, quand Victor Hugo avait seulement 14 ans, il écrit À maman, de beaux vers dédiés à l’amour qu’il ressentait pour sa mère : 

« Mon coeur me dit que c’est ta fête 
Je crois toujours mon coeur quand il parle de toi 
Maman, que faut-il donc que ce coeur te souhaite? 
Des trésors? Des honneurs ? Des trônes ? Non, ma foi ! 
Mais un bonheur égal au mien quand je te vois. »

This is my third entry. It describes how Polly wanted to travel to understand how the various cultures of the world differ. She fundamentally believed that people were no more different within a culture than between different cultures. So, soon after Polly graduated from Antioch she went to live with a Swiss family in Zug. That was in 1950. We were married April 3, 1955, and by 1956 we were again in Europe staying for 3 months in a whitewashed rental 10 miles East of Palma de Mallorca. Our landlords would whisper things to us about being controlled by the dictator Franco who was very much alive. We loved Plitvice in Croatia (then, part of Yugoslavia) and Troy in Turkey. We decided to return home when we were in Genoa because, as Polly stated unequivocally, “I want to have a baby.”
A family just did not happen immediately. Meanwhile, Polly decided to become an entrepreneur. She developed a very successful venture starting in 1956. It was called International Horizons and it was located on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. Polly sought out and purchased, in wholesale quantities, a great variety of artistic items and clothing from all over the world. Customers loved her merchandise and the prices were right. By 1958, Polly was making as much money as I was as a management consultant. Money was not her objective.
Three years later when we landed in Havana on our initial trip to Buenos Aires. Castro’s troops removed us from our de Havilland Comet 4 (the first jet planes) while deciding what to do with us. Polly was unperturbed. This was her constant way of meeting adversity; quite unlike me. As she predicted, they let us continue on our way. We lived in Amenabar, behind high walls, outside of Buenos Aires. For ten months Polly ran our household as though we were living in New York City. But then, she had to fly home to the U.S.A. because Pan Am would not transport a pregnant lady after her eighth month.

One of Polly’s most important life’s goals was now beginning. She wanted to be a mother first and foremost As usual Polly achieved what she wanted. I became a professor at Columbia to assure that we would have a stable home base.
At this point, let me tie in a bit of history that explains why it was wonderful to live with Polly. She poured sunlight into the darkest corners. Things were getting tense around Columbia University in the late 1960’s. In large part, the Vietnam War had penetrated university life. It was unpleasant to go on (what had been a delightful college) campus. I had taken a half sabbatical and thereby agreed to give a talk for Robert’s College in Istanbul. (It was still a college then.) Polly suggested going to the Far East ending up in Turkey. That seed germinated and soon we were talking about taking Chris (8) and Loren (7) out of Bank Street (then in Greenwich Village) for an entire term to take a trip around the world (literally).
Where, when, and how occupied many hours of discussion.  Polly checked off pros and cons repeatedly adding and subtracting new thoughts until it was clear that the unconventional approach of extensive travelling had over-powered the conventional approach of staying put. So, in 1968 the Starr Family began our round-the-world trip always flying from East to West, spending months in Kauai and Australia, weeks in Kyoto and New Caledonia, and ultimately sailing on the Michelangelo from Naples to New York. Polly scrubbed, cleaned, and rearranged our double A-frame home in Hanalei after Reverend Hardenberg and his daughter Penny gave us the keys to our 4 month stay in Hawaiian heaven with daily visits to beautiful Haena beach.

Before the “empty nest” syndrome could occur, Polly decided in 1975 to study for her Master’s degree at Hunter College as a career guidance counselor.  After receiving her degree, she worked at Baruch College of the City University of New York and then John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She loved helping students select their best professional paths which often required their switching from “pre-set” unfulfilling choices to more challenging, higher personal reward opportunities. Twenty years later, Polly was still receiving calls and letters of appreciation from students whom she had guided to make beneficial life changes. Friends and family trusted Polly’s advice because she only gave it when the facts supported her intuition. She truly possessed second sight.  I miss that sixth sense more than I can say.

I am writing this on behalf of The Bracco Family...  
 
After learning of Polly’s passing and speaking with Martin, we wanted to share a little bit about how we got to know the Starr’s.  Our parents, Frank and Sherril, started a local plumbing company back in 1975.  In looking at our records, the Starr’s have been clients of ours since 2002.  Martin referenced that Polly would write insights about company owners that they were interested in featuring.  Fortunately for us, we ended up being one of them.  What started out as a series of interviews in April 2007, grew into a friendship between our families that has unfortunately been impacted by the loss of Polly and before that our dad.  
 
The Starr’s and the love they shared was so touching and heartfelt that it was always a joy and pleasure to be around them.  It is rare to find two individuals who are so kind, worldly, understanding, compassionate and still in love after so many years.  The mutual respect they shared for one another and those they interacted with always left us aspiring to have a relationship like theirs…that endured the test of time.  We are grateful, honored and privileged to have spent time with them both.  They are truly special people.  Salt of the earth, authentic, amazing.  We will miss Polly dearly -- her warmth and bright spirit -- and look forward to seeing Martin and possibly some of the other family at our favorite lunch spot where we frequented often with them.  Each time we left lunch saying how lovely they are and how much love you could see between the two of them.  We miss you Polly…may you Rest in Peace.


Photograph of Polly (left) and her sister Betty (right).  Barefoot and holding freshly caught flounder, Polly was 14 and Betty was 13.  Circa October 1943. 

Picture of the house where Polly lived while going to high school, on Beard St. in Minneapolis, MN



The hurricane of September 21, 1938 (no storm names were used then) impacted Polly’s life in ways that reverberated many years later and likely forever. Polly who was going on age nine in a month (see the pictures below from Gretchen, Polly's niece) and Betty were taken by Grandmother Marnia to lunch in Ocean Beach from their Fire Island Pines home. As they walked to the general store and dock area near their lunch date, the waters started rising rapidly. They went instead onto the ferry boat (to Bay Shore) which stayed tied up as the only safe haven that entire day and night while homes and debris floated past them. Polly did not doubt it; this lunch date saved their lives. From then on, Polly believed that accidents might appear to be strictly chance events but might have been avoided if you only knew how to see the true picture. We counted on each other for such insight.

It was September 27, 1985 when I was headed up to Columbia to teach my morning class and I saw that the waters of the East River were over their banks snarling traffic. I drove off the East River Drive and went to a telephone booth (there were no cell phones and still were telephone booths). I told Polly to get out of our house on Peconic Bay Inlet immediately. She told me the water was rising and she would evacuate. She saved her own life. All phones were down. It took me hours to locate my love, safe and secure. 

Photos of Polly and her sister Betty at the Fire Island beachside (courtesy Gretchen Cady Kuhn)

There are three insights that I want to add to this stream of personal comments. I am doing this to explain Polly’s significant effect on the lives and perceptions of those with whom she came in contact. This is the first of these observations. Two others will follow during the next few weeks.

I have always been able to see quite far ahead but Polly could see around corners.  She saved me from countless mistakes by alerting me to potential eventualities that otherwise I overlooked completely. With this non-linear wisdom Polly helped turn my research from snapshot logic to multi-dimensional systems of comprehension and broadened causality. She queried and edited most every concept of value that I ever wrote. Polly’s additions to my books (such as her 26 inspired two and three page interviews with executives of myriad and diverse companies) were often cited by my students as the best parts of my books. We thought we might publish them separately. Polly’s sensitivity and wisdom motivated many of the students who travelled with us on their global practicums for Rollins. She helped them see such wonderful places as Wollongong, Cape Town, Lecco, and Brisbane with open hearts and minds.

Jaya and I first met Polly and Marty in October 1990 at the first meeting of the Production and Operations Management Society in Washington, DC.  It feels like yesterday even after thirty years.

We then met again and again at subsequent annual meetings.  We joined for dinners and had wonderful conversations.  She was always kind and thoughtful.  

We are fortunate that Polly graced our lives.  We will miss her.  We celebrate her wonderful life.

Jaya and Kalyan Singhal


Memories...
We recently found photos of some Thanksgiving dinners many years ago.  Sitting around our table were Polly and Mart, Gail and Loren,  Chris, Sondra,  and others in our extended family. How fortunate we are to have these memories, and how fortunate we are to have known Polly. We know that she will be missed. Polly's love will live on in all of you, both in your hearts and in your memories.

Dearest Starr Family - 
     Although we never met Polly in person, we feel we knew a little about her through her son, Loren, her grandson Michael and her daughter-in-law, Gail. 
     Through Loren, we know Polly inspired a brilliant mind with stoic sensibilities and quiet mindfulness and a quest for a healthy mind and body. 
     Through her grandson, Michael, we know she inspired a love of nature, self sufficiency and all things outdoors. 
     And through her daughter-in-Law, Gail, we learned she was a loving mother and mother-in-law who loved her husband, sons and grandson more than anything else. 
    What a wonderful legacy.
     We are very sorry for your loss and share in your grief. 
     Sincerely,
     Dee Dee Guzman and Justo Gonzalez 

From everything I heard from Gail, I know Polly was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother!  Wishing your whole family peace to bring comfort, courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in your hearts!

I have heard wonderful things about Polly from Gail. Sounds like she was a wonderful mother, wife and person. Gail spoke so highly of her.
I wish your family the best. May her memory be a blessing.

Grandma, you have made more of an impact on me than you will ever know. You taught me what it means to care for someone, and how even the smallest things in life have value. I miss you dearly, but I will always remember how you always tried to make the world a better place every day. I know you would want us to focus more on making an even brighter future than quietly sitting in the past. I only knew you twenty years, but you will always be with me.

Polly, you will never be forgotten.   I love you beyond all words and your departure from our world has left a hole in all of our hearts.  But I also know that you would want us to not dwell on our loss and you would prefer we remember you for the beauty and joy that you brought to us all during your amazing 91 years on Earth.    I celebrate your life and your everlasting positive impact  you had on us.   You will live in my heart forever.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Polly Starr

22 octobre 1929 – 1 avril 2021

Baldwin Fairchild at Chapel Hill & Chapel Hill Cemetery

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