The New York Times - 19.09.2019

THE NEW YORK TIMES OBITUARIESTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 N A25

FRANKFURT — Luigi Colani, a
German designer known for ap-
plying sensuous shapes from na-
ture to high-tech objects like su-
personic jets and super sports
cars, died on Monday in Karlsru-
he, Germany. He was 91.
His death was confirmed by Al-
brecht Bangert, who wrote the
2004 book “The Art of Shaping the
Future” with Mr. Colani. He did
not specify the cause, saying only
that Mr. Colani had been severely
ill.
Many of Mr. Colani’s best-
known designs were considered
too far out for mass production.

One, for example, was for a long-
haul truck in which the driver sat
inside what looked like a plexi-
glass flying saucer.
Some members of the German
design establishment said his
work was overdone, utopian or
simply impractical. Yet others
considered him a visionary in an
unimaginative world: His fanciful
work was displayed at major mu-
seums like the Pinakothek der
Moderne in Munich and the Cen-
tre Pompidou in Paris. In 2007 the
Design Museum in London staged
an exhibition of his work.
Mr. Colani also designed every-
day objects, among them the
Canon T90 camera, introduced in
1986, which was praised for its

rounded, ergonomic design. His

headphones for Sony in the 1990s

anticipated the earbuds of today.

And his “Drop” tea service, a col-

lection he designed for the Ger-

man porcelain maker Rosenthal

in the early 1970s, complete with a

teapot, cups and vessels to pour

milk, is considered a classic by

many.

The British designer Ross

Lovegrove once said that Mr.

Colani’s work managed to be both

ancient and contemporary. His

designs for space shuttles or

1,000-passenger jumbo jets incor-

porated timeless forms from na-

ture. Rejecting the austere angles

and straight lines favored by

many German designers, Mr.

Colani preferred curves and

bulges, which were often unapolo-

getically erotic, or which refer-

enced creatures like sharks,

manta rays and birds of prey. He

described his work as “biodesign.”

Mr. Colani, whose long hair,

bushy mustache and ever-present

cigar made him instantly recog-

nizable, became wealthy enough

from corporate commissions to

operate his studio for a time from

a moated castle in western Ger-

many. But he spent much of his

money on projects that corporate

clients would not finance.

In the 1980s, he built a fleet of 20

prototype cars, some designed for

speed but most engineered to be

fuel-efficient and better for the en-

vironment.

“He thought about how the

world would look in 50 years and

100 years,” his son Solon Luigi

Colani said.

But, he said, no car company

was interested in producing his fa-

ther’s designs, and “it disturbed

him there was so little interest.”

Luigi Colani sometimes hurt his

own case by refusing to compro-

mise. He was known to insult ex-

ecutives who failed to grasp his

concepts.

“That made his life difficult in

big firms,” Solon Colani said. “But

it was also his character not to tell

such people, ‘O.K., you’re right,

my fault.’ ”

Lutz Colani was born in Berlin

on Aug. 2, 1928. His father, who

was originally from the Italian-

speaking region of southern

Switzerland, was an architect for

film studios — the equivalent of an

art director today. His mother

worked as a prompter in theaters,

occupying a nook underneath the

stage and whispering dialogue to

actors who forgot their lines.

As a boy growing up in Nazi

Germany, Mr. Colani recalled in a

2007 interview with The New

York Times, he loved to visit an

airport and a racetrack in Berlin,

and he developed a lifelong fasci-

nation with fast planes and cars.

After the war Mr. Colani at-

tended art school in Berlin, trudg-

ing through the ruined city to get

to class. Food was scarce, so he

moved to France, where he

worked in a coal mine because the

pay was good.

In the mid-1950s he made his

way to Paris and worked on de-

signs for the French carmakers

Simca and Citroën. Fascinated

with the new materials becoming

available, he designed a stream-

lined fiberglass car body that

could be purchased as a kit and in-

stalled on the chassis of a Volks-

wagen Beetle.

His expertise in working with

plastic led to lucrative commis-

sions from German furniture

makers.

Mr. Colani’s eclectic output also

included toilet seats, desktop

computers and uniforms for Ham-

burg police officers and Swissair

flight crews. Despite his fascina-

tion with technology, he preferred

to work with pencil, paper and

clay rather than design software.

Mr. Colani displayed a knack for

self-promotion. He changed his

first name to Luigi in the 1960s be-

cause, he concluded, all the fa-

mous designers were Italian.

“He was a born PR genius,” Mr.

Bangert said.

Mr. Colani later shifted his focus

to Asia; until recently he main-

tained studios in Shanghai as well

as Karlsruhe. He continued to

sketch new ideas until his final

days, Mr. Bangert said.

In addition to his son Solon, Mr.

Colani is survived by his compan-

ion, Yazhen Zhao, and another son

from a previous relationship.

Mr. Colani often complained

that mainstream design was too

conservative and indicated that

he felt underappreciated.

He told a German newspaper in

2008 that he was the best designer

alive. But in a separate interview,

he said he preferred not to think of

himself as a designer at all.

Rather, he said, “I am a three-di-

mensional philosopher of the fu-

ture.”

Luigi Colani, 91, Dies;

A Whimsical Designer

Of Far-Out Everything

Luigi Colani’s designs were often considered too far out for mass production. Above, his prototype for an aerodynamic truck in 2002.

INGO WAGNER/EPA, VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

Seen by his admirers

as a visionary in an

unimaginative world.

By JACK EWING

James Robertson, a federal
judge who quit an intelligence
oversight panel in 2005 to protest
warrantless domestic wiretap-
ping by the George W. Bush ad-
ministration, died on Sept. 7 in
Washington. He was 81.
His wife, Berit Robertson, said
the cause was heart failure.
A year before leaving the intelli-
gence board, Judge Robertson,
who sat on the United States Dis-
trict Court in Washington, had
suspended military proceedings
against a man held at Guantá-
namo Bay as a suspected terror-
ist.
In the early 2000s, Judge Rob-
ertson was one of 11 judges on the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Board, which was created in 1978
in response to reported excesses
by law enforcement agencies that
were spying on foreign agents in
the United States without author-
ization.
He resigned in 2005 after The
New York Times revealed that
President Bush had secretly sanc-
tioned the National Security
Agency to eavesdrop on Ameri-
cans without court orders in the
wake of the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001.

Judge Robertson and other crit-

ics complained that the panel,

known as the FISA court (created

by the Foreign Intelligence Sur-

veillance Act), had become a rub-

ber stamp for the administration,

and that amendments passed by

Congress in 2008 had further

granted the court “interpretive

powers” that went beyond “the

bailiwick of judges.”

In another setback for the Bush

administration, Judge Robertson,

while sitting on the federal bench

in Washington, ruled in 2004 that

Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Yemeni

former chauffeur for Osama bin

Laden, could not be tried by a mili-

tary court as an enemy combatant

because the government had ne-

glected to prove, as warranted by

international treaties, that he was

a prisoner of war.

Mr. Hamdan had been seized by

American troops during the inva-

sion of Afghanistan and was being

held at the detention center at

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in

Cuba.

An appeals court overturned

Judge Robertson’s decision in

2005. But the next year, in Ham-
      dan v. Rumsfeld, the United States
      Supreme Court ruled, 5-to-3, that
      the commission that had been cre-
      ated to try Mr. Hamdan violated
      both the code of military justice
      and the Geneva Conventions.
      After the law was amended to
      clarify the military’s jurisdiction,
      Mr. Hamdan was convicted of giv-
      ing material support for terror-
      ism. He was transferred to Yemen
      in 2008 to serve the remaining
      month of his sentence. But his
      conviction was voided by an ap-
      peals court in 2012 on the grounds
      that the acts he was accused of in
      2006 were not war crimes when he
      committed them.
      James Robertson was born on
      May 18, 1938, in Cleveland to
      Frederick and Doris (Byars) Rob-
      ertson. His mother was a psychi-
      atric social worker, his father an
      investment banker.
      After growing up in Oberlin and
      Dayton in Ohio, he attended the
      Woodrow Wilson School of Public

and International Affairs at

Princeton on an R.O.T.C. schol-

arship and graduated in 1959. He

served in the Navy as a gunnery

officer on a destroyer in the early

1960s — his first experience with

Guantánamo, when his ship

docked there.

He married Berit Persson in

1959. In addition to her, he is sur-
      vived by three children, Stephen,
      Catherine and Peter Robertson;
      six grandchildren; and his sister,
      Ellen Wallace.
      Judge Robertson had briefly
      considered a career in advertising
      or journalism but decided on the
      law after hearing a lecture by the
      criminal lawyer Edward Bennet
      Williams, who at the time was suc-
      cessfully defending James R.
      Hoffa, the Teamsters union leader.

Judge Robertson graduated

from George Washington Univer-

sity Law School in 1965 and joined

a Washington firm now known as

WilmerHale. Among other clients,

he defended automakers who

were under assault by the con-

sumer advocate Ralph Nader for

ignoring safety violations.

A former president of the Dis-

trict of Columbia Bar, he was

nominated for the federal bench

by President Bill Clinton and con-

firmed by the Senate in 1994.

In 1969, Judge Robertson took a

leave from his law firm to head the

Jackson, Miss., office of the Law-

yers Committee for Civil Rights

Under Law, a nonprofit group

formed at the request of President

John F. Kennedy. In one case, as

Judge Robertson recalled in an in-

terview with the Columbia Center

for Oral History in 2013, a black

minister “appeared at the door of

the jail with his Sunday school

choir to ask about a black man

that he had heard was being beat-

en in the jail.”

The minister and his entire

choir were arrested and, despite

being sprayed with Mace, began

singing “We Shall Overcome”

through the open upper floor win-

dows to a crowd that had gathered

below. The minister was convicted

after trial of delinquency of a mi-

nor, a 12-year-old girl. His crime,

Judge Robertson said, quoting the

Mississippi authorities at the

time, was “ ‘causing her to be in a

bad place’ — namely, the jail.” The

verdict was reversed on appeal.

Judge Robertson said that

when he was sent to Mississippi

he hadn’t practiced law very long

and was not an expert in civil

rights statutes. As he put it, he

was “the delegate from the estab-

lishment.”

“I came from a recognized firm,

I wasn’t a radical,” he said. “I was-

n’t a longhaired hippie. I under-

stood authority and how it

worked.”

Judge James Robertson, 81, Who Took

A Stand Against Excessive Wiretapping

Judge James Robertson in

2013. Nominated by President
      Clinton to serve on the federal
      bench, he quit a judicial board
      overseeing domestic surveil-
      lance under George W. Bush.

CLIFF OWEN/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Leading a civil rights

office in Mississippi

as a young lawyer.

By SAM ROBERTS

versity and received a law

degree from NYU School of

Law.Hewasadevoted

friend,father, grandfather

and husband and is survived

by hiswife,Karen, two

daughters, Tracey Bank and

Belinda Bank, son-in-law Eric

Abrons, Richard

Bank, Michael

Green, Beverly

Hall, Andrew

Lipman, Ira

Mintz, Elaine

Murphy, Ann

Roberts, Cokie

Tobias, Marsha

Urbach, Henry

Witty, Cecile

Wolk, Gloria

Aber and his twin grandsons,

Mason and Jackson. Funeral

services will be held on Sep-

tember 20th at 10:30am at

“The Riverside” 76th Street

and Amsterdam Avenue. In

lieu of flowers, the family

asks that donations be made

to the Leukemia & Lympho-

ma Society at lls.org.

GREEN—Beverly.

Belovedwife ofthelate

Alfred, cherished and devot-

ed mother of Peter and Sha-

ron Green, Robert and Fran-

cine Green, and the late Mar-

garet Clayman. Loving

grandmotherofLisaand

Brett Ersoff, Steven Green

and Cynthia Sulzberger,

Adam Green, Jennifer Lan-

ger and Jason and Rachel

Green. Adoring great -

grandmotherofAlexander

Ersoff, Tyler Ersoff, Zachary

Ersoff, Garret Ersoff, Dylan

Green, Miranda Green, Sarah

Green, Ben Green, Jake Lan-

ger, Maggie Langer, Caroline

Green and M. William Green.

Dear sister of Gloria Jacobs

and the late Jack Greenman.

Special friend of Joan D. Mc-

Cubbin. We will all miss Mom,

Grandma and GG as we are

inspired by her life.

GREEN—Beverly.

The Officers and Members of

Old Oaks Country Club mourn

the passing of dear friend and

fellow member, Beverly

Green.Ourheartfeltsym-

pathy is extended to her en-

tire family.

Joshua Polan, President

GREEN—Beverly.

The Board of Directors

and Administration of United

HebrewofNewRochelle

mourn the passing of Mrs.

Beverly Green, wife of for-

mer board member, Alfred J.

Green, of blessed memory.

Both Beverly and Alfred were

staunch supporters and ma-

jor benefactors of the United

Hebrew campus. Willow

Towers Assisted Living, The

Beverly and Alfred J. Green

Pavilion was made possible

through a major contribution

of the Greens, as were other

areas across the campus, in-

cluding the first floor rehabili-

tationsuiteatUnitedHe-

brew's nursing home. Their

dedication to those in need is

alastingtribute toboth

Alfred and Beverly. We ex-

tend our heartfelt sympathy

and prayers to the bereaved

family.

James Staudt, Chair;

Malcolm H. Lazarus,

Senior Chair;

Michael R. Rozen,

Senior Chair;

Rita C. Mabli,

President and CEO

HALL—Andrew C.

We mourn the passing of An-

drew Hall, counselor and con-

fidantwhosephilanthropy,

extraordinary personal histo-

ry and determination to

serve those in need has in-

spired us all. His legacy will

live on in our work for gener-

ations of New Yorkers. We

shall miss him dearly. Our

thoughts and prayers go out

to our esteemed Vice Chair,

Gail Sloane Meyers, Trustees

Hilary Azrael and Kathryn A.

Meyers and his entire family.

The Heckscher

Foundation for Children

LIPMAN—Ira A.

Fifth Avenue Synagogue re-

cords with profound sorrow

the passing of its esteemed

former Trustee, close friend

and supporter and extends

heartfeltsympathytohis

family.

Jacob D. Gold, President

LIPMAN—Ira A.

We have lost our dearest

friend and feel so fortunate to

have known Ira for 65 years.

Wehave suchwonderful

memories of Ira and all the

incredible things he did for his

fellow man. He was a very

special person and we will

misshimverymuch.His

memoryisaninspiration

to all of us and his legacy

will live on through all his

good deeds.We express

our sincerest condolences to

Barbara,Gustave,Joshua,

and Benjamin.

Wendy and Avron Fogelman

LIPMAN—Ira A.

UJA-Federation of New York

mourns the passing of our

dear friend, Ira A. Lipman.

Ira's lifelong commitment to

social and humanitarian

causesimprovedcountless

lives, and his deep passion for

strengthening the Jewish

communityinspiredmany.

Ira leaves behind a loving fa-

mily to continue a tradition of

Jewish philanthropy and ex-

emplary leadership here in

New York and Memphis. Ira

will be greatly missed by all

who knew him. We extend

our deepest condolences to

his beloved wife Barbara; to

hissonsGustave(Karen),

Joshua (Joanna) and

Benjamin (Lea); to his grand-

children; and to the entire

Lipman family.

Amy A. B. Bressman,

President; David L. Moore,

Chair of the Board; Eric S.

Goldstein, CEO

MINTZ—Elaine.

Family and friends mourn

the passing of Elaine Mintz

(nee Seligman) on Septem-

ber 16, 2019. Beloved wife of

the late Harry Mintz; proud

mother of Marsha and Bar-

bara; loving grandmother of

three and great-grandmother

of eight. Services September

19, 2019 at 10:30am at River-

side Memorial Chapel, 180 W.

76th St., NYC. She was a dedi-

cated and loving friend to all.

MURPHY—Ann Maureen

(Vaughn),

82, of North Palm Beach, FL,

and Old Saybrook, CT, and

formerly of Manhasset, NY,

passed away peacefully at

home on September 13, 2019,

with her sons by her side. She

will be missed forever by her

sons, Thomas and Paul; her

daughters - in - law,Michelle

Murphy and Leslie Murphy;

and her four beloved grand-

children and their spouses:

KatherineMurphySullivan

and Michael Sullivan; John

Murphy; Thomas and Olivia

Murphy;andCeceliaAnn

Murphy.Shewillalsobe

greatly missed by her six

nieces and nephews and their

spouses, children, and grand-

children, as well as many

longtimefriends,including

three very devoted and com-

passionatecaregivers. Ann

was predeceased by her hus-

band, John; their infant son,

John; her brother and sister-

in-law, John and Mary

Vaughn; her niece, Patricia

Vaughn; and her brother-in-

law, Rev. Thomas F. Murphy.

A wake will be held at Fairch-

ild Sons Funeral Chapel, 1570

NorthernBoulevard,Man-

hasset, NY, on Friday, Sep-

tember 20, 3-5pm and 7-9pm.

The Mass of Christian Burial

will be offered on Saturday,

September 21, at 10am at St.

Mary's Church, Manhasset,

NY. In lieu of flowers, gifts

may be made to the Dean

John J. Murphy Scholarship

Fund at the St. John's Univer-

sity School of Law, 8000 Uto-

pia Parkway, Jamaica, NY

11439.

ROBERTS—Cokie.

The trustees and staff of the

New-York Historical Society

mournthelossofCokie

Roberts, a good friend to this

institution for many years. A

reveredjournalistandin-

sightful historian, Cokie's re-

gularparticipationin our

“Women and the White

House Series” was a peren-

nial highlight of our public

programs season. We were

also honored to count Cokie

as a member of the Honorary

Committee of New-York His-

torical's Center for Women's

History. She will be fondly re-

membered and sorely

missed.

Pam Schafler, Chair;

Louise Mirrer,

President & CEO;

Valerie Paley,

Senior Vice President,

Chief Historian,

and Director of the Center

for Women's History;

Dale Gregory,

Vice President,

Public Programs

TOBIAS—Marsha.

Family and friends mourn

the passing of Marsha W. To-

bias on September 15, 2019.

Beloved mother of the late

Jonathan A. Tobias and Emi-

ly M. Shumsky. Sister of the

late Barbara W. Tirschwell

and Perry Tirschwell. Grand-

mother to Henry, Elliot and

Jacob. Marsha was an Assis-

tant Principal at Seward Park

High School and a devoted

English teacher. Services,

11am Thursday, September

19 at the Plaza Jewish Com-

munity Chapel.

URBACH—Henry.

TheBoard andstaff of

FriendsofIsraelDisabled

Veterans - Beit Halochem

mourn the passing of Henry

Urbach, beloved brother of

our trustee, Barbara H.

Urbach Lissner. Mayhis

memory be for a blessing.

Michael Leichtling, Chairman

WITTY—Cecile.

TheHarmonieClubnotes

with sorrow the passing of

our honored member Mrs.

Cecile Witty. We extend our

heartfelt condolences to the

entire family.

The Harmonie Club

WOLK—Gloria.

On September 18, 2019 age 86

at her home in Manhattan. A

nativeoftheUpperEast

Side's Yorkville neighbor-

hood, sheworked asa

propertymanagerinNew

York City for many years.

She is survived by her child-

ren, Hilary, of Brooklyn, NY,

and Alan, of Millburn, NJ, her

daughter-in-law Michele, and

her grandchildren Arik and

Miriam. Services will be held

at 11:30am on Friday, Sep-

tember 20 at “The Riverside”

76th St., at Amsterdam Ave.

DAMANTE—William, Sr.

We lost you on September 17,

2017.Youarestillinour

heartsandalwaysinmy

mind. You know I love you.

Mela, Your Family and

Friends

HENDEL—Patricia K.

8/28/1941-9/19/2018

We love and miss you. Your

children and grandchildren

WITCHEL—Milton M.

October 23, 1932 - September

19, 2018. Sadly missed by his

wife Patricia and his 2 sons

Harry and Leigh.

ABRONS—Richard.

Henry Street Settlement

deeply mourns our beloved

friend who, with his family,

made transformative contri-

butions to the Settlement and

to New York City. A leader on

our board for more than five

decades, Richard dedicated

his life to social justice, bring-

ing critical services, cultural

programs, and vibrant green

spaces to NYC's underserved

communities. Richard's im-

migrantgrandmotherwas

helped by Settlement founder

Lillian Wald in 1896; his grate-

ful family has paid that act of

kindness forward for four ge-

nerations. As a child, Richard

spent an unforgettable after-

noon with Wald, and he was

the only person who knew ev-

ery one of Henry Street's ex-

ecutivedirectorssinceits

founding in 1893. Richard was

a treasured husband, father,

and grandfather; a business-

man; a philanthropist; a play-

wright and author; and a true

Renaissance man. To all of us

at Henry Street, he was our

hero,andwewillalways

cherish his wit, wisdom, guid-

ance, and compassion.

ABRONS—Richard.

United Neighborhood Houses

expresses profound sorrow

atthe passing of Richard

Abrons, a generous man with

aloveforthesettlement

house movement.

ABRONS—Richard.

First Manhattan Co. mourns

the passing of Richard

Abrons, a founding partner of

thefirmin1964,who re-

mained active in the compa-

ny until 2013. Richard was a

people person. His presence

was felt throughout our orga-

nization over the years, from

top to bottom. We remember

his wisdom, kindness, humor,

and generous heart, and we

are grateful to him for help-

ing make First Manhattan

the special place it is today.

We offer our condolences to

his wife, Iris, to his children,

Peter, Leslie, and John and

their spouses and families,

and to the organizations in

which he was so instrumental

and with which he remained

involved until his passing.

ABRONS—Richard.

RichardSimonAbrons,of

New York City died on Sep-

tember 16th, 2019. He was 92.

He was a graduate of Andov-

er (1944) and Yale (1949), and

received his MBA from Co-

lumbia University in 1953. In

1964, he co-founded the in-

vestment firm First Manhat-

tan Co. He went on to pursue

his passion for writing fiction

and plays. At age 55, he re-

turned to school to earn an

MFA in creative writing. He

published over 20 short sto-

ries, and his story Every Day

A Visitor garnered a National

Magazine Fiction Award in

1981. Five of his plays saw
      production in off-Broadway
      theaters. Throughout his life,
      he was a tireless supporter of
      and active participant in pro-
      grams serving local commu-
      nities. He was president of
      the Louis and Anne Abrons
      Foundation for 38 years. He
      created the Plant-A-Lot pro-
      gram of Grow NYC, which
      built 116 community gardens
      throughout the five boroughs.
      He was president and vice-
      chair of Henry Street Settle-
      ment, a settlement house on
      the lower east side, and was
      an active board member for
      over 61 years. His final years
      weredevotedtoensuring
      that the Bronx finally had a
      children'smuseumtocall
      itsown,andhewasin-
      strumental in the develop-
      ment of the Bronx Children's
      Museum. He was also a Di-

rector Emeritus of Poets and

Writers, and United Neigh-

borhood Houses. At the ripe

young age of 88, his flair for

the dramatic inspired him to

join an acting class. He gave

spirited performancesand

enjoyed the camaraderie

with his fellow actors. Rich-

ard was physically active un-

til well into his 80s. He swam,

played tennis, paddle tennis,

and roller bladed (although

he had no idea how to stop).

When he had a heart attack

on the tennis court seven

years ago, he still insisted on

serving and was upset when

the game got cancelled. He is

survived by his adoring wife

Iris, his children Peter (An-

nabella),Leslie(Rameen),

and John (Debbie), his step-

childrenAndrewSchinder-

man and Jay (Rachel) Schin-

derman,aswellasnine

grandchildren. Nothing gave

Richard more joy than being

with his family. A memorial

service will be held on Friday,

September 20th at 11am at

Abrons Arts Center, 466

Grand St.

BANK—Michael.

A partner at White Plains law

firm Bank, Sheer, Seymour

andHashmallandformer

Assistant District Attorney in

Queens County, passed away

September 17th at the age of

73. He died peacefully in the
    presence of his family after
    losingashortbutheroic
    battlewithAcuteMyeloid
    Leukemia. A lifelong tennis
    player, Michael also served
    as President and CEO of Jon-
    bil, Inc., a US denim manufac-
    turing company built by his
    father, the late William J.
    Bank. A graduate of New
    RochelleHighSchool,Mi-
    chael attended Cornell Uni-

Deaths Deaths Deaths Deaths

In Memoriam

Deaths Deaths Deaths