MITCHELL CRAMER

1948 - 2024

CRAMER--Mitchell L. Mitchell L. Cramer, born December 5, 1948, passed away in Manhattan, NY, on Friday, August 16, 2024. He was 75 years old. A talented artist, and a devoted and innovative teacher of the Arts, he taught at Collegiate School for 49 years. A loving and supportive husband and father, he leaves behind his wife of 52 years, Lorri Cramer, and his two beautiful, highly successful children (who wrote this), Abby and Daniel Cramer. Born and raised in Middle Village, Queens, Mitch was the first in his family to go to college, earning a BFA and MA from Queens College. He then went on to complete an MEd and additional Graduate work at Teacher's College, Columbia University. At Collegiate, he expanded the woodworking classes to a full, multidisciplinary Art department, K-12. He led the Collegiate Film Club during the time it was reviewed favorably by Jonas Mekas in The Village Voice, and had films collected for the archives of Centre Pompidou. Mitch started and coordinated the Collegiate Walls Project, where students, over many years, created a continuous mural for all 13 stories of the school's stairwell. In addition, he taught at the Children's Saturday Art Program and Graduate School at Queens College. Mitch inspired his students and friends to see the beauty in the everyday, while encouraging their individual visions and creativity. He took joy in cooking and feeding people, foraging at food markets, sketching the world around him, making collages, taking photographs, creating imaginative illustrations for cards and books, and telling frequent stories, all in an attempt to share his spark for life and glee in the amusing absurdity that surrounds us all. He strove to spread kindness, equity and inclusion. Mitch is and will continue to be loved and deeply missed. His family will host a remembrance service at the Riverside Memorial Chapel, on January 19th at 3pm to celebrate his life. In memory, donations can be made to Young Audiences Arts for Learning.