TEREZE GLUCK Obituary

GLUCK--Tereze. On December 16, 2018. An indelible presence, with a genius for pleasure, insatiable in her love of the world. Vice President of Citibank for over thirty years, the whole of her working life, she was also a fiction writer whose collection of short stories, "May You Live In Interesting Times," won the Iowa Short Fiction Award, a jeweler, an artisan, a collector of rare Hermes scarves, a brilliant and funny conversationalist, and a frequent contributor to this newspaper's Op Ed page. She leaves an unfillable void in the lives of her daughter, actress Abigail Savage, her daughter-in-law, Caitlin McElroy, her granddaughter Vera, and her sister, poet Louise Gluck, as well as in the lives of friends too numerous to name. As she was dying her room was so filled with those friends the desk clerks were puzzled; finally one asked if the woman in room 731 was a priest because so many people were asking to see her. No, said the new arrival. But she was someone widely and deeply loved.

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Published by New York Times on Dec. 19, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for TEREZE GLUCK

10 Entries

Tereze in 2013 at the jewelry sale. She was a "scarfie" friend of ours.

Deanne Taylor

January 1, 2021

Dear Abigail and Tereze's family and friends: I had heard the sad news about Tereze in early 2019 and I went digging for my phoos of her. Over this break I was going through my photos and found the ones I was looking for, hidden away, from the jewelry sale that we attended in 2013 in NYC. I bought pieces from her that I treaasure now especially. For our Hermes scarf collector event she was a kind hostess and a thoughtful collecting colleague to many of us. Tereze and I joked that someday I'd come back to her apt pick up an umbrella I had left at her house, and though she and I saw one another in person from time to time, I never made it back to NYC to her house...her flat was so wonderful and captivating with her travel memorabilia and it was like being in a warm hug to visit her. I'm so sad I never went back to her house to collect it so I can say I visited her in NYC after 2013. I hope you can enjoy this photo.

January 5, 2019

Dear Abigail,

I am SOOOOOO sorry to hear of your mother's death.

She was a shining light in my universe. We saw each other only about once a year until you/she built the house on Fire Island and your had a baby....she was passionate about you and her grandchild and your happiness was in great part her fight to prolong and enjoy her life to the fullest. She was the a huge personality hidden in a small body. I loved her. I will miss her. She was the beginning and instigator of a great life changing adventure for me in 2003. I had never met anyone with such a huge zest for life and adventure and who was always ready for the next adventure! She had so much talent and so much generosity of heart and spirit.

I know you have visited us @ Hacienda Mosaico in Puerto Vallarta. I don't know if you remember. I have watched your television shows. Your mother was so pound of you for so many things and on so many levels, but your child might have been one of the greatest joys (aside from you, of course) ever. I am so happy she had time to enjoy the gift of the grandchild you gave her.

There are not enough words to describe my loss let alone how much you must feel the loss. She was always so positive and upbeat and never afraid of speaking her mind. I admired that. I could not really keep up with her intelligence and ability to speak of anything or any person with her accurate, spot on observations.

Tereze was a loyal and beloved friend to many. I remain blessed to have been among one of sooooo many. We were all blessed to have known her and share in her overflowing essence.

Sending my sympathy and love and best wishes for all good things in the future.

Artfully yours,

Sandra Leonard aka Sam

Sam Leonard

January 4, 2019

Tereze was a shining light in my universe. We saw each other only about once a year until she built the house on Fire Island with you in mind, Abigal and Vera. She was passionate about you and her grandchild and your happiness was in great part her fight to prolong and enjoy her life to the fullest. She was the a huge personality hidden in a small body. I loved her. I will miss her. She was the beginning and instigator of a great life changing adventure for me in 2003. I had never met anyone with such a huge zest for life and adventure and who was always ready for the next adventure! She had so much talent and so much generosity of heart and spirit.

I know you have visited us @ Hacienda Mosaico in Puerto Vallarta. I don't know if you remember. I have watched your television shows. Your mother was so pound of you for so many things and on so many levels, but your child might have been one of the greatest joys (aside from you, of course) ever. I am so happy she had time to enjoy the gift of the grandchild you gave her.

There are not enough words to describe my loss let alone how much you must feel the loss. She was always so positive and upbeat and never afraid of speaking her mind. I admired that. I could not really keep up with her intelligence and ability to speak of anything or any person with her accurate, spot on observations.

Tereze was a loyal and beloved friend to many. I remain blessed to have been among one of sooooo many. We were all blessed to have known her and share in her overflowing essence.

Susan Livenick

January 3, 2019

I spent much of a day once, sitting under a big tree in front of Main talking with Tezzie about everything from shoes and ships to sealing wax. It was a marvelous conversation. That was the only time I
I really talked with her, but I've never forgotten how very rich it was.

Terry Zisowitz

December 31, 2018

A wonderful person gone way too soon. A Vassar friend refound at our 50th reunion with whom I shared many great dinners at one of her favorite Italian restaurants. Smart, funny, a great writer who had two letters to the editor published in the Times this year, a jewelry maker supreme and a heck of a maj jong player. I wish I had gotten to see you one last time to tell you how much you meant to me. Condolences to Abagail, Vera and the rest of the family

Deborah Halperin

December 28, 2018

I loved seeing Tereze's beautiful work every week in enameling class at 92nd street Y and conversing about politics, and the state of the world. Her humor and creativity were singular and will be missed. I am so sorry for your loss.

Greg and Janis McElroy

December 21, 2018

Tereze, you are not forgotten but will live on in our memories.

December 19, 2018

To her family and friends. May our god of love bring comfort and peace. Mathews 5:4

Joe Holliday

December 19, 2018

Good bye Tereze. You were a piece of work! Glad I knew you.

L.Shapley Bassen

December 19, 2018

In Memoriam - for Tezzie
The ache is a treasure. Grief is a gift.
Orchids, overwatered, drop blossoms
on the windowsill. They will not abide
condolence. Nature is practical,
practiced, pedantic: water rarely;
avoid the green leaves and woven roots
which remain and will convert photons
into blooms again. The fallen are lost,
save for the luxuries of ache, of grief.

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