Monday, March 02, 2009

Notable Local Deaths: Lipman Z. Rabinowitz . . . Cleveland.com

Here is a note, an obituary, a brief journalistic epitaph, about a quiet man I worked with at New York Life years ago, in the '80s. He loved computers; he and another guy, whose name I can't dredge up right now, were the resident experts. As a matter of fact, I got my first computer, an IBM A/T, through a New York Life buy-in program. For a bit more than $10,000 in 1985, I think it was, we got the A/T, a Hayes modem, Ashton-Tate MultiMate, and a monitor with green letters on a black background.

I never knew that Lip, as some called him, had such an interesting background.

Notable Local Deaths: Lipman Z. Rabinowitz, Windsor James Smith, Charles B. Womer, Rev. Hubert W. Riedel

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Lipman Z. Rabinowitz went from rabbi to early computer educator to underwriter.

Rabinowitz, 80, died Feb. 9 in Israel, where he had moved from Beachwood four years ago.

He was born in Chicago, served as an Army chaplain in Japan during the Korean War, held pulpits in several states and marched for civil rights in New Orleans. He lost his first wife after three months, when a drunken driver killed her and hospitalized him for six months.

Starting in 1967, Rabinowitz opened data-processing schools in downtown Cleveland and elsewhere. But colleges soon crowded him out of the field. He went on to become a top agent for New York Life.

Rabinowitz led several Jewish groups here, including Fuchs Mizrachi School and the Cleveland Kosher Committee.

His survivors include his second wife, Renee, who married him 52 years ago, and three children. His funeral was in Israel.

Notable Local Deaths: Lipman Z. Rabinowitz, Windsor James Smith, Charles B. Womer, Rev. Hubert W. Riedel - Cleveland.com

1 comment:

  1. Dear Mr. Ferris,
    Thak you for making mention of my father's death. It is interesting to see how mamny people he affected in different ways. You are right, he was quiet in certain ways yet mighty and vocal when the cause called for it. We are fortunate to have had him for so long and miss him. I don't know if you sent this to my brother or if he blogged and found you. If you are already in contact with my brother then no need to contact me separately. If not then any info you have from anyone on my dad can be sent to avileeadams@yahoo.com. Thanks.
    Leah Adams, PsyD

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