Eugene M. Karp

Karp, Eugene M. ALBANY Eugene M. Karp, age 76, of Prospect Terrace, Albany, N.Y., died Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, N.Y. Gene was born in Boston, Mass., attended secondary schools in Schen-ectady, N.Y. and graduated Mont Pleasant High School. He earned A.B.A. in accounting from Siena College in 1953 and was listed in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. He received his J.D. in 1956 from Albany Law School. Gene had been a leader in the community for many years, including active participation in the United Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, B'nai B'rith Gideon Lodge, the Albany Jewish Community Center, Daughters of Sarah Jewish Home, and Congregation Beth Emeth. He was a member of the board of directors of United Jewish Federation, and was the driving force behind the creation of the United Jewish Federation Endowment Fund in 1976, chairing the fund until 1991. Gene received the 1986 Endowment Achievement Award from the Council of Jewish Federations. Additionally, he served on the United Jewish Federation's Committee on Aging and was a member of the steering committee of the Benjamin N. Cardozo Society. A past president of Gideon Lodge #140 (1966), Gene was a founder, member of the board of directors and past president of B'nai B'rith Parkview Apartments, and served as a director emeritus. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Schenectady B'nai B'rith International Senior Housing Committee. The Albany Jewish Community Center has always benefited by Gene's involvement as a vice president of the center, chairman of its bingo committee for ten years and also chairman of the center's legal committee. He continued to provide pro bono legal services to the center. He was a member of the center's endowment fund committee. Gene was a recipient of the Pillars Award presented by the Albany Jewish Community Center. He had been a member of Temple Beth Emeth's Endowment Fund Committee. Gene had worked extensively with other charitable and religious organizations in the community and had provided pro bono legal services and advice and counsel concerning fund raising and endowments. Gene was a member of the law firm of Kohn Bookstein & Karp from 1961-1998. He was presently senior counsel with the Albany law firm of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, LLP. Between 1961 and 1975, he served as adjunct professor of tax law at Albany Law School and in 1976 was awarded the school's Alumni Gold Medal for Distinguished Service. He had lectured on tax and estate planning topics for the New York State Bar Association and the Practicing Law Institute and had spoken before many community organizations on legal issues affecting the aging. He was a member of the N.Y.S. Bar Association and its section on trusts and estates and elder law, the Albany County Bar Association and the Estate Planning Council of Northeastern New York. Gene also received the Gideon Lodge B'nai B'rith Covenant Award in 1992. He is survived by his devoted wife, Bea and loving son, Robert (Claudia) of Hillsborough, N.J. and a daughter, Sue Nohai (Michael Foucault) of Clifton Park, N.Y.; brother of Beverly Lehrman, Raleigh, N.C.; grandfather of Jenna, Nicollette and Dana. He also leaves several nieces and nephews. Services at Congregation Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Road, Albany, N.Y. on Friday, February 1, 2008 at 12:00 noon. Interment will follow in the Beth Emeth Cemetery, Loudonville, N.Y. The period of mourning will be observed at the Karp residence, 6 Prospect Terrace in Albany on Friday following the service of interment, Saturday evening and on Sunday through 6:00 p.m. Those wishing to remember Gene in a special way may make a memorial contributions to the Karp-Lehrman Philanthropic Fund, Jewish Community Endowment Fund, United Jewish Federation of NENY, 184 Washington Ave. Ext., Albany, NY 12203, Congregation Beth Emeth or the Albany Jewish Community Center, 360 Whitehall Rd., Albany, NY 12209.