Michael Bencion Moskow, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, colleague and philanthropist, died peacefully on Martha’s Vineyard on July 23, 2022, after a period of declining health. His generous spirit, thoughtfulness, and rare sense of humility will be deeply missed. Michael was born on October 17, 1933 in Boston, MA. He grew up in Newton, MA, as the oldest of four children of the late Rosamond (Fleisher) Moskow and Abraham Moskow. He graduated from the Browne and Nichols School ‘51 in Cambridge before attending Harvard College ’55, where he played hockey. After college, he went on to earn his Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia Business School in New York in 1957. Upon returning to New England, Michael launched his own successful real estate development company in Boston and Newburyport and met the love of his life, Donna Melnick. Clearly smitten, he proposed to her just two weeks after mutual friends set them up on a blind date. They married in 1958 after a brief engagement and were happily married for sixty-one years until Donna passed away in 2019. Together, they raised their close-knit family of four children, Ken, Keith, Cliff and Carla, who eventually expanded the family with ten treasured grandchildren and one great grandchild.
In his real estate business, Michael worked primarily to identify buildings across Boston in need of improvement before buying, renovating and holding them long-term. He had a solid crew of dedicated employees both in the office and on construction sites, some of whom had worked with him for decades. He also developed extensive holdings in Newburyport with a long-time partner. In addition, he was one of the key business leaders in the landmark Park Plaza case in the early 1970s, which ultimately prevented a redevelopment plan for Park Plaza that called for skyscrapers along the Public Garden and Boston Common. Despite the highly challenging political environment that resulted from the legal case, the experience reinforced in Michael the importance of legally protecting one’s rights and conserving land for public use. It also rekindled his long-time interest in environmental issues in real estate and led to his collaboration with the Conservation Law Foundation, where he served as the Chairman of the Board for over ten years. Michael’s life was governed by a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation of his family and the good fortune that his education and business achievements provided. He brought his extensive experience in real estate to serve and support causes that were close to his heart. In addition to his work with the Conservation Law Foundation, Michael was actively engaged with numerous other organizations during his lifetime, including serving on the Board of Overseers of the Harvard Crimson; as the Chairman of the Board of the Walker Home and School; as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School; and as Treasurer of the Child Welfare League of America.
In Boston, Michael and Donna were regular patrons of numerous cultural institutions in the city, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the American Repertory Theater. He also continued playing hockey into his sixties and traveling the globe into his seventies. For most of his life, Michael spent his summer weekends in Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard. Relaxation for him involved being outside on the land either cutting the fields with his tractor or quietly planting dozens of different varieties of trees. Since buying land there in the 1970s, he planted over 1,000 trees and plants, some of which now top fifty feet in height. Many of those trees became homes for a wide array of birds, and he built a similar sanctuary for them at his home in Newton. Watching the different species feed year-round became another quiet passion connecting him to the environment. With Donna he also developed backyard yard farms in both Newton and Chilmark for a wide range of animals. Through his example and many teaching moments, he instilled this appreciation of nature in both his children and grandchildren. He also stressed to them the importance of being involved in one’s community, treating others with empathy and kindness, staying humble, and connecting with other people to make the future a brighter place.
Michael is survived by his loving children: Keith Moskow of Cohasset, MA, Cliff Moskow of Carlisle, MA, Carla Moskow of Newton; his ten cherished grandchildren: Zachary, Jacob, Nicholas, William, Samantha, Charlie, Michaela, Andrew, Jack and Ava; his new great granddaughter, Charlotte; his sister Marina Kaufman of Newton and brother Jeremy Moskow of Cambridge; and a large collection of extended relatives, colleagues, and friends. In addition to his wife Donna, Michael was predeceased by his son, Kenneth Moskow, formerly of Concord, MA, and his sister Wendy, formerly of Newton, MA.
Services for Michael will be held on Thursday, July 28 at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel at the Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon. Shiva will be held the same evening from 5-7 p.m. at Michael’s home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to The Conservation Law Foundation, ATTN: Donations, 62 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110, https://www.clf.org/donate
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