Phillip Ritzenberg

Phil was born in Cleveland, Ohio on June 22, 1931 to Jack and Gertrude Ritzenberg. Phil graduated from Case Western Reserve in 1953, continuing his studies at the University of Berlin under a Fullbright scholarship. Phil then served as a Navy officer on the USS Midway aircraft carrier, and as a Naval Air Intelligence Reserve Officer with NAIRU Unit 832 at Floyd Bennett Field, retiring as a Commander.

Phillip Ritzenberg was the consummate newspaper man, working in his father’s print shop as a boy, at his college newspaper, at the Cleveland Press and at the World Telegram and Sun and World Journal Tribune. Phil then joined the New York Daily News, leading that paper’s conversion from hand-set “hot lead” to computerized typesetting, before assuming responsibility for the newspaper’s design as Assistant Managing Editor. Phil left the News in 1982 to become publisher of Jewish Week, which he transformed with the high journalistic standards honed throughout his career.

In 1992, Phil became an independent newspaper consultant, redesigning newspapers and running workshops across the continent, from New York to Saskatchewan to locations too numerous to mention. Phil also lectured at university level, including Cooper Union and Brigham Young, where his lectures received such acclaim that promotional posters contained only one line: “What Would Phil Do ?” Phil was co-founder of the Society for Newspaper Design, receiving SND’s lifetime achievement award in 2008. Phil’s work also led him to the artistic discipline of collage, creating and displaying countless works of collage.

In 1955, when his ship docked in Cape Town, South Africa, Phil’s future wife, Edna Heneck, appeared at the ship for a tour. After two days together there, Phil and Edna exchanged letters for a year before Phil hitch-hiked Navy planes to meet Edna in Naples, Italy where they married. Phil brought his bride back to the Navy base in Norfolk, to Cleveland and then to Woodmere, NY, where they raised their sons and enjoyed life together for 66 years and were members of Congregation Sons of Israel and Temple Beth El.

In May of 2021, at age 90, Phil was lucky enough to be swinging a sledge hammer to split firewood, with a full head of black hair, when he felt a pain later diagnosed as lung cancer. After battling cancer for the past year, Phil passed away peacefully on May 26, 2022.

Phil is survived by his loving wife, Edith “Edna” Ritzenberg, his son, Jonathan Ritzenberg of Los Angeles, his son Jeremy Ritzenberg of Westwood, Massachusetts, his beloved daughter-in-law, Jill Scirpo, and adoring grandchildren, Jack and Julia, also of Westwood, his sister Betty Davis of Cleveland and brother Robert Ritz of Albuquerque.

Phillip Ritzenberg will be escorted out of this life with military honors on Sunday, May 29th at the Boulevard Chapel, with his remains cremated so that they can someday be mixed with the remains of Edna, the love of his life.

The funeral service for Phillip will be held Sunday, May 29, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Boulevard-Riverside Chapels, 1450 Broadway, Hewlett, New York 11557.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.boulevardriversidechapel.com for the Ritzenberg family.