Margaret Kasinitz

Margaret Kasinitz, age 94, of New York, New York passed away on Friday, October 1, 2021. In the photo she is with her grandchildren, Aaron, Basya and Mira Kasinitz, on her 90th birthday, and, on the wall behind them is her portrait at age 17.

Her death was not unexpected. She had been in very poor health for the past two years. Although she never actually tested positive for Covid, she was perhaps one of its indirect victims in that she was in isolated in an assisted living facility and unable to have visitors for much of the pandemic—which almost certainly accelerated her cognitive decline. It was a sad ending to what had been a very full and, in some ways exciting life. She had been an artist, a single young woman in New York in the 40’s, working a variety of jobs including as a private detective (no kidding). She married Julius Kasinitz at age 30—late for the 1950’s, and they stayed married for nearly 50 years. She raised her kids, took care of her own aging parents, and then, when her children no longer needed as much looking after, she decided to go to college in her mid-40’s. She graduated about the same time that her oldest son did, became a teacher, and eventually earned a master’s degree. When her husband retired, they moved to an apartment in Manhattan and thoroughly enjoyed life as, as my her daughter-in-law Lisa Gibbs once put it, “the world’s oldest hipsters”. Julius decided to go to college too – he got his BA at 70. Margaret returned to painting and to the Arts Students League after a half century hiatus. She had her first small solo show in an Upper East Side Café/gallery at age 77. After Julius passed she remade her life as a single woman and while I know she missed him terribly, I think she enjoyed her regained independence. She was a regular in the art classes at the 92nd street YMHA for many years, made new friends and enjoyed her grandchildren.

The last few years were painful and tough. In addition to the isolation of the pandemic, she lost all three of her siblings, her lifelong best friend, as well as many other people important in her life. I suppose that is the downside of longevity. I am hoping that now her family and friends can remember and celebrate the long life she lived.

Philip Kasinitz