Michael Simon Zarin

ZARIN--Michael. Michael Simon Zarin, age 89, died on January 9th, on Long Island. He is survived by his beloved wife, Renee (Kroll), whom he married in 1956, his three children, Cynthia, Dina (Ben), and Daniel, his ten adored grandchildren, whom he considered his immortality: Rose (Effy), Anna (Phillip), Jack, Beasie, Hannah, Ariel, Sammy, Raquel (Will), Carlos, and Kevin, and his three great-grandchildren: Abigail, Henry, and Raphael. His sister, Eve Zarin, also survives him. He was educated at Brooklyn Community School, PS 208, and Midwood High School (where he was Mayor of the City of Midwood student government). He was a member of the class of 1953 at Dartmouth College, and graduated from Columbia Law School and the Harvard Business Advanced Management Program. Mike devoted his career to the responsible development of public and private project financing. In 1956, Mike began his 28-year career at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he was the Chief of the Finance Division, Law Department; a primary project was the development and financing of the World Trade Center. In the private sector his positions included Vice President and Manager of the New York public finance office of Bank of America, and, until his death, Chairman and CEO of Wellfleet Investments, LLC. Mike brought gusto, commitment, and an abiding sense of fairness and decency to all his endeavors. He served as an advisor to the Debt and Fiscal Policy Committee of the Government Finance Officers Association, and he initiated the Associations Guidelines for Municipal Securities. He was also Chairman of the Law Committee of the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association, and participated in the President's Private Sector Study on Cost Control; his articles on public and municipal finance appeared widely. He was a director of Boscov's Department Store chain and several other entrepreneurial firms. An engaged member of his community, as a Great Neck School Board Trustee he acted to re-entrust curriculum to outstanding professionals after that educational principle was threatened. At Temple Beth-El in Great Neck he was an honorary trustee and chair of the Investment Committee; Mike was also on the board of the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce, and was active in many public service initiatives, including housing for seniors. On Cape Cod, where he was a board member of the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, he spent many happy days sailing in Wellfleet Harbor. His memory will be a blessing to all who knew and loved him. The funeral will be held at 11am at Temple Beth-El, Great Neck.