NYSSLHA mourns the passing of members of our Association, including:
Dr. James F. Feuerstein
Past President Dr. James “Jim” Feuerstein passed away on May 3, 2020. Jim earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from SUNY Geneseo and a PhD in Audiology from SUNY Buffalo. Dr. Feuerstein became Professor Emeritus of Audiology upon retirement following over 26 years as a full-time faculty member at Nazareth College. Jim’s career additionally included faculty roles at Syracuse University and at his alma mater, SUNY Geneseo, and he served for a period as a clinical audiologist and coordinator of the mobile unit at Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. Since retirement, Jim had been serving as Chair of the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center’s Board of Directors.
Jim’s accomplishments and roles within NYSSLHA are many, extending throughout his entire professional career up until his unexpected death. Following several years on the Board of Directors in various roles, Jim was elected President of NYSSLHA in 2009. He chaired and served on countless Association committees, and was a fixture at convention, chairing or serving on planning committees many times including as Convention Program Chair in 1997. At the time of his passing, Jim had been serving on NYSSLHA’s Governmental Affairs Committee since 2011; he represented NYSSLHA members in advocacy meetings, including during legislative visits in Albany in late February of this year.
Jim’s passions extended beyond his professional career as a longtime ski patrol member, as a choral singer and band member within his church and community, and as a supporter of scouting.
NYSSLHA appreciates Dr. Feuerstein’s decades-long commitment to NYSSLHA, and sends condolences to Jim’s wife Bethany and sons, Chris, Brian and Dan, to his granddaughter and extended family, and to the many people throughout the NYSSLHA community who called him colleague and friend.
Dr. Dale Evan Metz
Dr. Dale Metz passed away on March 25, 2020. He earned a B.S. degree from SUNY Geneseo, M.S. degree from Purdue, and, and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University. Born and raised in the Finger Lakes region, Dale worked in the Communication Research Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf before joining the faculty at SUNY Geneseo as a tenured full Professor, where he served from 1993 until retirement in 2012.
Dr. Metz’s contributions to the profession were many, with impact locally and nationally. He was a prominent figure within NYS, and a consistent presence in NYSSLHA for several decades. Dr. Metz served as an important figure in the landscape of research productivity, including students in ground-breaking studies and inspiring many to pursue academic careers. He served as editor of peer-reviewed journals, published dozens of articles and several book chapters, served or chaired on numerous professional committees, and was a regular presenter at NYSSLHA conferences. Dr. Metz co-authored several editions of a textbook often considered a classic in the field, Evaluating Research in Communication Disorders.
Dale’s extensive career contributions were recognized consistently with the “Triple Crown” of highest Honors of the Association from three organizations: NYSSLHA, ASHA and NSSLHA. Dr. Metz received many additional accolades including the State University of New York Chancellor’s Research Recognition Award.
NYSSLHA recognizes Dr. Metz’s longtime commitment to NYSSLHA, and offers condolences to his wife Susan Ashley, his son Sean, to his grandchildren and extended family, and to his many friends and colleagues.
Dr. Joel Stark
Dr. Joel Stark passed away on May 4, 2020. Joel earned his M.A. degree at the Teacher’s College of Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology from New York University. Dr. Stark served on the faculty at Queens College of CUNY for more than fifty years since his appointment in 1968, teaching courses right up until the time of his death. In the earlier part of his career, Dr. Stark additionally served on the faculty at City College of NY and Stanford University, spanning fourteen years between those two institutions.
Joel Stark was an important figure in our professions both locally and nationally. He was a consistent presence in NYSSLHA dating to the earliest days of the Association. Dr. Stark placed great value on advocacy of a state organization, and he presented a model which encouraged his students to pursue research, volunteerism and leadership roles within NYSSLHA and beyond. He chaired or served on a variety of NYSSLHA committees, and his professional work led to recognition with Distinguished Achievement (1993) and NYSSLHA’s highest award, Honors of the Association (1995).
Dr. Stark represented communication sciences and disorders (CSD) and NYS at the national level well, by having a measureable influence advocating to add “language” to the profession, a word previously missing from professional titles and association names which focused largely on “speech and hearing.” Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Stark was an ASHA Fellow, received ASHA Honors of the Association in 2001, and was a founding member of The Council of Academic Programs in CSD (CAPCSD).
NYSSLHA appreciates Dr. Stark’s longtime commitment to NYSSLHA, and offers condolences to his wife Arlene Kraat and family, his Queens College family, and to the many friends and colleagues throughout NYS and the nation who he inspired.
Mr. Steve Weingarten
Steve Weingarten passed away on April 28, 2020. With Bob Reid in 1990, Steve co-founded what has now become Reid, McNally & Savage LLC, the lobby firm which has long represented NYSSLHA in legislative matters within NYS.
Bob remembers Steve “as a person who would make you laugh ….and as a person with keen political and strategic instincts who would always say “if you don’t ask, you can’t expect to get anything.” Helping others made him proud of our work as lobbyists.” His successes extended beyond NYSSLHA and helped contribute to many health benefits for residents of NYS, including smoking-free restaurants, decreased heart disease, improved home care for the geriatric populations and for those with disabilities, expanded health insurance coverage and the placement of AEDs in schools.
NYSSLHA remembers Steve for his dedication to NYSSLHA’s causes, and sends condolences to his family and to Bob Reid, Shauneen McNally, Marcy Savage, Padraic Bambrick and to the entire RMS family