Jeffrey R Fingerman's Obituary
Jeffrey R Fingerman – Obituary
Jeffrey Fingerman has passed away, way too soon at age 70, after a long battle against lymphoma. Jeff was a warm, gregarious, intelligent, talented and caring individual. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Roberta, two successful sons – Jason, a database engineer in Liverpool NY, and Dr Ian, an epigeneticist in Alexandria VA, along with their wives Lisa and Carolyn respectively, three wonderful grandchildren – Nathan, Isabel and Charlie, and a brother Craig.
Jeff was born in 1945 in Brooklyn, New York. His family moved soon after to Queens NY where Jeff graduated from Forest Hills H.S in 1962. Jeff’s parents struggled financially for many years and Jeff grew up in tight quarters, sharing a bedroom with both his younger brother and an adult uncle. Those formative years of limited means left Jeff with the desire to enjoy what he did have to its fullest, to make the best of any bad situation. That philosophy lasted his entire life.
Jeff was a big man, both literally and figuratively. But early on, he showed remarkable athletic ability. He could move surprisingly quickly and was an all-star in little league baseball. He also showed an early talent for music, mastering the accordion at first and then transferring those skills to the piano and keyboards. Jeff was also very outgoing, made friends very easily but stayed very loyal to those friends.
Jeff married Roberta Scheib in 1969 and they soon moved to upstate NY, first to Poughkeepsie and then to the very small town of High Falls, NY. In 1974. They would stay in that home for the next 38 years. Soon after sons Jason and Ian came along. Jeff became a pillar of the local community with major positions in scouting and Little League, as a library trustee and as the keyboard player for the Kingston Showboat. His gregarious nature and his natural showmanship were really developed in those settings preparing him well for his future vocation.
Early on, Jeff had a succession of jobs, primarily in the local dairy industry, before he went back to school to become a teacher. Jeff graduated from SUNY College on New Paltz with a BS (cum laude) and then MS in education. In education, Jeff
found his true calling, teaching primarily 3rd and 4th grade in the Kerhonkson NY school district.
Jeff combined his marvelous sense of humor, intelligence, showmanship and dedication to become truly a master teacher. One quote from a former student summed it up succinctly.
“You showed me what a good teacher/educator was all about. A mix of humor, gravitas and plain goofiness to go along with a remarkable intellect, you never wavered in your dedication to your profession which was less a job than a calling for you.”
Jeff had his first bout with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1977. It took a very lengthy chemo regimen to bring that under control, but it left him with lifelong impairments. He stayed in remission until 2009, when he contracted non-hodgkins lymphoma, and again he was able beat that as well. But when the third bout came in 2015, he couldn’t beat it, and he finally succumbed in January 2016.
Jeff has left a lasting and loving impression on everyone who knew him. He was one of those rare people who truly made your life a better one. We will all miss him.
What’s your fondest memory of Jeffrey?
What’s a lesson you learned from Jeffrey?
Share a story where Jeffrey's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Jeffrey you’ll never forget.
How did Jeffrey make you smile?