LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Borscht Belt matriarch
Helen Kutsher, distinguished citizen and devoted member of her community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Helen Kutsher died on Saturday, March 23, 2013, at the age of
89; and
WHEREAS, Helen Kutsher, a 1944 graduate of SUNY Delhi's hospitality
program and the face of her family-owned resort in the Catskill Moun-
tains for decades, spent much of her life in Monticello, New York, in a
house on the grounds of Kutsher's Country Club; while the region was
open to any and all visitors, the Borscht Belt was so named due to the
largely Jewish-American clientele that made the Catskills the primary
vacation destination for Jews in the northeastern United States; and
WHEREAS, Helen Kutsher's family owned Kutsher's Country Club for more
than 100 years, maintaining the resort while other prominent ones in the
area had closed down; the family still owns the resort, though it was
leased three years ago to another operator; and
WHEREAS, Helen Kutsher and her husband, Milton, who died in 1998,
operated the resort together; Helen focused on the upkeep of the resort
and was its gracious hostess, while Milton handled the business side;
and
WHEREAS, Many years ago, Milton Kutsher hired an athletic director, a
young Red Auerbach, who went on to fame as the championship coach of the
NBA Boston Celtics; in addition, he hired a young Wilt Chamberlain as a
bellhop, and the couple stayed friends with the NBA Hall of Famer until
his death in 1999; and
WHEREAS, The resort featured performers such as Milton Berle, Mel
Brooks, Joan Rivers, Jackie Mason, Jerry Seinfeld, Harry Belafonte,
Billy Crystal and Tony Bennett, celebrities that the Kutshers came to
know well and could call on to entertain if needed; and
WHEREAS, Helen Kutsher distinguished herself in her profession and by
her sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
her community; and
WHEREAS, Helen Kutsher's commitment to excellence, and her spirit of
humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charita-
ble and civic endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Helen Kutsher is survived by her children, Mark, Mady and
Karen as well as her seven grandchildren, Zach, Jennifer, Matthew,
Rachel, Rebecca, Sara and Josh, along with her four great-grandchildren,
Charlie, Eva, Brett and Samuel; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Helen Kutsher 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 Borscht Belt matriarch Helen Kutsher, 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 Helen Kutsher.