Harvey F. Tishler of Schenectady died Tuesday, September 25th at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He was born on November 28, 1948 in the Bronx, and lived in Clearview, Queens, Hicksville and Malverne, Nassau County. He moved to Schenectady in 2007, where he first lived on Upper Union Street. After he moved to Municipal Housing in Schenectady, he formed a new coterie of friends and loved living in the community he found there. Even after he moved, he continued to visit his friends on Upper Union Street.
Harvey had an incredible mind, particularly for dates, facts, and languages. He could be counted on to remember the month, day and year of any trip he or other members of the family took, relevant anniversaries, and historical events. Harvey had an impressive vocabulary and was a fine writer. Harvey was fluent in Russian and three other languages and had a working knowledge of at least five others, all of which were self taught. He earned a degree in Russian Literature from SUNY Albany. He was a voracious reader, particularly of political and sports biographies. He was extremely curious about the world and traveled abroad regularly until the early 2010s. His apartment was filled with travel books, tapes in many languages, films and travel videos from around the world. Harvey loved dachshunds, Mad Magazine, scratch-off lottery tickets and Bingo. Most of all, Harvey loved people.
Those who took the time found, in Harvey, a kind and loyal friend and he made friends everywhere he went. Harvey was fiercely independent, unfailingly optimistic and trusting in the goodness of others.
Harvey was predeceased by his older brother, Steven Joseph, his mother, Nina Ginsburg (Shlimovitz), and his father, Israel Victor. Harvey loved and was loved by his surviving brother, Nicholas and Nick's wife, Alison Curley, and his nieces, Sarah (Ben Morton-Harmer) and Rebecca (Noah Modie). All those who knew him will struggle with the loss of this unassuming, intelligent and gentle soul.
In lieu of flowers, etc., donations please to Autism Speaks, 1060 State Road, Second Floor, Princeton, NJ 08540 and The Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002.