LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Lila Diringer, distin-
guished citizen and devoted member of her community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize those
individuals of preeminent character whose lives exemplified the highest
ideals of humanity and whose lifework and civic endeavor served to
enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great State of
New York; and
WHEREAS, Lila Diringer, a longtime Freeport resident and founding
Director of the Long Island Arts Council, New York, died on August 16,
2010, at the age of 84; and
WHEREAS, Lila Diringer distinguished herself in her profession and by
her sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
her community; and
WHEREAS, A native of Queens and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of New York
University, Lila Diringer and her late husband, Owen "Buddy", moved to
Freeport, New York in 1952; they raised five children and were deeply
involved in the local community; and
WHEREAS, Lila Diringer had a lifelong passion for the arts; she intro-
duced thousands of children to art and art history as a teacher for more
than 20 years at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County in West Hempstead
and Uniondale; and
WHEREAS, In 1974, Lila became Executive Director of the newly formed
Freeport Arts Council; under her leadership, the Council became one of
Long Island's premier arts organizations, offering classes for local
residents, providing support to local artists, and presenting a wide
array of musical and theatrical performances; she continued to serve the
organization, later renamed the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport,
long after her retirement in 1991; and
WHEREAS, Lila Diringer's commitment to excellence, and her spirit of
humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charita-
ble and civic endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Lila Diringer was also a devoted member of the Jewish commu-
nity, volunteering through the local Hadassah chapter and serving in
1997-99 as president of the Baldwin Jewish Center; and
WHEREAS, In recent years, Lila Diringer pursued an avid interest in
archeology, becoming a self-taught expert in Biblical archeology and
serving as chair of the Biblical Study Group of the Long Island Society
of the Archaeological Institute of America; and
WHEREAS, She was supported in her many endeavors by her husband of 59
years, Buddy, who was president of Inscom Electronics of Freeport and
died in April 2009; and
WHEREAS, Lila Diringer is survived by her sister, Florence Halbright;
her sons, David (Michal), Michael (Allyson), Joel and Elliot (Laurie);
her daughter, Lissie (Lee); and her grandchildren, Nadav, Yael, Asaf,
Daniel, Ben, Sarah, Ty, Kaia, Charles and Josh; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Lila Diringer leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all she served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Lila Diringer, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of her community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Lila Diringer.