ROBERT FELDMAN OBITUARY

FELDMAN–Robert Alan. Robert “Bob” Feldman died peacefully at home in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, May 22. He was 85, and a lifelong non-conformist. Bob was born on May 13, 1937, and grew up in Forest Hills, NY. At age 15, when his parents (Betty and Sidney) agreed his horizons needed broadening, Bob ventured to Andover, MA, and attended Phillips Academy for his final two years of high school. Bob forever cherished his time at Andover, and especially his time playing in the student jazz band, the Aces (led by Bob’s dear friend, Dutch Wolff). Following Andover, Bob attended Brown University, at which he began to hone his non-conformist skills by never declaring a major, yet somehow graduating magna cum laude and Phi Betta Kappa. While at Brown, Bob met his first wife (Linda Blackman Feldman). Bob went on to Yale Law School, and after graduation, he took a job as an enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission. In hindsight, that employer/employee pairing is beyond comical: it never had a chance (but, in fairness, no job that included a “boss” had any real chance). After his brief stint on the government payroll, Bob joined his father in the book publishing business and, when one thing led to another, Bob – fittingly – set out on his own and, in 1970, founded Parasol Press, a publisher of fine-art limited edition prints and photographs. Through the years, Parasol Press published the works of numerous artists – virtually all of whom Bob counted as close friends. The Parasol roster included world-renowned artists, such as Mel Bochner, Richard Estes, Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, Brice Marden, Agnes Martin, Robert Ryman, and Wayne Theibaud, among many others. Parasol Press is often credited with introducing a generation of Minimalist and Conceptual artists to printmaking. Parasol also published the works of world-renowned photographers, such as Ansel Adams and Bernice Abbott. One of the things Bob loved most about his publishing gig was that it provided him the freedom to pursue his many other passions, one of which was volunteering as a youth soccer coach. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Bob could be found organizing and encouraging young soccer players on fields scattered across Scarsdale, NY, where he lived from 1968 until the late 1990s. During this time, Bob was also a fixture on the sidelines cheering, with great pride and enthusiasm, for his children (Andrea, Stephen and Karen) while they competed in various sports. Bob eventually migrated west and relocated to Portland, OR, where he lived happily for the past two decades with his second wife (Julia Mangold) and their daughter (Hannah). While in Portland, an idea that had been percolating in Bob’s head for nearly 40 years became a reality in 2014: in collaboration with Dartmouth College mathematics professor Dan Rockmore, Bob published the unique and highly regarded Concinnitas portfolio, in which ten really smart – as in Fields medal and Nobel prize smart – mathematicians and physicists were asked to transcribe their “most beautiful mathematical expression.” The results are stunning (and, we assume, accurate). There is so much more to say about Bob, like how he was an incredibly loyal and supportive friend, like how he was an amazing father to all his children (and grandfather to Zachary, Sophie, Rocco, Lucy and Chloe), like how his cleverness and wit were off the charts, like how he had an endless supply of ideas (some of which were even decent), like how he played the saxophone, piano, flute and ukulele (not all at once, as far as we know), like how he had an irrepressible, upbeat spirit, and like how he lived life to the fullest (and managed to complete more than 33,000 crossword puzzles along the way).

Published by New York Times on May 29, 2022.
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MEMORIES & CONDOLENCES
FOR ROBERT FELDMAN

16 Entries

Thank you Bob for making Portland a wonderful place to land. Appreciate your friendship will miss you.

Richard Tullis
June 24, 2022

Bob and I met sixteen years ago when he spoke at an exhibition of Photorealist prints from my collection. We have remained long distance friends since then, even acquiring art from each other. I will miss those interactions.
My very best to Bob’s family.

James W. Hyams
June 22, 2022

Bob was one of the finest people I met in my decades in the art business. warm, kind, smart, funny, fair and very present. He will really be missed. My husband passed away in 2019, Bob wrote the most beautiful note. He was a great person, a real friend and fine art dealer. My sympathies are with you. Bob will be really missed. All Best, Kathy komaroff goodman

kathy komaroff goodman
June 17, 2022

Robert (Bob) Valdes
June 10, 2022

Memories of free time afternoons watching Buster Keaton movies with an in person piano player near my studio on Laight St. Bob was gifted with selecting interesting people to attend his lunches and/or dinners. Always filled with intelligent conversation and so much laughter. I loved his quips-when I told him of loosing sight in my one eye, he responded, if the other one goes, then you can always get a job as an art critic! Bob never lost his youthful spirit, was generous by nature and I loved him dearly.

Robert (Bob) Valdes
June 10, 2022
Sadly missed – an eye, a heart, a mind.
Our condolences to his family.
Nicholas. Oxford, England.
June 6, 2022

Felix Harlan
June 5, 2022

Being chosen by Bob Feldman to print for Parasol Press was a happy event for any workshop. Bob Feldman was the ideal publisher in many ways. Always fair in his dealings, judicious with oversight, and skillful at easing things along with humor and wit.
Bob was special and he will be missed.
My condolences to his family.