Milton R. Gleit
It is with great sadness that we announce that Milton R. Gleit has died. His obituary is set forth below:
Milton Ralph Gleit – a devoted husband, father, and grandfather – passed away at home on June 29, 2023. He was 86 years old.
Milton was born and raised in the Bronx. He excelled in school, going on to major in English at NYU in the Heights. He joined the college debate team and, as he told his granddaughter, “it turned out, I was damn good at it”. During Milt’s junior year, a fellow debate team member set him up on “a blind date to remember” with his future wife, Marjorie Rose. When Marjorie returned to school, Milt and Marjorie exchanged letters, deepening their connection through the written word. They married in 1959 and welcomed three children, Jonathan, Lawrence, and Pamela, within the next decade. Milt and Marjorie had a love story for the ages; they independently saved each letter they had exchanged while dating – now preserved in twelve binders – and recently celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary.
After graduating, Milt attended Harvard Law School on a full scholarship. He became a dedicated and accomplished corporate lawyer, eventually becoming managing partner of Delson & Gordon in Manhattan. He later worked as senior counsel at McCarthy Fingar. He loved his work, never formally retiring and maintaining relationships with clients until his passing.
Milt had a whip-smart, dry sense of humor, a surprising affinity for penguins, and rarely missed a Yankees game. He was detail-oriented and a man of routines. He was dependable – for the big things, but also for the small, like the pastries he religiously bought in advance of his grandchildren’s visits. Milt was a devoted grandfather, hosting his grandsons for weekend visits and proofreading his granddaughters’ college essays. He prioritized attending family b’nai mitzvot and graduations. He relished vacations with his children and grandchildren. During these vacations, he’d sit on the porch, camera at the ready, watching his loved ones come and go before they all sat down to dinner at a round table for 12. He was incredibly bright and a dedicated reader (of books and, of course, The New York Times). No matter the topic, he was well-informed, able to explain it clearly, and willing to provide his perspective and analysis. He thought that no work was beneath his considerable intellect, teaching us that all work done well is respectable.
Milt was intelligent, committed, independent, and resilient. He was deeply loved and will be missed. Milton is predeceased by his parents, Nathan and Dora, his brother, Ernest, and his son-in-law, Robert DeBell. Milton is survived by his wife, Marjorie Rose Gleit, his children: Jonathan Gleit and his wife Debra, Lawrence Gleit and his wife Paulette, and Pamela DeBell; and his four grandchildren: Rebecca, Jennifer, Zachary, and Matthew. We are incredibly proud of his life and accomplishments.
A private funeral service for Milton was held on July 2, 2023. In honor of Milt’s memory, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center or The Windward School.