Mort Darrow passed away on Saturday November 21st at Stonebridge Senior
Community, Montgomery, New Jersey from complications stemming from a
soft tissue sarcoma and Parkinson’s disease. He was 94 years old, as is his
surviving spouse Maureen Darrow, who sat with him as he died painlessly in
his sleep.
A longtime Princeton resident, Mort taught at the university following the
completion of his PhD at Columbia. Repelled by the anti-semitism he
encountered, he leapt at the chance to help elect a democratic governor, who
offered him a cabinet post once in office. Mort was 28 years old.
Throughout his life, Dr. Darrow progressed at an accelerated pace due to his
extraordinary intelligence. He entered college at the age of 15. Following his
political career, his rise to becoming a vice-president at Prudential Insurance
was meteoric. While there, he became a renowned futurist, giving
extemporaneous, humorous keynote speeches and presentations at major
conferences around the world. Once he retired from an executive position,
Mort founded a consulting firm whose clients included cities, state
governments, universities, and corporations.
Mort was born and raised in Brooklyn, the son of immigrant parents –
Russian Jews from a small town in Ukraine. The family was poor and
frequently moved as their small businesses failed. Education freed him,
beginning at Townsend Harris, a school for gifted children. Mort served in
the US army stateside during World War Two, held back by vision and foot
issues. With the GI bill, he was able to pursue a serious academic career,
where he met the love of his life, Maureen Grace Sullivan, a teacher in
training from the Bronx. Their connection transcended their disparate
backgrounds and it didn’t hurt that his future wife resembled Snow White,
and has retained her outer and inner beauty throughout her life.
The couple produced two children, Nancy Whiteside of Brunswick, Maine,
and Marc Darrow of Aptos, California, both of whom pursued successful
careers as psychotherapists. Mort is also survived by a nephew he helped
raise – Robert Goldberg of Livingston, NJ, whose entire family has cared for
the Darrows during their recent medical challenges – and for decades before.
He is survived by two other nephews as well – Richard Goldberg and Charles
Goldberg. Mort and Maureen have one grandson, Daniel Whiteside of
Brunswick, Maine, who has clearly inherited Mort’s intellect.
In lieu of a memorial service, perhaps anyone who had the pleasure of
knowing him can simply reflect on Mort’s kindness, generosity, humor,
authenticity, integrity, and incredible knowledge base. He touched the lives of
many people, often helping them in ways they couldn’t have imagined. A lot
of obituaries make claims such as these. In Mort’s case, they are simply facts -
ask anyone whom he inspired to become a better person as he role-modeled traits we all admire.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Mercer Street Friends, 151 Mercer Street, Trenton, NJ 08611.
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