Irving Wiggs

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Irving Wiggs, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, on October 20, 2008. He was 94 years old. He is the proud father of three sons, Dr. Robert Maslansky, Paul Maslansky, and Michael, who passed away. A proud grandfather of eight and a proud great-grandfather of seven. He also has one niece, Grace Wiggs, and one nephew, Dr. Richard Wiggs. He graduated valedictorian. Graduating from NYU, he held a BA and a MA. He did his graduate work at the School of Education. He started on his Ph.D. at Columbia, Teacher's College. He was a Secondary School Teacher and Guidance Counselor. After that, he was at Lewis County High Schools for just a year. He created New York's first guidance program for rural counties, and it is being used today. Family death necessitated leaving to take over family business, the Hudson View Hotel in Haverstraw, New York. He was manager of the Hotel and Golf Club. There, he met his late wife, Beatrice Plosky Wiggs. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1942 as an Apprentice Seaman; he came out as Lieutenant. He was Destroyer CIC officer, with five battle stars. In his final month, he was Acting Captain of the Navy's largest WWII destroyer. He was BuPers, where he initiated Navy's enlisted classification program. He was president of Bergen Mall, New Jersey, and Peck's, Kansas City, Missouri, White Department Store Division. He was V.P. and General Manager at Gimbel's of the 9-store division in the New York Metro Area. His last three years were the best in New York division's history. He was a workaholic and a true gentleman. He was a golf-pro and tennis champion and the recipient of many outstanding awards. Gloria Stevens Wiggs married him in 1984, and that marriage lasted nearly 25 years.