Irwin Polatsek, age 92, of New Paltz, NY, died on Sunday, December 16 after a long illness. He was born on May 27, 1926 in New York City, the son of Norman and Sarah (Klein) Polatsek. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII in 1944 on the destroyer John R. Pierce.
Irv was retired from Wallkill Correctional Facility, where he was employed as a psychologist for 25 years. He was instrumental in establishing a college program for that facility. He also was employed as a consultant for the Children’s Home of Kingston. In his younger days, Irv was an active sportsman. He once taught fencing and was best known as a great handball player even having competed in a national tournament. He loved to travel, at first driving his family for camping all over the U.S. and Canada and later many trips abroad. Canoeing was another of his interests, he loved the water, once canoeing and camping for a week on the Green River in Utah, plus many relaxing days here on our Wallkill River.
Undiminished in his intellectual ability, over the past years, Irv missed the activities he had to forsake due to his failing health, among these being regular games of chess and poker with his friends, who already miss him. But mostly, Irv was a family man and dearly loved getting together with his family.
Surviving Irv are his wife, June, of 65 years, his son, Mark, and wife, Yoshiko, of Denver, granddaughter, Helen and Mark Holmes, son, Hugh, and his wife, Lucy Delgado and daughter, Jennifer, and partner, Mark Delacorte, and their daughters, Kate and Indira, plus his beloved sister, Miriam Polatsek.
His life will be celebrated at a date to be announced. Contributions in his memory may be made to Southern Poverty Law Center, PO Box 5632, Montgomery, AL 36177-7459 or a charity of your choice.
Copeland Funeral Home is honored to assist the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family of Irv by visiting www.copelandfhnp.com
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