Louis Sepersky

Louis Sepersky served from 1960 to 1966 in the 77th Infantry Division of the United States Army Reserve, and achieved the rank of Specialist 5.

A passionate New Yorker and lifelong civic activist, Mr. Sepersky was a member of Manhattan Community Board Six for over 50 years, serving as Board Chair, chair of many committees, and Parliamentarian. He was instrumental in the construction of Sutton Place Park, Stuyvesant Cove Park, and the East Midtown Greenway, as well as the expansion of Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza. Founding a citizen’s initiative in 1997, he also helped renew interest in the long-delayed full build of the Second Avenue subway, and played a pivotal role in obtaining federal funding.

Mr. Sepersky’s photo of former Congressman Ted Weiss graces the Ted Weiss Federal Building in Lower Manhattan. He was the Historian of Manhattan’s Sixth Community District, and was twice a Democratic candidate for the State Senate in 1980 and 1982. He served as Senior Vice President of the American Jewish Congress, on the Board of Americans for Democratic Action, and as a Memberat-Large of the NAACP. He worked with a coalition of activists to pass the New York State Hate Crimes Bill, and he was a member of the Jewish War Veterans - Stuyvesant Cooper Post 235.

Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Sepersky graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Drake University in 1957. While there, he lobbied for the Amalgamated Packinghouse Workers-Fair Employment Practices Act, which later became law. He achieved his Master’s degree in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1960.

Leida Snow, Mr. Sepersky’s wife of over 41 years, said that he was on the right side of every important issue. He was one of those who went to Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964 to register African-American voters. His letter advocating for a woman’s right to choose was published in 1982, and his take on congestion pricing, published in The New York Times in 2007, is still salient.

During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Sepersky and his wife chose to stay in New York City while many others left. Mr. Sepersky loved walking in the  City and dedicated his life to making a difference. He died at home on September
18, 2023.