Simon Pulitzer
Simon Benjamin Pulitzer, 87, of Dallas, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2023. Si was surrounded by his loving wife of 67 years, Paula, and his family who deeply loved him and whom he loved so much. Si, or Uncle Si as he was known to so many, was born in New Orleans on Dec. 18, 1935.
Si, a kind and gentle soul, was loved by all who met and knew him. He was quick with a joke, having many classics that his children and grandchildren will continue to tell in his honor.
Si was a role model: hardworking, determined, successful and humble. He was a natural salesman, with a warm personality, a sharp wit, an enormous heart and a friendly, easygoing manner. He could converse with anyone.
Si started his career working for his father selling wholesale toys. He then worked for many years selling men’s neckwear, after which he founded a family business, Pulitzer Promotions.
Si enjoyed playing softball, jogging, working out and following college football, particularly the Arkansas Razorbacks. But more than anything, Si loved his family. He was a devoted husband and epic father; he was his sons’ hero.
After New Orleans, Si and Paula lived in Pacific Palisades, California; Henderson, Nevada; and most recently, Dallas.
He was the son of Morris and Beulah Pulitzer. He is survived by his beloved wife, Paula; his sons Randy (Laura Lacritz) and Gary (Joy); his grandchildren, Jessica Pulitzer (Yogi Schulman), Samuel Pulitzer, Miles (Zoe) Pulitzer, Mina (Noah) Cohen, Jake Pulitzer and Max Pulitzer; great-grandchild Micah Pulitzer; nieces Rhonda (Alex) Ginsburg and Renee (Steve) Glazer, who were like daughters and sons; his great-niece Samantha (Kevin) Pawader and their daughter Zoe; his brother (in-law) Julian Levey, with whom he had a lifelong friendship; and cousins Marcy and Mike Gertler, who were like siblings to him. Si also leaves behind many newer friends at The Legacy Midtown Park. Si was predeceased by sister-in-law Isabel Levey, whom he also considered a sister.
A graveside service was held on March 31 at Anshei Sfard Cemetery in New Orleans.
Donations in Si’s memory may be made to Chabad of Henderson (https://www.chabadofhenderson.org/), Jewish Family Service of Dallas (https://jfsdallas.org/) or the charity of your choice.
By the way, have you heard the one about the two brooms…
Stanley Siegel
Stanley Elliot Siegel died March 28, 2023, at the age of 94, in the home he shared with his family for nearly 60 years. He was predeceased by two weeks by his loving wife Norma Gene, to whom he was married for nearly 70 years.
Stanley was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, May 7, 1928, to parents Charles and Ida (Frankel) Siegel. Tragically, his father died before his second birthday, but his mother remarried his loving stepfather, Lou Kleinfus, a few years later. Growing up in the beach resort town of Asbury Park, Stanley honed a considerable work ethic by accepting any job available, from umbrella boy and bellhop to serving drinks at big band concerts and (his favorite) guessing beachgoers’ weight on the boardwalk.
Stanley attended Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, graduating cum laude in 1949. In college, he stoked a lifelong love of sports by managing the basketball team and covering games for the student newspaper. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1950 and received his Ph.D. from the Rice Institute in 1953. He met Norma Gene at Rice and they married a few weeks after graduation. Because of its profound and happy effect on the rest of his life, he often called accepting a fellowship at the Institute “the wisest and luckiest decision of my life.”
After Rice, Stanley immediately began teaching at the University of Houston (UH). He remained at UH for 51 years, becoming a full tenured professor and winning awards for teaching excellence. He taught Texas, American and U.S. diplomatic history to thousands of undergraduates over two generations and it became routine for him to be greeted by enthusiastic former students all over town.
He was the author of “A Political History of the Texas Republic, 1836-1845”; “Mirabeau B. Lamar: Poet President of Texas”; “Big Men Walked Here: A History of Washington on the Brazos”; “The History of Texas to 1865”; “Houston: Super City on the Bayou”; and “Lone Star: The Story of Texas.” He also wrote numerous reviews and articles in scholarly journals and supervised several doctoral candidates.
At the invitation of Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, an old Rice acquaintance, Stanley served on the Texas Sesquicentennial Commission in 1986. He was also a fellow of the Texas State Historical Society.
After their marriage, Stanley joined Norma’s family’s synagogue, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, and served on various committees and the board of trustees. For 25 years, he manned the pulpit each Saturday as a gabbai (volunteer lay assistant). He was also the faculty advisor and director at Houston’s Hillel, which serves UH, Rice and the medical schools.
At home, Stanley was a loving father with a sure but light touch. He was always reading, constantly plowing through multiple newspapers, magazines, literature and, of course, history. He was also a diehard sports fan — particularly of his (almost) hometown New York Knicks, who disappointed him annually but for two glorious championship seasons — and a sports trivia whiz. That and a love of jazz were interests he joyfully shared with his sons and grandchildren. He and Norma enjoyed traveling widely and were regulars at the symphony, opera and theater.
Stanley is survived by his sister Ruth (Gene) Lowy of Oakhurst, New Jersey, and three sons, Charles (Lisa) Siegel, David (Loren) Siegel and Martin (Bettina) Siegel, as well as seven grandchildren: Rachel, Evan, Rose, Lily, Asher, Grant and Paige. His family is immensely grateful for the care and companionship provided in his final years by Elsy Bonilla, Claudia Bonilla and Christina Vique, and Stanley loved them dearly.
A graveside service was held privately on March 29 at Beth Yeshurun Cemetery in Houston, and a memorial took place on April 2 at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Freedman-Levit Sanctuary. Those who wish may make memorial donations to Washington & Jefferson College or Congregation Beth Yeshurun.
