Obituary of Neil H. Intrator
October 30, 1940 - February 8, 2023
Neil Harvey Intrator - extraordinary husband, father, grandpa, brother, teacher, and craftsman died on February 8th surrounded by his loving family. Born and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Neil loved traipsing through the city and exploring the art, music, theater, and bustle of its streets.
He attended many programs at the Henry Street Settlement as a child and graduated from Seward Park High School in 1958.
His lifelong friend Eddie Katz introduced him to Anna Seideman in 1962. Their first date was a walk along the beach, and for over 60 years, they have teamed together to embark on countless adventures —cross-country camping trips in their Dodge Dart, backpacking, scuba diving, restoring houses, and collecting a museum of beautiful curiosities and artifacts.
After graduating high school, Neil worked as a plumber, and soon after meeting Anna, he enrolled in night school at City College and then graduated from Brooklyn College. He started teaching shop and woodworking in New York City Public Schools and eventually became a social studies teacher. As a teacher, he loved designing opportunities for students to conduct individual historical research and make meaning of primary source documents. He believed examining history could help young people learn to be brave and caring citizens.
His passion in life was to repair and restore what had been broken. A meticulous craftsman, he would discover an abandoned desk or light fixture and laboriously bring it back to luster. Everybody– family, friends, and neighbors always called on him to fix what was broken or diagnose what needed to be done.
At 56, he had quintuple bypass heart surgery and turned to repair his own health. He walked and swam every day and maintained a spartan heart-healthy diet. All who knew him found inspiration in his determination and discipline.
Neil is survived by Anna, his wife of 59 years; his sister, Arlene; his daughter, Margo, and her husband, Dave; and his two sons, Michael and his wife, Patricia; and Sam, and his wife, Jo-Anne. He has eight grandchildren who he adored: Abigail Rose, Casey, Jake, Jenna, Kaleigh, Riley, Wade, and Wyatt. His legacy will live on in them.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 13, 2023, at 10 AM at Higgins Funeral Home, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Neil’s honor to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
