EDWARD MARGOLIES

MARGOLIES--Edward,

born December 19, 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts died on January 9, 2017 following a long illness. Raised in the Boston area, Margolies served in World War II, guarding German and Italian prisoners of war. After the war, he attended Brown University on the G.I. Bill graduating with honors in 1950. He moved to New York City and attended NYU as a night student, obtaining his Ph.D. in 1964. He became a professor of English and American Studies at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York. Margolies wrote a number of books exploring the work of African American writers in the United States including "Native Sons," "The Art of Richard Wright" and "The Several Lives of Chester Himes." Later works include "Which Way Did He Go," an examination of the private eye detective in the work of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Chester Himes, and Ross Macdonald; and "New York and the Literary Imagination: The City in Twentieth Century Fiction and Drama," an exploration of how 20th-century writers have portrayed New York City. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Claire Margolies, sons, Jacob, Peter and William Margolies, daughter-in-law, Joanne Davidson, grandchildren, Hannah and Sarah Margolies and sister, Leona Popkin. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 5:30pm at Eldridge Street Synagogue, in the Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street (between Canal and Division Streets). Donations may be made in his memory to the United Negro College Fund www.uncf.org the American Civil Liberties Union www.aclu.org and the Museum at Eldridge Street www.eldridgestreet.org