Nathan Doctrow

Nathan, also known to many as Nate, earned his BS in Electrical Engineering, with honors, from University of Cincinnati and began his 40-year career with General Electric (GE) by completing the Advanced Engineering Program, a 3-year program that included a rigorous and broad education in engineering problem solving, with significant use of mathematics. He spent an additional year as class supervisor for first year students of the Advanced Engineering Program in the GE jet engine plant near Cincinnati. His career at GE took him to several plants in the midwestern and eastern U.S. and, along the way, he continued his education, receiving graduate credits from four universities (U. Penn, MIT aeronautical engineering, Brooklyn Polytech electrical engineering, and Union College). He joined GE in Pittsfield, MA, spending his first year as a GE resident at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory (now Draper Laboratory) in Cambridge, where he developed equations used to test the missile guidance computer in the submarine. By 1957, he had settled in Pittsfield with his wife Lorraine and their daughter Susan, with their son, Steven, born a few years thereafter. For decades, Nathan managed engineering groups in GE's Naval Ordnance division. He led evaluation of the first fire control system, that was later installed on the first Polaris missile submarine. As Nathan described it, this was a very ambitious, stressful effort and, for this work, he received recognition by the Navy customer and GE. He managed Systems Engineering groups in Guidance, Fire Control, and Advanced Engineering. He led a project called Missile Defense, representing the Pittsfield GE, and worked with numerous other departments in the company.

After retiring, Nathan spent several years tutoring middle and high school age students, primarily in math but also in chemistry and physics. This work ranged from teaching extracurricular advanced math to students needing more challenge to addressing "math emergencies" to help kids gain confidence in math and improve their grades. Nathan was known as a kind, patient, and skilled tutor, with one student reportedly telling his parents that he wished he could bring Mr. Doctrow with him to college. By the time he was tutoring, Nathan was living in Lenox with his second wife, Barbara, and her daughter Caroline, who was like another daughter to him, as he was like another father to her. Nathan always remained close to his extended family, including his surviving older brother Dave, his wife Jan, and their five children, Mindy, Jeff (Robbie Sue), Matt (Amy), Pam, and Rob (Lisa), as well as to their children. He was also very close to his other nieces, the three daughters of his late older brother Ken and Ken's late wife Hannah, Jan (Chuck), Nancy (Tom), and Lori, as well as to their children. To these Doctrow nieces and nephews, their spouses, and their children, he was Uncle Nate.

In his decades living in the Berkshires, Nathan always appreciated his many good friends, of all ages, and enjoyed a number of group activities including skiing, hiking, golf, and biking trips around the Northeast, as well as music, theatre, and various celebrations such as sing-a-long parties. When his children were growing up, Nathan enjoyed skiing and golfing with Steven, while trying to convince Susan to try skiing. Finally, in her late 20s, she did begin skiing and loved it, as her dad had told her she would; Nathan and Susan celebrated his 65th birthday with a ski trip together to Taos, NM. For decades, Nathan faithfully worked out at fitness clubs, especially the Pittsfield YMCA. Nathan also loved to dance, since high school, and was active in a ballroom dancing group in the Berkshires. A classmate wrote in his high school yearbook "....to a swell fellow and terrific dancer". Left-handed Nathan had a naturally artistic side, drawing cartoons for his kids when they were young and, in retirement, studying photography and painting. His photography club held an exhibit at the Berkshire Museum where his 40-inch photo of a glacier in Alaska was displayed; in addition, another of Nathan's photos, an autumn scene at Pontoosuc Lake, was selected for the cover of a local adult education catalog. In the Berkshires, Nathan enjoyed volunteering in the community, such as visiting residents in nursing homes and hospice and, with his friends Rich and Reed, picking up and delivering donated restaurant and supermarket food to address food insecurity, via the organization Berkshire Bounty. Nathan played various volunteer roles in committees at his temple in Pittsfield and his former condo complex in Lenox.

Nathan was known among his friends and family for his integrity, kindness, calm, optimistic attitude, and consideration for others. At his 90th birthday celebration in Lenox, dozens of friends and family members attended. When people read their testimonials, Nathan, along with several of the speakers, was moved to tears.

Nathan moved to Arlington in 2020 to be closer to his daughter Susan and her husband John. There, he enjoyed dining, movies, and plays, and other social activities with Susan's and John's friends, who became his friends, too. With Susan and her therapy dog, Nathan volunteered at Brightview, an assisted living home in Arlington, where he also participated in ballroom dancing until the age of 94.

Nathan is survived by his daughter Susan Doctrow (John Peterson), son Steven Doctrow, daughter Caroline Ollivier (Christian Montalbano) and their son Matthew Montalbano. He is also survived by his brother David Doctrow (Janis) and his eight nieces and nephews and their spouses, children, and grandchildren. His former spouses are Lorraine Doctrow, mother of Susan and Steven, and Barbara Rubin, mother of Caroline. Nathan was predeceased by his brother Ken, sister-in-law, Hannah, sister Jean, and parents Hannah and Phillip. As Nathan himself had requested, his burial ceremony, which was private, included the song Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller and time for family and friends to speak about their experiences with him. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in Nathan's memory to the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires or Berkshire Bounty, both based in Pittsfield.