Longtime Village of Great Neck Plaza Trustee Joel Liebowitz died last Monday, Aug. 27, following a relatively short illness. Mr. Liebowitz was 67 years old and had served his village in official capacities since 1987.

Mr. Liebowitz was appointed to the Plaza's Board of Zoning and Appeals in 1987 and was appointed to the board of trustees in September 1990. Through his long years of service to the village he also served as cable commissioner, and contract negotiator and long-range planner. He was the village's taxi commissioner and representative to the Nassau County Village Officials Association.

Within the Great Neck community, Joel Liebowitz was a member of the United Community Fund of Great Neck and North New Hyde Park and a technical advisor for Womanspace.

Professionally, Mr. Liebowitz was the former CFO of a graphic arts firm.

At services held last Wednesday morning, Joel Liebowitz was remembered as a kind and caring man, one who deeply loved Great Neck and one who was deeply involved in the community. Time and again, family and friends spoke of how Joel was selfless and unassuming, working hard to maintain the quality of life for those in his village and beyond.

Plaza Mayor Jean Celender told the Great Neck Record that "Joel was a nice, caring, gentle man; so multi-talented and universally loved and respected by everyone whose lives he touched, which was so many ... he had vast circles of people who cared so much for him ... I miss him so much already."

At the service, Mayor Celender offered a beautiful, moving tribute to her friend and colleague. Her remarks, she said, were a compilation of her own thoughts and the sentiments of many who worked with Joel at the Plaza. She spoke of how Joel loved his family and his village, and how he loved his involvement in the village. "Joel was also important to the village itself," she said, adding, " For over 20 years Joel rendered tireless service to the village and its residents."

And when it came to controversial issues, Mayor Celender said that "Joel's way was not to dictate, and not to rule by fiat, but, to achieve compromise and consensus through reason, calm dialogue and common sense." She told how he was there to negotiate such issues among neighbors as leaf-blower noises and air-conditioning rackets.

When it came to occasional board disagreements, again Joel was invaluable. "Joel did not get embroiled in the fray," the mayor explained. "More often than not, he would keep his silence, and after others argued, he would quietly speak and the room would get quiet and everyone would listen to what he said, and the common sense he spoke.

Even after he became ill, Mayor Celender told how hard Joel worked to truly "discharge his duties to the best of his abilities." She noted how Joel was not a political man, but was there totally to do what was right, to do what he believed his constituents wanted him to do.

"Joel was a public servant in the noblest sense of what public service means," Mayor Celender said, as she spoke of Joel's "unquestioned integrity and honesty." He was, she said, "a man of loyalty ... a man whose word was his bond ... never sought publicity, glory or praise ... never had his own personal, hidden agenda ..."

Said Mayor Celender, "What he did see to do was to serve the people of his village calmly, quietly, skillfully and professionally to the best of his abilities."

Others in the Plaza's "family" expressed similar thoughts to the Record. Village Clerk Patricia O'Byrne called Joel "the voice of reason," and she noted how supportive he was of village staff. And from the village staff, Marilyn Scafe said that Joel was "kind, wonderful, compassionate," and that he always found time for everyone.

Pattianne Di Rosa spoke of "his words of advice, both personal and business related ... very wise ... and he would listen ..." Said Anna Quinones, "He embraced everybody from a street person to a prince, equally."

Ivar Belgrave agreed, stating, "Joel regarded everyone with respect and decency and he never judged people by their title ... it was my honor to know him ..."

Carol Teplin, executive assistant to the mayor, recalled how "truly interested" Joel was in everyone's life, truly interested." I will miss his hugs and his great big heart, but I will never forget him," Ms. Teplin said.

Joel Liebowitz is survived by his wife, Janice, children Alan and Karen, and his brother, Paul Liebowitz, also a Great Neck resident.