Max Yablon Of Springs Dies At 88

Max Yablon

Max Yablon, a longtime resident of Springs, died on October 26 at the Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville after a brief illness. He was 88.

Born on Bastille Day, July 14, and fluent in French, he served as a French translator on General Omar Bradley’s staff, landing on the French mainland on the day after D-Day.

Mr. Yablon was a high school American history teacher who, after teaching at the prestigious Stuyvesant High School, decided that less gifted students could better use his skills. He then transferred to the Dodge Vocational High School in the Bronx.

To illustrate the challenge of working at Dodge, Mr. Yablon’s friend Irving Hirschberg recalled how the teacher one day took scissors and cut his tie in half in order to get the attention of his class. Mr. Hirschberg recalled that many of Mr. Yablon’s students kept in touch long after his retirement, including one who took him to a school reunion just last May.

Mr. Yablon’s many interests included gardening, music, painting, traveling all over the world, long walks and a lifelong love of opera. His friends knew never to call on Saturday afternoon, as he would be happily listening to the Texaco-sponsored Metropolitan Opera radio program.

He was also a deeply committed volunteer throughout the East End community. Mr. Yablon spent 26 years with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, cheering up folks on the phone with his morning banter; he also volunteered 16 years as a ticket-taker at Pianofest in Southampton; he spent 11 years tutoring foreign students at East Hampton High School, where he was one of the first volunteers; and he also devoted 10 years at the East Hampton Food Pantry at the Methodist Church, to name just a few.

Mr. Yablon’s legacy, however, according to Mr. Hirschberg, was his humor—sometimes funny, sometimes biting, but always on the mark.

“In the libraries, the doctors and dentists offices, the drug stores, supermarkets, there will be many readers of this obituary who will fondly recall their experiences with the irrepressible Max,” Mr. Hirschberg added.

Mr. Yablon, who willed his body to Stony Brook Hospital for medical research, was recently predeceased by his life partner of 46 years, Martin Eichtersheimer. According to Mr. Hirschberg, in a characteristic disclosure of the decision to donate his remains, he announced, “You know, Irving, I’ve always wanted to go to medical school.”

No information on services was available at press time.