Bernard F. Bolitzer

Bernard (Bernie) Francis Bolitzer (92) of Saugerties, NY, passed away on Saturday, September 27th, 2026.

Bernie was born in the Bronx to Joseph and Blanche Bolitzer. Bernie’s parents were both deaf, and Bernie and his sister Irma grew up moving between their deaf household and the hearing world. His childhood was very much of the city, filled with stickball, rooftops, and hot concrete. A favorite memory was being given a quarter and sent on the train to Coney Island. He fondly remembered sharing a bedroom with his paternal grandfather, Henry Bolitzer, whose cigar smoke would fill the room despite his mother’s best efforts.

Bernie loved learning and hated school, a sentiment that he would carry into his work as a teacher for the NYC Board of Education. He barely graduated high school, preferring to take a train downtown to watch foreign films or visit the library rather than attend class. In 1952, he joined the army and was initially trained to drive tanks until, as he loved to share, the army noticed that he wore glasses and re-assigned him to tent duty. Upon leaving the army, he used the GI Bill to attend the University of Pittsburg.

Bernie loved politics and political debate. His actual positions could be hard to pin down and shifted across his lifetime. He believed more in the importance of political discourse than any political party or politician. He tried to spark political debates wherever he went.

Bernie taught social studies and history for 30 years for the NYC Board of Education. He began teaching at the Door, a youth services agency, and then moved from Seward Park High School to Alexander Hamilton Technical and Vocational High School to Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, ending his career at LaGuardia High School. He loved learning about his students and their interests, and his stories of teaching always centered on the exchange of ideas and opinions. He cared much more about thoughts than tests. He would often bring those debates home, leading his own children through the same set of evolving, frustrating questions.

In 1972, Bernie met and married Susan Mullen, who became Susan Bolitzer. He knew immediately that she was a terrific person and proposed on the third date. Though different in many ways, they shared a strong belief in family. Bernie and Susan raised their three children, Benjamin, Sarah, and Liza, in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn and Morningside Heights in Manhattan. They spent their summers at a bungalow colony, Spring Glen Meadows in Spring Glen, NY. He loved the bungalow colony. While his kids ran free, he would sit on a porch or by the pool playing backgammon and debating the politics of the day.

Upon retiring from working for the Board of Education, Bernie and Susan moved to Saugerties, NY, where Susan would become the founding president of Esopus Creek Conservancy. Bernie was tremendously proud of Susan and would point to her accomplishments as an example of what someone with energy can do. Bernie was a strong supporter of the Saugerties Public Library, establishing a fund for patrons to request unusual magazines and periodicals. He loved nothing more than giving away a book and having a good conversation.

Bernie took great pride in his children, Benjamin, Sarah, and Liza, and in his seven grandchildren, who knew and appreciated his love, humor, and endless curiosity. He spent his final year drinking coffee, reading the newspaper, and reflecting deeply on his life while living under the loving care of his daughter Sarah. He enjoyed this year and the time he was able to spend surrounded by family. They enjoyed it too, in what Susan would often call a “mutual admiration society.” Bernie will be missed, and his absence will be felt deeply by his family and friends.

Services will be held on Wednesday, September 30th, at 2 p.m. at Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Road, Hamden, Connecticut. Donations in Bernie’s memory can be made to the Esopus Creek Conservancy: https://www.esopuscreekconservancy.org/. Funeral arrangements are in care of Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, Connecticut. To send condolences to Bernie's family, please visit www.beecherandbennett.com.