It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Dr. Melvin Hershkowitz. In the relatively short time he graced us here in Northampton so many benefited from his experience, wisdom, and largesse. While originally coming to Northampton to be close to his beloved daughter Marie, we found him engaged with so many facets of Northampton and regional life.

From co-hosting periodic luncheons with members of the Northampton Education Foundation, to financially supporting various projects at the Bridge Street School and Hampshire College to being invaluable to and honored by Forbes Library, Melvin learned about this new community and made a point of connecting, especially, where he could help.

Assisted so generously and graciously by his son-in-law, Steve Hathaway, Melvin, always dapper, became a fixture in his neighborhood off North Street. He couldn’t help but adore his grandchildren.

The Northampton Education Foundation (NEF) is especially grateful for his enormous generosity and vision in supporting NEF and strikingly, our successful Endowment Campaign which concluded in December 2019, by establishing the NEF Fund–Marie Hershkowitz Memorial Fund to benefit Northampton public education in perpetuity.

As noted in his recent obituary (Gazette, April 12) http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=LS000208921292 , Melvin was a talent with amazing accomplishments but probably as much, or more so, an intellect with great interests on a large scale and especially personally. He never failed to ask how multiple family members were, whenever the opportunity arose. His recall of details was phenomenal. A living testament to his commitment and loyalty to those people and passions around him.

Living a special, engaged and generous life made Dr. Hershkowitz not only extraordinary, but for us, a model we have learned from and can try to emulate. We will always be grateful for the time we had with him.

Martin Wohl, Mandy Gerry, and Liz Horn

On behalf of the NEF Board of Directors