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Adam Honigman Obituary

HONIGMAN--Adam, passed away on October 16, 2007. Adam, a local parks activist, was one of the groundbreakers of the Clinton Community Garden in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. He was also one of the most outspoken opponents against the West Side Stadium project. Survived by son Daniel. Services will be Friday morning 10am, in the main sanctuary of Temple EmanuEl, 1 East 65th Street. Donations will be accepted by Doug Fogel. Call 212-541-9810.

Published by New York Times on Oct. 19, 2007.
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Memories and Condolences
for Adam Honigman

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Mozart's clarinet concerto came on KUSCs (California) morning program today. I can remember you learning to play and perform this piece on your clarinet with our father Saul, a NY composer, Canadian born on the piano. I very much associate that piece of music with you and feel strongly you were very much sensed when it played this morning. When you passed away 14 years ago 10/16/07 , it was the day before my oldest daughter Alexandra's 10th Birthday (10/17) which is also our mother Sandra's Birthday .Olivia my youngest was 6. The pomegranate trees I have planted in our gardens (one specifically in your memory) and the others in our parents, have grown huge and produce nearly 1,000 pomegranates (Wonderful variety) each season. I have just harvested them and started to preserve some into jelly and jams. They are outstanding and I remember how we both looked forward to eating these beautiful fruits with our mom each fall. Thinking of Daniel, Molly and their child or children on this day . Hope you are all well and happy. Adam , my older brother was my only sibling. I hope Adam you are reunited with loved ones in beautiful gardens on the other side. xoxo Lisa, husband David, daughters Alexandra 23 turning 24 tomorrow, and Olivia age 20. Sorry you never got to meet them. Daniel they are your paternal first cousins! I know your mother Allegra was an only child so these cousins are your only first cousins. May you enjoy fatherhood!

Lisa Aaron (maiden name Honigman)

Family

October 16, 2021

Dear Uncle Adam,

I am sorry you never got to meet me or my younger sister Olivia who is seven. My 11th Birthday is today which I share with your mom and your mom's sister Aunt Beverly's daughter Joy who all were born on October 17th. We plan to plant a tree - a "Wonderful" variety Pomegranite tree in your memory. They are beautiful, have non-invasive root systems, like to be left alone, and bear a ton of great fruit. Your younger sister, Lisa (my mommie) told us stories about how your mother and my mom and you would wait every fall for the pomegranite season and eat them while they were around. This was a really long time ago though when you lived on the upper west side of Manhattan on West 98th street. We will name this tree "Adam" in your memory. I bet you will even be there when we plant it in the ground.

Love,Alexandra (11) and Olivia (7)

Alexandra Aaron

October 17, 2008

hey adam,

is that you up there taking a peek under your glasses at this web book, just the thing you may have ordered from the internett pointing out how one more tree can stay alive.

...was that you stomping over the soft fallen leaves up in the dark clouds, shedding crystal tears to grow from.

....wait, i do believe i see your intense inquisitive face peeking up from the garden floor where the leaves, as well as all of us return to as an offering to the little compost gods and goddesses.

the one thing my heart is sure of is how much i look forwards to Spring. as you wake up to the caressing of gentle roots and pull yourself way up with spring's kisses. I will be laughing with you again and again.
xox

aresh javadi

October 17, 2008

I knew Adam through my work with community gardens in NYC. Although most of my memories are of his speeches, testimony and writings in support of the need for community gardens, as well as the need for community gardens to serve their communities --- but, my favorite memory of Adam is from a an early, cold morning in the South Bronx when he showed up to help transplant shrubs and trees for a garden being 'relocated' nearby. His enthusiasm, dedication, and insight are greatly missed.

Susan Fields

October 17, 2008

Adam, on this the one year anniversary of your death, know that your Father, Canadian born composer Saul Honigman and American born Sandra Honigman loved you very much.

Lisa Honigman Aaron

October 17, 2008

Adam was my older brother,son of Saul and Sandra,Uncle to nieces Alexandra and Olivia and brother n' law to my husband David. We are all saddened by this loss . I have lost a sibling but gained a nephew in Daniel.

Lisa Honigman Aaron

October 16, 2008

Adam had became a friend last year when I visited New York to discover more about guerrilla gardening. For four hours we talked and walked around Hell's Kitchen and he impressed on me his passion, vision and humour. He kindly gave me two of his treasured books and I so very much wanted to return the favour when I next visited. It is a terrible loss for everyone that Adam has moved on.

Richard Reynolds

November 30, 2007

Dear Daniel,

I do not belive we have ever met since you were about 5 or 6.
I was a friend of your fathers for more than thirty years.
I just learned of his passing a few days ago.
Adam was a dear person, fun, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and
one hell of a curmudgeon!
Which in his youth was a wonderful trait.
I have many tales and if you would like to meet sometime I'd love to share those years I first knew him with you.
All my love and condolences to you and yours.

RL. Haney

October 28, 2007

I am grateful for all that Adam did for the community, particularly for his help and encouragement in founding the Dewitt Clinton Park Conservancy. His passing is a real loss and I reach out in sympathy to his son.

Anthea Tillyer

October 24, 2007

Adam Honigman was a rare and unique person. His devotion to his family, community gardening and his beloved New YOrk City will forever influence all those who knew him. As a tremendous supporter of the American Community Garening Association, he contributed more knowledge to our list serve than one could imagine for one person. He was known across the globe for his enthusiasm and wit. He kept our list serv lively and informative. He was also was a true friend who was always there to fight a cause if he knew it was right. The Clinton Community Garden seemed to be the place where he found solace, challenge and expression. He never let go of that no matter how hard it was. Daniel, my heart goes out to you. I will be thinking of you and your huge loss. Just know that your father was a giant in all that he contributed to New York City.

Ellen Kirby

Ellen Kirby

October 24, 2007

Adam's loss is a huge blow to those of us far from NYC who looked forward to, took inspiration from, and greatly enjoyed his eloquent observations on politics, gardening and life. No one who was familiar with Adam's passionate advocacy of the public's right to green spaces will ever again pass one without remembering his contributions, and his legacy will be that none of us ever takes it for granted. Deepest condolences to Daniel and the Clinton Community Garden.

Jody Wilson

October 22, 2007

I, too, "met" Adam through our community-gardening listserv; but I'm so glad I got to meet him in person as well. It was at an open-house event for the Clinton Garden. I went mostly to say hello and look around; but before leaving, I asked if I could help in any way. Adam wasted no time in putting a broom in my hand and a dustbin in his own; we swept up some trash in front of the garden entrance. I will always remember him that way: a man of much knowlege and rich experience, but never above holding the dustbin.

Pamela Grossman

October 21, 2007

I was lucky enough to have worked with Adam at the Liz Christy Community Garden. Adam was a great person, he knew about plants but really cared about people. He was always willing to help out with both labor and his knowledge of how the politics of NYC worked. I'll miss him.

Donald Loggins

October 20, 2007

I am just one of the many who have been edified, amused, and inspired by Adam's contributions to the ACGA listserve. He will be missed.

Lisa Tucker

October 20, 2007

Having followed Mr. Honigman's insight and New York City's greening community from a distance, I was saddened to hear of his passing. Adam's comments on the ACGA listserv personally inspired, occasionally befuddled but often struck me as my own thoughts on how powerful community building around green space can be. His presence will be missed in the international community of community gardening.

Aaron Durnbaugh

October 20, 2007

Dear Daniel,
We were so sad to hear that your father passed away. We have been keeping you in our thoughts and hope that you can find peace during this rough time. Take care!

Katie, Jim & Mary Culotta

October 20, 2007

In 2002 when the Food Network asked me to come to NYC as the "garlic expert" for the garlic episode of "Follow That Food" Adam and Allegra couldn't have been more gracious in giving my then-fiancé and I directions on how to get to the Food Network's taping restaurant, going out to eat afterwards, showing us NYC and making sure we got to our train. Adam's graciousness in person and love of the city convinced us to make our honeymoon at ACGA's NYC conference later that year and we had a wonderful time with Adam, with the city and with fellow community gardeners.

I always looked forward to his posts on the ACGA listserv. Adam was a source of great support for those of us who try to persevere in our dream of community gardening in an often-hostile "community gardens are a temporary use until someone with money put buildings on that land" world. I personally will miss him greatly as we try to preserve our community garden here in Phoenixville.

May God bless his family and be close to his son Daniel.

Dorene Pasekoff

October 19, 2007

I had a few exchanges with Adam all showing how humble he really was about the great work and wealth of knowlege he had accummulated over the years related to community gardening and people. I always loved his emails sharing his thoughts about the politics of community gardening, oh how right on he is about that. And his efforts to always keep it real for the common folks. May he rest in green garden peace with his community of those who left before him looking down on all our soil and continuing to help us all bring forth the flowers that bloom in sharing communities.

Sandy Pernitz

October 19, 2007

I may have met Adam at the 2002 ACGA conference in New York. What great work he did. My sympathies go out to the family.

Judy Koonce

October 19, 2007

I never had a chance to meet Adam Honigman, and I am deeply saddened that I will now never be able to. His insightful, curmudgeonly, often beautiful posts to the ACGA list-serve were sometimes the high point of my day, though increasingly infrequent lately. It won't be the same without him!

Cynthia Price

October 19, 2007

No one on our community garden listserve will ever replace Adam. He truly had commanding knowledge of understanding people had such a way putting those thoughts into words. We will miss him, even most of us never met.

Marilyn Dorland

October 19, 2007

Dear Adam,

While we often disagreed on many subjects, I think our common working class New York childhoods made us appreciate each others point of view. Eternal thanks for contributing to my film on community gardens and fighting the good fight for others wanting to make the city a better place.

Jay Sokolovsky

Jay Sokolovsky

October 19, 2007

I met Adam a few years ago through the New York City Community Gardens community and we've been friends ever since. The minute I met him, I knew that I liked him and that we would be friends for a long time. We didn't see each other very often but would occasionally attend each others' gardens events. Through his activism and the avalanche of emails I got from him, I always knew what he was up to and it was always fighting the good cause, fighting to preserve our gardens and our communities. He has inspired and touched me in more ways that I can describe. There is a west African proverb that says: 'when an old man (or woman) dies, the world looses a library' Well, even though he wasn't that old, the knowledge, life experience and wealth of information he had and shared was immense and he is a great loss to our community and I will miss him dearly. I wish his son Daniel, his family, colleagues, neighbors, friends and all of the gardeners at the Clinton Community garden, who are grieving right now comfort and strenght in the difficult days ahead.
I attended the service today at Temple Emmanuel and it was very moving. I was touched by what everyone said. Thank you for sharing.
Peace,
Magali

Magali Regis

October 19, 2007

Adam was an inspiriation to those of us working to keep community gardens open for all who love to garden in the world's busy cities. I am grateful to him and to the courageous garden advocates who knew and loved him. I got to meet Adam in 2002 in New York. Thank you, Adam, for all your years of caring about people. Blessings to your friends and to your son, Daniel.

Leslie Pohl-Kosbau

October 19, 2007

Adam was a mentor to all of us on the American Community Gardening mail list, and a voice of reason for many years.

He was one of the few people who realized the intimate relationship between urban gardening and politics.

We shall long miss his presence among us.

Libby J. Goldstein

October 19, 2007

My heart goes out to Adam's family and friends. There must be so many people who are feeling his loss.

Judy Hainaut

October 19, 2007

I only knew Adam through the internet and his postings on the Community Garden listserv. His knowledge, his understanding and wisdom will forever abide in the hearts and minds of American gardeners as they seek to better our country and society. A rare man whose actions matched his words, we will all miss him, but are richer for having known him and being touched by his wisdom.

David King

October 19, 2007

Writing on behalf of LaGuardia Corner Gardens: Adam was a passionate activist for community gardens. I knew him from the community garden listserv, where I read about his saving the Bellevue Sobriety Garden and sharing advice with community gardeners from all over. His voice will be missed.

Janice Pargh

October 19, 2007

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