22 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE JANUARY 13, 2011
OBITUARIES CHOSKY: On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, Philip Chosky, beloved son of the late Nathan and Eva Chosky; brother of Sara and Samuel Chosky. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Shadyside. Interment Machsikei Hadas Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Philip Chosky Charitable Education Foundation, 310 Grant Street, Suite 1500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. LEVENSON: On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, Edgar Leo Levenson, beloved son of the late David J. and Eva Mae Levenson; brother of the late Robert L. Levenson and Donald W. Levenson; uncle of Elaine L. Savage, Elizabeth J. Blum, Robert L. (Patricia V.) Levenson, Jr., Rosalinda (Dr. Stuart) Kramer, Dr. Marc Levenson and Dr. Jon Levenson; great-uncle of Dr. David H. Savage, Catherine S. Hicks, Elizabeth S. Nelson, Esq., Michael Evan Blum, Joshua D. Levenson, Benjamin L. Levenson, Isaac N. Levenson, Andrew Kramer, Dr. Douglas Kramer, Matthew Kramer, Esq., J. Jacob Levenson, Daniel W. Levenson and Noah Levenson; also survived by cousin Hysora Cowan. Services were held at Rodef Shalom Temple. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 777 Penn Center Blvd., Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 or the American Macular Degeneration
Foundation, P.O. Box 515, Northampton, MA 10061-0515. Arrangements by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. LEVINE: On Wednesday, January 5, 2011, Harry I. Levine, beloved husband of the late Bertha Levine; devoted father of Evelyn Levine, Judith Murray and Howard Levine; grandfather of Eric and Brittany Levine and Barbara and Debra Murray. Services and Interment were private. Contributions may be made to Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, 234 McKee Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Arrangements by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. RECHT: On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, Dolores (Dolly) Recht of Sarasota, FL, devoted wife of the late Edward Recht; loving mother of Alan Recht of Los Angeles, CA, Barbara Pavone Kristin and Janis Harris, both of Athens, GA and Wendy Steiner of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Beloved grandmother of Sean Pavone, Mauri Harris, Michael Steiner, Jonathan and Alison Steiner; also survived by nieces and nephews. Graveside services were held at Temple Beth Sholom Cemetery, Sarasota, FL. REZNIK: On Wednesday, January 5, 2011, Annetta "Hunny" Reznik, daughter of the late Abram "Abe" and Ray Brenner Reznik; beloved sister of
Please refer to www.thejewishchronicle.net for regularly updated obituary information.
Elayne Reznik Gusky and the late Sylvia Reznik; loving aunt of Ray (Judy) Gusky and Jeffrey (Leanne) Gusky; great-aunt of Adam (Christina) Gusky, Kristopher Gusky and Matthew Gusky; great-great-aunt of Allison Gusky and Breanna Gusky. Graveside services and interment were held at Tiphereth Israel Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Tiphereth Israel Cemetery, c/o 1100 Penn Center Boulevard, #1113, Pittsburgh. PA 15235. Arrangements by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. ROTHBART: On Saturday, January 8, 2011, David Rothbart, 94, beloved husband of Dr. Dorothy (Perlis) Rothbart; loving father of Betty Rothbart of Brooklyn, NY, Judith (Martin) Kline of Pittsburgh, PA and Eleanor (Dr. Jonathan) Goldman of West Hartford, CT; brother of Roselie Brenner of Los Angeles, CA, the late Saul Rothbart and Deborah Blaukopf; loving "Zeide" of Lila and Jacob M. Smith, Dr. Andrea (Dr. Zach) Goldsmith, Amy, Michelle and Samuel Kline, Richard, Alex and Ari Goldman; also survived by loving nieces and nephews. Services were held at
Staff Writer
FALEDER MONUMENTS For directions and appointments call 412.682.5500
TENOR: On Saturday, January 8, 2011, Ida N. Tenor, Beloved wife of the late Theodore A. Tenor, Esq.; beloved mother of Joy T. (late Rabbi Judah) Fish of Elkins Park, PA and Randall B. (Susan Beth) Tenor of Mechanicsburg, PA.; sister of the late Julia Korenberg, Minnie Harris, Ben Browarsky and Barry Browar; grandmother of Daniel J. Fish of New York City, Rabbi Joseph Ron (Leah) Fish of Norwalk, CT and Gregory Allan Tenor of Mechanicsburg, PA; great-grandmother of Hana Fish-Bieler, Dore Fish-Bieler, Nili Fish-Bieler and Lavi Fish-Bieler. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Shadyside. Interment Shaare Torah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Hadassah-Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, 1824 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 and American Heart Assoc., 7320 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231.
Philip Chosky spent a lifetime giving to Pittsburgh, Jewish causes BY TOBY TABACHNICK
FALEDER • New Location • New LocationMONUMENTS • New Location • New Location •
Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Shadyside. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Hebrew Free Loan Association, 4315 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.
Philip Chosky, a philanthropist who favored the theater, science, and Jewish organizations, died in his sleep on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at his Shadyside home. He had suffered from dementia for several years, and was also battling heart problems. He was 85. Throughout his lifetime, Chosky donated millions of dollars to fund a variety of projects, from those of the Carnegie Science Center, to the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, to the Emma Kaufmann Camp in Morgantown, W.Va. Raised in the Hill District, Chosky graduated from Carnegie Tech in 1948 with a degree in electrical engineering. He went on to found the Rosedale Technical Institute in Pittsburgh, and the Electronic Institutes in both Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. He was a lifelong contributor to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, both to its annual campaign and to its emergency campaigns, such as Katrina and the Israel Emergency Appeal, said Meryl Ainsman, executive director of the Philip Chosky Charitable Educational Foundation. He also gave several significant gifts to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, including funding for housing for counselors-in-training at EKC. That structure is known as Beit Chosky. Chosky purchased and donated the land on which the Carnegie Science Center’s Highmark Sportsworks now sits, and gave the Science Center an additional contribution to help support the miniature railroad, the submarine and roboworld. “He was very influential in theater,” said Ainsman. “He was very supportive of new and innovative theater in Pittsburgh.” In 2000, after a large donation to its drama school, CMU named its theater The Philip Chosky Theater. A modest man, Chosky resisted the honor.
“He was a very humble person,” said Donna Drudy, his companion of 33 years. “When he built the theater at CMU, he didn’t want it named after him. He was very reluctant about it.” “He really set a standard for philanthropy,” said his cousin David Gelber. “He was incredibly generous with his resources. “My friendship with Phil grew when I was a student at Swarthmore back in the ’60s,” Gelber recalled. “He had business in the Philadelphia area and he’d come to visit me. I remember how proud he was to take me for a tour through every nook and cranny of the Chosky Theater at CMU. He loved that place — and the school. Phil was a witty, unpretentious, straight-talking guy, but he wasn’t someone who craved to be on the stage. And yet, the theater and the idea of the theater possessed him. “Phil was a giver,” he added. “So many people — especially in the Pittsburgh community — benefited hugely from his friendship, his work and his philanthropy.” Chosky also contributed generously to the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, the City Theatre, the Quantum Theatre and the CLO, as well as the Pittsburgh Promise, the Warhol Museum, Yeshiva Schools, Cleveland Clinic, and many other organizations. Chosky never married and had no children. “But he really did have thousands of children,” said Ainsman. “There are so many kids out there today both in theater and the Jewish community benefiting from his largesse.” Chosky is survived by siblings Sarah and Samuel. Donations may be made to the Philip Chosky Charitable Educational Foundation, 310 Grant St., Suite 1500, Pittsburgh 15219.
(Toby Tabachnick can be reached at tobyt@thejewishchronicle.net.)