Jack Goldstein

Jack Goldstein

March 5, 1949 — June 16, 2023

Cold Spring

Jack Goldstein, 74, of Cold Spring, NY, died of cardiac arrest on June 16, 2023. After working for decades in Washington, DC, and New York City, he made his home in Cold Spring. He and Pete, his cocker spaniel companion, were a daily sight around the village. With intelligence, a sharp wit, and a strong sense of integrity, he worked tirelessly on the local and national levels for the advancement of community and society.

Jack was born in Jersey City, NJ, studied at the University of California at Berkeley, and graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He was a lifelong learner who relished trivia and studied world history, architecture, antiques, and theater.

He began his professional life in Washington, DC, as Assistant to the Director of Programs Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. He moved to New York City, where he served as Executive Director of Save the Theaters. Jack led the campaign to landmark and protect 27 Broadway theaters. These efforts were inspired by the demolition of the historic Helen Hayes and Morosco Theaters in 1982. He later held positions at Actors’ Equity Association and was the Executive Director of the Theater Development Fund. 

He was a collector of ephemera, antiques, and other quirks. He had an innate eye for quality and value — historical, artistic, cultural, and monetary. He was a trusted and knowledgeable advisor to friends as well as other collectors. His close friends would say that he was better than Google.

Jack had antique businesses in Rehoboth Beach, DE., and on Main Street in Cold Spring. When he closed those locations, he created an online business, JLG Art & Antiques. His collection included items which, as he said, “should tell a story and spark a feeling. They should connect you to the places they come from and the people who made them.” 

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph D. Goldstein M.D. and Thelma (Ginsberg) Goldstein; brother Neil; and sister Frances Goldstein Bensinger.

Jack is survived by his brother Leonard W. Goldstein; brother-in-law Thomas A. Bensinger M.D.; nieces, the Hon. Bonnie Lee Goldstein (David Smalling), Sharon Louise, and Genevieve M. Bensinger M.D. (Yannek Leiderman); nephews, Hollis G. Goldstein (Brenda), Steven J. Bensinger V.M.D. (Moira Day), Andrew G. Bensinger, and Nathaniel Goldstein (Coral). Jack leaves behind an extended group of friends whose lives he touched in untold ways.