Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 09:25:11 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: living obituaries


The obit for Lisa that appeared in the _Deseret News_ makes one think:
what if *you* were to die tomorrow (or next year, or whatever), how would
you *want* your obituary to read?

What I suggest is this (a very morbid proposal!): let's write our
obituaries NOW and then if we one of us should die, then our obit can be
sent to local papers for publication.

Of course, I would like to live a very long life, but one never knows. For
instance, I could get run over by a Mack truck on my way to class this
morning or be shot in the back by a member of the Ninth Precinct  of "New
York's Bravest."

The following is written in the traditional format and is intentionally
short and free of [intentional] humor.

If I happen to die, please forward the following to the _New London Day_
in New London, Connecticut.

=======================================================================
Gerald Alan Levy, age [..], of New York City, died [...], in [...] due to
[...].

He was born January 17, 1954 in New London, Connecticut to Theodore Henry
and Arlene Ruth Lipton.  He was unmarried (?, JL).

Gerald, known also as Jerry, graduated from New York University in 1976
with majors in history and economics. He received a Master of Arts degree
in political economy from the New School of Social Research in New York
City in 1978. He became a PhD candidate at the New School in 1982.

He taught economics since 1985 at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY,
LaGuardia Community College, in Long Island City, New York, and Empire
State College -- Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies (also
called the "Labor College"), in Manhattan.

Gerald was a political activist and radical since the age of 16. While a
sophomore at New London High School, he joined the Young Socialist
Alliance. He went on to join the Socialist Workers Party, but resigned in
1980 citing political differences. While in New London, he was active in
the anti-Vietnam War and student movements and was elected Senior Class
President of the Class of 1973 at New London High School.

While at New York University, Gerald was an Organizer for the United Farm
Workers, AFL-CIO, in 1975, and participant in a other social struggles.
During the period from 1978-1984, he was an automobile assembly worker
at Ford Motor Company's Metuchen (New Jersey) and General Motors' Linden
(New Jersey) assembly plants. He was an active member of UAW Locals 980
and 595 respectively and helped organize against the 1982 GM-UAW
concessionary agreement. He was also active in the New Jersey Committee
for Occupational Safety and Health (NJCOSH) during this time. In 1983, he
worked as an Intern in the UAW's Research Department in Detroit, Michigan.

Gerald held a number of union offices in the United University Professions
(UUP), the union which represents the faculty and professional staff at
the State University of New York. He was the union representative for
faculty at the "Labor College" from 1985 to 1987 and the Vice-President
for Part-Timers of the Empire State College Chapter from 1987-1989. During
that time he represented many faculty who were fired by ESC management and
went on to become a "whistleblower", charging ESC management with corrupt
and criminal activities.

He lived in Manhattan's East Village and after 1990 became an activist in
community struggles in support of the homeless, squatters, and peddlers
and was a vocal opponent of gentrification and police brutality.
He was arrested on numerous occasions as part of these struggles.

As an economist, he will be best remembered (?) as the organizer and
coordinator of OPE-L, a small, closed Internet mailing list of Marxist
economists which began in 1995.

He loved sailing and spent a large part of the summers in recent years in
New London clamming and visiting Ocean Beach Park.

Gerald is survived [hopefully, JL] by his parents, Theodore Henry Levy and
Arlene Lipton Levy and his sister [again hopefully, JL], Margot Ann Levy,
all of New London.

Funeral services will be held [...] on [...] at [...].  He requested that
mourners remember Joe Hill's request: "Don't mourn, organize!."



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