By Howard M. Riell
Erica Tishman’s death was tragic, and her husband’s eulogy was heartbreaking.
Steven Tishman spoke eloquently about his wife, who was killed at the age of 60 when she was hit by a falling piece of building masonry during a walk in Midtown Manhattan.
To the 2,000 mourners inside an Upper East Side synagogue who attended the funeral, Tishman said, “She packed 100 years of love and friendship and activities into 60 years. She lived a full life and she had no regrets at all. I have been in love with her from the very first day that I met her in Princeton, in October 1978.”
He continued, “Our love was unconditional and pure. We had an incredible marriage. We never took a day off from each other in 37 years of marriage. The greatest gift that Erica ever gave me, other than my children, was my wedding ring. I truly believe that I hit the jackpot. You don’t know this but from every morning from the day that we met — every day since 1982 — told her that I loved her and I took her face in my hands and kissed her before I left for work every day.
“For 37 years we did that every day. And Erica would always say that that particular kiss wasn’t good enough. It was our little joke, that she wanted another kiss. Those were the last words she said to me on Tuesday before she passed away. I will never be able to do that again.”
The funeral took place within the confines of the Central Synagogue at Lexington Avenue and 55th Street. Tishman was killed at West 49th Street and Seventh Avenue.
“A lifelong New Yorker and mother of three adult children, she died just 10 minutes from the Zubatkin Owner Representation construction project management firm where she had served as vice president,” reported The New York Post. “The Harvard grad was walking past 729 Seventh Ave. when a piece of its facade broke free and fatally struck her. The tower had been cited in April for “failure to maintain exterior building facade and appurtenances,” according to city building records. Protective scaffolding has since been erected around the building, where a worker described the facade’s limestone and stucco as “just crumbling.”
In the aftermath of the accident, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson called for an investigation. “This was a tragedy, and I am devastated for Ms. Tishman and the loved ones and friends she leaves behind. We need a full investigation into how this happened, and all those responsible need to be held accountable. We need to hear loud and clear from the Department of Buildings what they are doing in terms of enforcement to ensure that New Yorkers do not have to fear death from above due to crumbling and mismanaged buildings.”