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Joan Welkowitz Obituary
STOCKBRIDGE -- Joan Welkowitz, 76, of Hawthorne Street died Saturday at home.
Born in New York on April 17, 1929, daughter of Abraham and Ray Young Horowitz, she graduated from Hunter College High School in 1945 and from Queens College in 1949. She received her master's degree in psychology in 1954 from the University of Illinois and her doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University in 1960.
Mrs. Welkowitz taught at New York University for 41 years, retiring in August 2005. She was director of the university's clinical psychology program and the first woman to be a full professor there.
She was the author of "Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences," which was first published in 1971. The textbooks have sold more than 200,000 copies and are still in use today. She was working on the seventh edition when she died.
She lived in Metuchen, N.J., until moving to Stockbridge in 1994. She was a member of the Women's Group of Western Massachusetts and a recent recipient of the Doug Flutie Foundation Grant to study autism.
She enjoyed traveling, the many cultural events in the Berkshires and spending time in her gardens.
She and her husband, Walter Welkowitz, were married June 17, 1951, in New York City.
Besides her husband, she leaves two sons, David Welkowitz of Los Angeles and Larry Welkowitz of Keene, N.H.; a daughter, Julie Ann Welkowitz of Burlington, Vt.; a sister, Helen Pattin of Riverdale, N.Y.; a brother, Michael Horowitz of Binghamton, N.Y., and five grandchildren.
FUNERAL NOTICE -- The funeral for Joan Welkowitz, Ph.D., of Stockbridge, who died Feb. 11, 2006, will be conducted Thursday, Feb. 16, at 1 at FINNERTY AND STEVENS FUNERAL HOME in Great Barrington by Rabbi Andrew Klein. Burial will follow in Stockbridge Cemetery. She leaves a daughter-in-law, Sara Ehrman; a son-in-law, Steven Keough, and five grandchildren, William Daniel, Stacy Beth and Annika Rachel Welkowitz, and Joshua Samuel and Shaina Rae Leanna Keough. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Breast Cancer Foundation through the funeral home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Remembrances, memories and reflection may be sent to the family through www.finnertyandstevens.com.
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Memories and Condolences
for Joan Welkowitz
Larry Welkowitz
February 7, 2023
A random thought today about Joan... saying to me "what's the worst that can happen?" So glad she passed that on to me... it's always been helpful!
Nyeelah Matthews
November 28, 2006
I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family of Joan Welkowitz and hope that they find peace of mind because she was a great person that will truly be missed. She was a great person who I would have truly loved to meet.
Barry Cohen
May 9, 2006
I have just finished checking the page proofs for the sixth edition of the undergrad stats text that Joan originally wrote with Jack Cohen and Bob Ewen. The new edition will be published in July (2006), and it will be a bittersweet experience for me. I will be replacing the late, great Jack Cohen as a co-author on this text, but mainly the text will forever remind me of my wonderful experience of collaboration with Joan. More importantly, the text will be yet another way that Joan will continue to teach and inspire students around the world for many years to come. My sincerest condolences to all who loved her.
Agatha Wieczorek
April 18, 2006
I am deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Welkowitz's death. She was a brillant and eloquent professor. My heart goes out to her family.
Michelle Imber
April 11, 2006
I was shocked and saddened to hear of Joan's death. She was my advisor within the clinical program and sat on my dissertation committee. Two weeks before I moved to the city and started at NYU, my grandmother (who lived in NYC)died. Joan took it upon herself to be an adoptive grandmother to me. She really encouraged me throughout my graduate career, and supported my nontraditional academic route every step of the way. She was a wonderful lady--I'll miss her very much!
Melinda Massoff
March 27, 2006
I am so surprised and sad to hear of Joan's death. I was never fortunate enough to have Joan as a professor, but for me as a clinical student, several things stand out. She made a point of offering encouraging words after my first "brown bag." She was absolutely an inspiration for those of us with hopes of combining family with career, and, she was a nurturing hostess who invited my class to her home where she entertained us with stories and served us a fabulous dinner. My condolences to her family - she spoke of you all the time.
Michael Westerman
February 20, 2006
I am very sorry to learn of Joan's death. She was dedicated to the clinical program at NYU and to her research.
Laura Lambert
February 20, 2006
Dr. Joan Welkowitz was a dedicated leader of NYU's clinical program and demonstrated a wonderful mix of professionalism, compassion, and humor. She stood out as a role model for mothers with professional careers and never failed to encourage others to persevere. She will be missed.
Shuki Cohen
February 20, 2006
Joan's originality was contagious: in her scientific thinking as in her humor and her world views. I had the privilege of having her as my advisor at NYU and will forever be grateful for her support, wisdom and shameless humor. It especially saddens me to hear of her passing as I remember how feisty and vivacious she was. Her spirit, I'm sure, will live on in each of us, whose life she has touched. (I'm also sure that she would have corrected my grammar had she seen this passage....)
I'll miss her a lot.
Larry Welkowitz
February 19, 2006
Thanks to all of you for your kind words and support. I have posted additional information about Joan's professional life at http://welkowitz.typepad.com/asperg
ers_conversations/2006/02/in_memory
_of_jo.html
Sam Glucksberg
February 19, 2006
Joan was a friend and a collealgue, and I am saddened by her leaving us too soon. Sam Glucksberg
Beth Shinn
February 19, 2006
Joan Welkowitz contributed to the NYU psychology department for over 40 years. As a faculty member and as Director of Clinical Training, she guided the professional development of hundreds of students. We mourn her loss.
Deborah Browning
February 18, 2006
I am so saddened to hear of Joan's death. I had my first statistics class with her (1975)and her easy going manner took the misery out of the task. We stayed in contact after that since I lived for many years, as she did, in NYU's Washington Square Village; she was always cheerful, interesting, and feisty about surviving within NYU's competitive atmosphere; she spoke about her research and also, about the fight to become a full professor and tenured at a time when women were still so frequently closed out of the progression. Her success was an inspiration.
When we last met we talked about getting together up here in the Berkshires. I had been looking forward to that, and am so sorry to have put it off.
She was one of the people who kept a kind eye on me in the years after my husband's death, and I will always be especially grateful to her for that.
I want to extend my condolances to her husband and family.
Helen Levine
February 18, 2006
I am so sorry to hear of Joan's death. She took me in hand in 1969, promising me that I would learn enough under-grad statistics to get into the Clinical Psych program at NYU. With her help and determination I did matriculate, graduate,and return to teach as as admiring junion colleague of hers. There is no longer a clinical program but she will remain a favorite in my memories of that great program.
Helen Levine
Patrick Shrout
February 18, 2006
Joan Welkowitz dedicated her professional life to NYU and her students. May her memory live on.
martha reichbach
February 18, 2006
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Welkowitz.
She will be truly missed.
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