EDWARD FLAX

1934 - 2017

FLAX--Edward,

82, died peacefully on March 15 at his Plainview, NY home. His generosity and warm spirit will be missed by all who knew him. Born in Brooklyn, June 18, 1934, he went to Andrew Jackson High School. He graduated from Harvard University in 1955 and Harvard Law School in 1958. In 1956, he married Eileen Feldman of Newton, MA. After serving briefly in the army reserves, they moved to Kew Gardens, NY, where he practiced law and concurrently worked with his father, who owned a mortgage business. He then transitioned into real estate, building single family homes on Long Island. In 1964, he founded Emmy Building Company, and went on to become one of Long Island's most prominent developers, building thousands of homes in the next 50 years. He loved the outdoors, and engaged in many athletic endeavors, including jogging, tennis, swimming, biking, kayaking, boating, scuba diving, and hiking. He was passionate about seeing the world, and with his wife, and often with his family, traveled to many corners of the earth. He loved to learn, read voraciously and did The New York Times crossword puzzle religiously. He loved classical music and was a devoted philanthropist, supporting countless causes. He was devoted to his family, and is survived by his wife of 60 years, Eileen, his son Douglas (and Kippur) of Albuquerque, and daughters Elizabeth (and Andrew) of Syosset, NY and Emily of Provincetown, MA, grandchildren, Paul and Alyssa Goleburn, and brother and sister-in-law, Burt and Leah Flax of Old Westbury, sister Linda Flax of Queens, and many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. Services will be at 10am, Sunday, March 19 at Gutterman's in Woodbury followed by burial at Wellwood Cemetery in Pinelawn. In lieu of flowers, donations to American Kidney Fund, kidneyfund.org, Good Shepherd Hospice, www.good shepherdhospice.chsli.org or Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, JDRF.org