STEPHEN RAPHAEL

RAPHAEL--Stephen M., age 82, died in New York City on September 12, 2024. He was born in Brooklyn on November 9, 1941 to Gladys Dorman and Benjamin Raphael, both lawyers. A graduate of Poly Prep Country Day School, he earned a BA at Columbia University, a JD from Harvard Law School and a Masters in Tax Law from New York University. After earning his law degree, Stephen moved to Alabama where he taught at the University of Alabama and worked in support of the civil rights movement. Upon his return to New York City, he established a law firm, which later became Raphael and Marks, in partnership with his wife, Ellen Marks. Throughout his life, Stephen was devoted to Brooklyn, both personally and professionally. A real estate developer who converted many brownstones in his beloved borough, Stephen was foremost a preservationist, serving as Commissioner to the Landmark Preservation Commission of New York City, legal advisor to the World Monuments Fund, a member of the Law Committee to the Municipal Art Society of New York, and a member of the Board of Trustees of The City Club of New York. He was an adjunct professor at New York University, where he taught urban development and environmental law and a long standing member of the Century Association. Stephen is survived by his wife Ellen, his sons Adam and Fred, his stepchildren Andrew and Gigi, his grandchildren Sophie, Sasha, Gabriel, Robin, Fiona, Jake, Lilly, and Sammy, and great-grandchild, Emmett. A funeral for Stephen was held on September 16, 2024 at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, in loving memory.