Obituary of Ivan J. Rosenstrach

Ivan J. Rosenstrach (June 1, 1936- December 25, 2023)

Ivan J. Rosenstrach of Larchmont, New York, died at home on December 25, surrounded by his family. He was the middle of three children, born to Phillip and Tillie Rosenstrach of the Bronx. He is survived by his three children, Lynn Rosenstrach Zerbib, Philip Rosenstrach, and Jenny Rosenstrach; two sons-in-law, Nick Zerbib and Andy Ward; six grandchildren Alison, Phoebe, Amanda, Abby, Owen, and Nathan; his sister Selma Sherman, and his beloved wife of 55 years, Joann (Jody) Rosenstrach. He is predeceased by his younger brother Jerrold.

Ivan grew up in an apartment on 165th Street, in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. He graduated from Hunter College in 1953 and received a masters degree from Columbia Teachers College. He worked in media and travel before starting his own consulting company in the early 1980s, eventually spending the better part of two decades as an executive at the market research company PSI. At PSI, he discovered that one of his innate skills – listening and connecting – also aligned with a talent for sales. It was a superpower that he carried over to the rest of his life — he made friends everywhere he went in every stage of his life, from the Westchester tennis community to the waiters at the local diner. Even his grandchildren’s preschool classmates knew and loved him, calling him “Papa” when they saw him around town. He was known for his kindness, his heartfelt toasts, his sense of humor, his epic sweet tooth, and his athletic prowess – first on the basketball team at Taft High School in the Bronx and later on the tennis and paddle courts in Larchmont and beyond. He loved classical music, from opera to symphonies, and said that the first time he heard Mahler’s Ninth, he felt like it had been written expressly for him. He was a lifelong learner, always eager to discuss the latest book he was reading, whether it was Anna Karenina, a history of World War II, or one of the short stories he was studying in the continuing ed classes he attended at Mamaroneck High School and Larchmont Temple.

His enduring legacy, however, will always be the way he loved and was loved by his family. He spoke with his beloved 94-year-old sister Selma every day and had special, adoring relationships with each of his six grandchildren. His three children depended on him as a provider, protector, babysitter, chauffeur, cheerleader, confidant, and, of course, listener. He took tremendous pride, and tremendous joy, in all those roles. Finally, his marriage to Jody was everything a marriage should be — fiercely loyal, supportive, respectful, loving, joyful. He called himself a “homing pigeon” because he so disliked being away from her for even one night and found a way to drop off lunch or a cup of coffee at her office almost every day. He spoke often of how profoundly lucky he felt to have found her. She was the great love of his life.

Services will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, December 28 at The Larchmont Temple and shiva will be held at 18 Pryer Lane, Larchmont, on Friday, December 29 from 1:00-4:00 pm and Saturday December 30 from 4:00-7:00 pm. A memorial will be held at Orienta Beach Club in Mamaroneck, NY on Wednesday, January 3 from 5:00-8:00. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck, 134 Center Avenue Mamaroneck, NY 10543 or through the www.crcny.org