Leonore Itzkowitz, 93, passed away peacefully at her home in Princeton, as she had wished, on August 8. She resided in Princeton for over 70 years, but nevertheless considered herself to be a New Yorker, having been born in the Bronx. Leonore was a beloved reading teacher, primarily at Lawrence Intermediate School, where she taught for 20 years as a remedial reading specialist, helping scores of children learn to read. For many years she also taught in the Teacher Prep program at Princeton University. Leonore was also a published author of both academic articles on reading and innovative teaching materials. Her Hip Pocket Stories, published in 1974, featured easy to read biographies of a diverse group of celebrities including Diana Ross, and Shirley Chisholm.
Leonore graduated from City College of New York, where she met her husband and the love of her life, Norman Itzkowitz. Leonore met Norman in the cafeteria when he asked her what was worse than finding a worm in an apple. His answer, “Finding half a worm in an apple,” provoked her always warm and generous laughter – and they stayed together for the next 65 years. Norman became a professor of Turkish History at Princeton, and Leonore accompanied him to Turkey starting in the mid 1950’s. Their son Jay was born in Ankara, and their daughter Karen followed a shortly thereafter in Princeton. The family travelled regularly to Turkey and many other places, with Leonore always creating warm and welcoming homes for sabbatical and academic postings in London, Istanbul, Jerusalem and Vancouver.
A multitasking coper, Leonore, while working and raising a young family, completed an MA from Teacher’s College at Columbia University and the coursework towards a Ph.D at Rutgers.
Leonore had a number of abiding passions – gardening, reading, and the study of insect life. She was a great cook, despite her denials, and a welcoming host. She adored children, whether they were related to her or not, and was a member of Hadassah, B’nai Brith Women and Women for Greenwood House.
Leonore lived her life by her mantra that there are only three important things in life: to be kind, to be kind, and to be kind. She more than lived these words. Leonore and Norman made a point of moving into the first integrated housing development in Princeton on Glenview Drive in the early 1960’s. She attended the historic march on Washington at which Martin Luther King Jr. gave the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. By the time the children were growing up, the family had moved back into University housing, where Leonore surreptitiously stuck a Congress of Racial Equality sticker on the front window.
Leonore was always a very family-minded person. Her Princeton home remained the center of gravity for the family. As she became a devoted grandmother, her four granddaughters treasured their time with her. And when she recently became a great-grandmother, she focused her doting affection on a fourth generation.
Leonore is survived by her son Jay and his wife Pria Chatterjee, her daughter Karen and her husband Norman Redlich, four granddaughters, Anjali de Robillard (husband Marc De Robillard), Aliya Itzkowitz (husband Max Martinez Mendoza) and Ruby and Dvora Redlich, and one great-granddaughter, Leela de Robillard. She also leaves behind a large group of close friends and generations of students, all able to read.
Despite her identity as a New Yorker, she remained committed to Princeton until the end, living in the center of town. She was a familiar sight walking with her rollator along Nassau Street, stopping to speak with anyone who needed a kind word.
Funeral services are Wednesday, August 12, at 11 am at Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, 1534 Pennington Road, Ewing Township, NJ. Burial will follow at Beth Israel Cemetery, 1098 Woodbridge Center Dr., Woodbridge Township, NJ.
Shiva will be observed Wednesday, August 12 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Leonore’s home in Princeton.
Memorial contributions can be made to:
OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Leonore-Itzkowitz
Leonore was a near neighbor after we arrived in Princeton in 1989. And she and Norman were more than good neighbors, they were both very lovable in their different ways. And the obituary is so right: she was kind, kind, and kind. We loved her (and so did our daughter, Dorothy). When we more to Manhattan, we missed her but were able to compensate either by meeting Norman and her here, or in Princeton. Now we are sad, because we will miss her doubly and forever. And our condolences to Caren and Jay, and to Leonore’s extended family. Adieu, Leonore.
I met Leonore, and Norman, in 1988 soon after I moved to New Jersey. We were neighbors and gradually friends, laughing as we often did about how unlikely it was that a woman from the Bronx and one from Georgia developed a deep and lasting bond of friendship. Leonore had a keen sense of awe and wonder of the natural world, a curious and sharp mind, and a compassionate and loving heart. She was inspiring, as well as just plain fun. She walked more in a day than I walk in a week and whenever I visited her there was always a table full of food. Her warm and attentive presence left me wanting more time with her. Leonore was a friend like no other. I will miss her terribly and yet my boundless love for her will endure. My deepest condolences to her beloved family. What a blessing you had in Leonore.
I live in California, I did not meet Leonore in person, but I learned about her during the pandemic. My family started a daily zoom session during this period of isolation. My sister Sylvie and her husband Philip often spoke of his cousin Leonore. She sounded intelligent, compassionate and fun to be with. It is only fitting that she set forth in this final journey on the memorable day of a solar eclipse.
Leonore and I always felt we were New Yorkers even after residing in Princeton since the early 1960s: she from the Bronx and I from Harlem and Washington Heights We became across-
the-street neighbors, however, in the early 1960s, when she and Norman moved to Glen Acres, an
historic integrated housing development in Princeton. After they moved, it was a delight to hear of
the accomplishments of Jay and Karen and, later, of the arrival of grands and a great grandchild.
Leonore cherished her family, was a voracious reader until that became difficult, enjoyed Garden
films, always had a story that made you smile, was a dedicated wife and mother and a beloved
friend. May her family be comforted with recollections of her kindness and her love.