Jonathan Liebman

Jonathan Liebman, New Yorker with a Naturalist's Soul, Dies at 75.

Jonathan Liebman, a New Yorker whose heart belonged to the great outdoors, passed away on September 29, 2025. He was 75.

Born in New York City on April 2, 1950, Jonathan was a child of the inner city, growing up amid the brick and cement of the Dyckman Street public housing projects in Manhattan, with the constant rattle of the elevated trains nearby. Yet, it was the sound of the wind rustling through trees, the vastness of the mountains, and the flow of white-water rivers where he found his true peace.

As a youth, he attended George Washington High School. A highly strategic thinker, he was a key member of the school's chess club, winning numerous city-wide competitions. He spent hours holed up in his bedroom studying moves and strategies.

In the early 1970s, he could often be found downtown at Washington Square Park, playing street chess at the now-famous Chess Plaza, testing his skills against the city's best.

Jonathan was 18 when his father, Moses, passed away. He immediately stepped up to help provide for his mother, Adele, and three younger siblings, working long hours while attending City College of New York. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science in 1973, but his commitment to financial stability led him to a job with the U.S. Postal Service in a mail distribution center. He eventually relocated to New Jersey to cut down on his commute. He worked for the Postal Service until he retired in 2009 after more than 35 years of service.

Jonathan was an avid sports fan, bringing his characteristic analytical mindset-and a knowing sense of disappointment-to the fate of his favorite teams. As a devoted fan of both the New York Mets and the New York Jets, he had an intimate, lifelong knowledge of the statistical probability of heartbreak. He would take road trips with his cousin Larry Fortune to visit baseball stadiums around the country.

He also applied his analytical skills to the horse track, spending hours studying and handicapping horses, much as he had done with chess moves in his youth.

The outdoors was his true passion. He enjoyed numerous camping trips with his cousins to New England and the Rocky Mountains. He loved the cool, crisp mountain air and felt as one with the surroundings. His enjoyment of whitewater rafting led him down the Colorado River, the Salmon River in Idaho, the world-class Penobscot River in Maine, and many others.

"When we went up into the mountains or down the rapids, his entire demeanor changed. He became more relaxed and got this childlike grin on his face," his brother Steven Liebman said. "The bigger the rapid, the bigger the smile."

Though born to an observant Jewish family, Jonathan's intellectual curiosity expanded to include studying numerous Eastern philosophies and getting involved in health and alternative medicines.

Jonathan was known by all as someone who could be counted on. His personal philosophy held that you showed who you were by deeds and not words. Yet he did both, providing even-handed counsel to family and friends while demonstrating a boundless willingness to help others. This commitment included helping to care for his mother, Adele, for months, along with his sister Ellen, before their mother's passing in 1985.

His selflessness extended to friends, notably when a punctual friend failed to show up for work. When Jonathan found out, he dropped everything, and drove from New Jersey to the Bronx, N.Y. to find his friend unconscious. He called for an ambulance and stayed by him throughout the ordeal.

"He was selfless," his cousin Jay Begleiter said. "His ability to donate his time has always been one of the most important things he would do. I honestly believe if it wasn't for Johnny, our friend would have been dead."

These selfless acts were routine, such as driving four hours in the middle of the night to check on his Uncle Harold Begleiter's health, or spending nearly a year donating platelets almost monthly to help his godson, who was undergoing cancer treatments. As Jay said, "He did things for the reward of doing things and not for the recognition or praise."

His sister Ellen, a former marathon runner, recalls his unexpected athletic commitment: "I really wanted to do the 10-mile Trevira Twosome race in New York, but he wasn't a runner, and I couldn't convince any of my friends to participate. He said 'sure' and then trained for it. He was so tired when he finished, but he trained again for the next year and beat me. After a few more races, he called it quits: 'That's it; no more, I'm done.' And that was the end of his running career."

When he retired, he looked for a new home where he could be close to nature. He chose Florida-but not the Florida of beaches and palm trees; he chose the Florida of forests and horse farms in Beverly Hills, Citrus County. Although he'd never had a home with a lawn before, he quickly took to overseeing outdoor maintenance for his homeowners association, learning about lawn care, trees, and the endless need for mulching.

In 2021, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. For the first time in his life, this intensely self-reliant man was forced to let others care for him, relying on the boundless love and devotion of his family until the disease finally claimed him.

Jonthan is survived by his sister, Ellen; sister, Sheryl Grimes, her husband, Daniel Grimes; brother Steven and his wife Mary Liebman; and aunt; and numerous cousins.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, see the link below.

The family of Jonathan Liebman is being cared for by: CONRAD AND THOMPSON FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATION SERVICES, 511 Emmett Street, Kissimmee, Florida 34741; 407-847-3188.