Stan Sakowitz Obituary
Stanley Sakowitz died aged 87 on March 13 after a brief illness. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1935, he was the only child of Albert and Sophie. His parents were of modest means; Albert managed a hardware store and was a gifted artist. The Sakowitzes belonged to an Orthodox synagogue (shul) where Stan studied Hebrew from about age 5. He had a traditional bar mitzvah at age 13, when his pubescent but lovely tenor first rang out loud and clear in their shul. He went on to play leading roles in high school musicals and plays, and left home for New York at age 17 with $20 in his pocket to follow his dream of making a career in the theater. He worked backstage until his vocal talents were recognized and he began receiving minor parts in musicals. His career peaked when he joined the cast of The Unsinkable Molly Brown and became a favorite of its star Tammy Grimes. He toured with the musical for 1½ years, then decided his future lay elsewhere.
He quit the theater and worked odd jobs while he searched for a new direction. He appeared on What’s My Line and won $50 when the judges were unable to pinpoint his current occupation - demonstrator of portable fans for an electronics company. He occasionally modeled for hand advertisements and sold luxury items in the pet department at Sak's Fifth Avenue, such as canine canopy beds for the pampered dogs of celebrities. He traced his lifelong affection for dogs to the latter experience, and never tired of telling colorful stories from that pivotal period in his life. Eventually, he found his way to medicine. He won a scholarship to University of Vermont which covered his expenses, then supported himself through NY Medical College working nights in a lab. With his M.D. in hand, he joined the Air Force with the rank of captain, was selected as the personal physician of the commanding general, whom he accompanied on travels around Europe.
Stan served residencies in pediatrics and medicine and in the prestigious Harvard system hospitals Massachusetts General, Beth Israel, and Boston Children’s. Eventually, he settled on the specialty of allergy/immunology, which he practiced with great joy and skill for 55 years. His patients, young and old, and his staff, loved him. Some maintained contact with him to the present and were “aghast” when he announced his retirement.
Stan met Rhoda following a lead from a fraternity brother. Their daughter Nicole recalls the story of their first encounter: ”My grandfather answered the phone with, ‘Rubin Residence, Butler speaking,’ which impressed Dad.” They began a loving relationship that has lasted 62 years. Stan and Rhoda brought up their two children, Nicole and Craig in Massachusetts and Bethlehem, NH.
The couple were members of the Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation (BHC) in New Hampshire and Temple Beth El in Sudbury, Massachusetts. At BHC, Stan could be found in the first or second row, singing. In August 2017, the Rabbi at BHC wrote and produced a Broadway Kabbalat Shabbat in honor of Dr. Stanley Sakowitz. His whole family was present. Nicole and Craig were among the singers.
The Sakowitzes were devoted connoisseurs of the arts, holding season tickets and memberships to at least 7 theater companies and symphonies. They were "founding" audience members of the Weathervane Theater in Whitefield, New Hampshire - their front row seats are marked with a golden plaque, and a brick in the walkway informs theatergoers about the couple who attended every one of the more than 600 shows presented since 1966. Every summer at season’s opening the actors found Stan and Rhoda seated in the first-row center; this past season, Stan used a wheelchair for the first time, but his cheers were loud and as enthusiastic as ever.
In his remarks at the Sinai chapel in San Francisco, Craig reminisced: “Our parents inspired us by having a date night every Wednesday which would involve a museum, dinner and theatre. Rhoda and Stanley never missed a performance for Nicole or myself - whether it was a Wayland High School musical or the Dartmouth College Glee Club for his children, or a musical for Elana,Talia and Xander [grandchildren]. Stanley even stood and enthusiastically sang the Dartmouth Alma Mater for Talia’s graduation this past spring.”
Stanley leaves behind Rhoda, his wife of 62 years; his children Nicole and Craig; Bill (Nicole’s husband) and Sharon (Craig’s wife); Nicole’s children Xander (Ari), Talia and Elana, and Craig’s boys Zachary and Wyatt. Stanley’s love for these dogs should also be acknowledged: Skippy, Buffy, Henry, Roxy, Zorro and Journey.
May his memory be a blessing and may his song linger forever.