In Memoriam: Board Member T. Richard Fishbein

It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of dedicated board member T. Richard Fishbein on October 14, 2014, at the age of 76. Fishbein--who held an AB from Dartmouth College, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Diploma from the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Bologna, Italy--had an enduring passion for the life of the mind, and he lived, as he put it, with vigor, surrounded by family and friends and immersed in career, travel, art, and a wide variety of other personal interests. He held a special place in his heart for New York City’s Metropolitan Museum and particularly loved spending time in England, France, Italy, and, especially, Japan.

A retired partner of the Cortec Group, a private equity investment firm based in New York, Richard served on the boards of several institutions in addition to the School of Engineering. (When the School was a separate institution, he served as a member of its Board of Trustees.) These included the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, the Japanese Art Society of America, and NYC Seed. He gave generously to numerous other organizations, including the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, Dartmouth College, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Our thoughts are with his wife of more than three decades, Dr. Estelle Bender; his stepdaughter, Melissa Bender; and the rest of his devoted family. We miss his engaging participation in Polytechnic's future, while remaining true to its broad spirit of support for the underdog.

Continuing the tradition of philanthropy he established during his life, his family asks that donations be made in his memory to the Bender-Fishbein Endowed Scholarship at NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, Attn: Judy Sager, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, 15 MetroTech Center, 6th Fl., Brooklyn, NY 11201.