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The River Reporter Thursday, June 17, 1999 Friends recall Bert Feldman's wit, humility, wisdom By TOM RUE MONGAUP VALLEY - "A well known peenie-weenie and a noted penguin," were words used to describe Bert Feldman in a transcript of his 1980 victorious wrongful arrest suit against former Bethel supervisor George Neuhaus, according to Anne Feldman. A stenographic error, Feldman found the mistake hilarious. For years he delighted in collecting penguin figures which friends and family gave him in fun.Feldman was, in reality, a well known journalist, history professor, storyteller, and sheriff's deputy, whose vast store of information, verbal skill, and self-effacing good humor were recalled in stories by friends and relatives at a memorial service held June 13 in a living room the contents of which reflected his family's life. About 40 assembled at the Feldman home to celebrate his memory. Bethel supervisor Alan Scott began the meeting, at the request of Anne Feldman, by reading resolutions of respect voted by the Bethel Town Board and both houses of the NYS Legislature (S.460/A.284). The latter item, introduced by Sen. John Bonacic (R-40) called Feldman a "distinguished journalist and citizen of Sullivan County." A journalist since 16, Feldman's first news assignment was to cover the 1939 World Fair. At his death, February 2, 1999, Feldman was senior editor of The River Reporter, where he ground out weekly installments of his "Recusant Reporter" column for 13 years. Sullivan County Legislator Leni Binder (D-7) recalled Feldman as a dear friend of more than three decades upon whose advice she said she learned to rely, even when they disagreed. Binder said she met Feldman in 1969, just after the first Woodstock festival. Binder said she and Feldman labored for placement of a marker at the site of the concert on Hurd Rd. Feldman worked the long weekend as a Sullivan County sheriff's deputy. Binder also noted that Feldman "turned me on to The River Reporter." Friend Binie Thom of Hackensack, who first met Feldman in 1946, recalled a story stemming from one of his "3,228 different jobs," which was to pick up stool samples from local drug stores for analysis. Feldman was held up by two robbers demanding his specimen bag. "You don't want this case," Feldman warned. "We do!" they replied. Feldman laughed, for years, that he would have loved to have seen the bandits' faces when they discovered the contents. Miles Eiten of Great Neck read a statement by his brother, George Eiten of Brazil, who supported Feldman in his bid for the presidency of the 6th grade class at P.S. 26 in New York City. "Children cry for him," was the campaign slogan, accompanied by a cartoon by Feldman of a bawling baby. Feldman lost. Anne Feldman said of her husband, "He was, in all senses of the word, a mensch." Binder replied, "Anne, it's corny to say, but you were the wind beneath his wings. You made him what he was." Binder herself was recently widowed. Married 30 years, the Feldmans raised two adopted daughters, Sandra Feldman of Saugerties and Wendy Brinn of Liberty, who were present with their sister Roberta Birness. The pair moved to Monticello in 1957 and built their home in Bethel in 1960. Anne recalled meeting Bert for the first time and being impressed by "this little guy in a black suit and a bright red tie who went where ever I went." Sandra recalled that when she and her sister were little their father hid fictional letters in a tree trunk in the yard, said to have been penned by an elf named Mr. Treedy. The elf left notes for years, Sandra said, written on paper, large leaves, and even tree bark. "It was so special that he did that," she said. This was Feldman's second memorial. "It was a wonderful meeting," Anne Feldman said afterward. "Some of the people really went out of their way to attend." The first was held February 7, at Agusda Achim in Livingston Manor. He was 76. |
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© 1985-2006, Tom Rue. All rights reserved.
