Senate Resolution No. 2545
BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS
MOURNING the death of Si Spiegel, dedicated father
and grandfather, meritorious veteran, and
distinguished member of his community
WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our community and have had a measurable positive
impact on the lives of its residents; Si Spiegel was one such
individual; and
WHEREAS, It is with profound sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Si Spiegel, noting the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel died on Sunday, January 21, 2024, at the age of
99; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel was born in Manhattan, New York on May 28, 1924,
to Massia (Perlman) and David Spiegel; and
WHEREAS, The son of Jewish immigrants who came to the United States
from Eastern Europe, Si Spiegel was raised in a religious neighborhood
in Brooklyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel graduated from the Straubenmuller Textile High
School in Manhattan, New York in May 1942 and enlisted in the United
States Army four months later; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from aircraft mechanics school at
Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, Si Spiegel underwent
additional training at Mitchel Field to become an aviation cadet; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel was deployed to Eye, England as a B-17 pilot
within the 849th Bomb Squadron of the 490th Bomb Group during World War
II; and
WHEREAS, During his 33rd mission, an air raid on Berlin on February
3, 1945, Si Spiegel's aircraft was shot down, forcing him to land in
Soviet-occupied Poland; after being held by Russian troops for weeks, he
and his fellow officers used parts of their aircraft to fix another B-17
and flew to an American base in Foggia, Italy; and
WHEREAS, After returning to New York on August 31, 1945, Si Spiegel
joined folk singer Pete Seeger's Good Neighbor Chorus; and
WHEREAS, While attending the Camp Unity summer camp in Wingdale, New
York in 1949, Si Spiegel met Motoko Ikeda, the daughter of Japanese
immigrants who was incarcerated in an internment camp in Wyoming during
World War II; he and Motoko married in 1950; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel faced discrimination due to his Jewish heritage,
which prevented him from becoming a commercial pilot; he also found
difficulty keeping a machinist job due to his affiliation with the
United Electrical Workers Union, which was branded a communist
organization by the Congress of Industrial Organizations during the
height of the Red Scare; he would later become president of Local 1709
of the Machinists Union, A.F.L.-C.I.O.; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel began working for the American Brush Machinery
Corporation, based in Mount Vernon, NY, in 1954, where he operated
machines that manufactured industrial brushes from wire and other
materials; and
WHEREAS, After American Brush failed to enter the artificial
Christmas tree business, Si Spiegel developed and patented new
production techniques that helped emulate real conifer trees, leading to
success for American Brush, which would later change its name to the
American Tree and Wreath Company; and
WHEREAS, In 1981, Si Spiegel founded the Hudson Valley Tree Company;
by the end of the decade, he employed 800 workers across his offices in
Newburgh, New York and Evansville, Indiana; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel sold the Hudson Valley Tree Company in 1993; in
his retirement, he focused on philanthropy related to culture,
education, and social justice; and
WHEREAS, As both an employee and a business owner based out of the
Hudson Valley, Si Spiegel spent several decades of his life living in
Pleasantville, New York, where his philanthropy work had a tremendous
impact on his community; he spent his final years living in the Upper
West Side of Manhattan, New York, after moving there in the late 2010s;
and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel is survived by his three children, Sura Kazuko
Ono, Ray Spiegel, and Tamio Spiegel; his brother, Lee Spiegel; and his
five granddaughters; he is predeceased by his wife, Ms. Spiegel, who
became an artist and passed away in 2000; and
WHEREAS, Si Spiegel will be remembered by those who knew him as a
loving family member, a respected veteran, and an active member of his
community focused on improving others' lives; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Si Spiegel and to express its deepest condolences to
his family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Si Spiegel.
