Gerald Ludwig

Obituary for Gerald Ludwig (1925-2018)

Gerald Ludwig of Valhalla, New York passed Friday evening. Gerald was employed at Baker Engineering of New York for twenty years as the Chief Mechanical Engineer and later as a project manager and consultant. Gerald was born in Brooklyn in 1925 to Boris and Helen Ludwig. Gerald served in the US Navy as Electronic Technician's Mate Third Class and was the proud recipient of the American Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Medal and the Victory Medal. Gerald obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from City College of New York and was employed with the New York City Department of Transportation while he pursued his Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnic Institute now known as NYU's Tandon School of Engineering. Gerald married Eleanor Ludwig (nee Fried) in 1951 and they remained happily married for sixty years until her death in 2011. Eleanor and Gerald traveled frequently and loved the symphony and Broadway theatre. They spent their lives as New Yorkers, residing in Sheepshead Bay, Park Slope, and later relocating to White Plains in 1985. Gerald and Eleanor worshipped at Congregation Kol Ami and Gerald was proud to be a bass in the choir. Gerald had a wonderful voice and often led the family in song at Chanukah celebrations. He had a terrific sense of humor and loved to play Bridge. Eleanor was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in her twenties and Gerald became her lifelong caregiver and guardian angel. Eleanor was truly the love of his life. Gerald later became director of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation. Gerald and Eleanor resided at the Knolls (formerly Westchester Meadows) in Valhalla for the past ten years and is survived by nephews Stephen Sorkin, Robert Fried, Stuart Fried, Richard Fried and niece Barbara Dibble.