Joel Iskowitz Ives

Ben; Thanks for the update. We can’t lie about our ages to our high school classmates, we are all approximately 80. I passed this milestone in June. Sheryl (Sankel) and I are living in Fair Lawn, NJ. We might live the closest of our Monroe classmates to Boynton Avenue. We are 17.5 miles away, although, it’s across the Hudson River. I’m still working as an architect and Sheryl is busy taking classes and is involved with our Temple in Mahwah. We just cancelled a vacation in Morocco due to the earthquake. With the softball season over, I’m learning to play pickleball. I saw a beautiful rainbow leaving Home Depot this evening and stopped for a few moments to take a photograph and think about things. I guess we’ve done okay and, we’re still here. Joel (Iskowitz) Ives.

Posted on: Jun 12, 2020 at 9:57 PM

Suzanne; I remember being in your class at PS 77 and JHS 123.

Suzanne; I remember being in your class in PS 77 and JHS 123.

It always comes as a shock when one of your elementary school classmates dies since there is no lying about the fact that we were both born about the same time. Arnie was two months older than me. Although I haven’t seen Arnie for many years, when his death was announced a few days ago, I was saddened and have been thinking about those early years in the Bronx. I can remember when our paths first crossed about 60 years ago as though it was yesterday because Arnie’s personality was one that sticks in your mind.

Like Billy Fritz, I first knew Arnie when he lived on Elder Avenue before his family moved to Evergreen.  I lived on Boynton Avenue.  Some of my oldest memories are when Arnie, Billy and I roamed the streets in and around Westchester Avenue and Elder in the mid 1950’s.  In retrospect, I think it was probably the first time for all of us when we played in the streets, alleyways, and traffic away from our homes and our parents had absolutely no idea where we were.  This was our first taste of independent life and we were led by Arnie at this very young age.

Arnie had problems with his feet before we knew him. I recall that he had to wear his shoes on opposite feet. Looking back one thing is clear, this early disadvantage had no negative effect on his personality since he no fear of anything as a kid, he played sports with a tremendous intensity and never held anything back. Arnie had a reputation of being a “tough kid” but my experience is similar to Billy Fritz’s, I don’t recall him treating his longtime friends with anything but respect although like Sandy Morganstein and others, I remember he did get into real fist fights in his youth something the rest of us did everything to avoid.  As others have suggested, perhaps he took a physical disadvantage and it turned it around to become a positive force in his life.

Arnie and I crossed paths often until 1961. We were in a world where many of us lived in the same house (or at least the same neighborhood) from the time we entered kindergarten until the time we graduated from high school, This is a phenomena you don’t see too much today.  I remember a great sports achievement in our youth took place at the Shore Haven Beach Club. During the summer of 1958 our underdog Red Legs softball team beat Billy Colavito (cousin of Rocky) and his team from Pelham Parkway in the championship.  Nicky DeMatteis got an extra base hit at the end of the game which won it for us.  Arnie was an important part of the team. We had learned in those days that you could win any game if you played with confidence and played well. Marty Fishkind, Neil Dick, Jerry Rubin, my brother Ira, Stewie Falk, Gus LaRocca, Victor Abramowitz and Ralph Solimano were on the team.

In JHS 123 Arnie was in class 9-1. Mr. Winters was the homeroom teacher. I suppose that is where he learned how to play the trumpet which he continued into James Monroe HS.  Class 9-1 was a “music class” as was 9-2, Mrs. Fenster’s class that I was in. We weren’t “cool” since our class 9-2 played “string instruments.” Arnie was in the band performances. Music was an important part of the lives of students in these two classes.

We had a lousy football season in our Monroe senior year in 1960. We beat Evander the first game of the season and lost the rest of the games.   Arnie has a big smile in the football team photo in the 1961 yearbook. He is also in the team picture of the Monroe baseball team. I think Arnie and Gus Kourkoulis were the only two guys who were on both teams. In retrospect this was quite an accomplishment. I remember Arnie also played baseball in the summer leagues where many of the great players that came out of the neighborhood developed their skills.

I had lost track of Arnie during the past few decades, I guess fate didn’t intend for our paths to cross again but, I am saddened to hear of his passing especially since, his life was shortened by the same disease that took my mother when she was only 60 years old.

Those who graduated with the James Monroe class of 1961 have had 54 years to develop new relationships and meet new people. Many times you cannot match the name with the face of thousands of people who pass through your life but Arnie was one of those people whose memory is so vivid that it stays with those who knew him. Perhaps this is due to a fearlessness he possessed that not everyone has. Or, perhaps his intensity in sports causes his memory to be crystal clear in the minds of those who were on the playing field with him. I hope this strength comforted Arnie in his final days.

My condolences go out to his family.   

Joel (Iskowitz) Ives

I played in the backfield with Donny.  He was a great player and was one of the Co-Captains of the football team. Donny, Wayne Irby and Richie Salter were "honorable mention" on the all-city squads.  The 1961 yearbook has a "leaping" photo of him in a game and also a photo of him receiving a trophy from coach Joe Consagra.  He sometimes hung out on Bronx River Avenue where I would see him outside school.  Even after all this time away from Monroe HS, (54 years +/-) I recall that he was easy to talk to, fun to be with and, one of those people in your past who you could only say good things about. Unfortunately, he hasn't been around for so many years and didn't live a full life.

Joel (Iskowitz) Ives