Obituary of Stephen A. Resnick

Stephen Allan Resnick, a resident of Cazenovia, NY for almost 50 years, died peacefully at home on October 27, 2024, at the age of 82. He was born on May 27, 1942 to Irene (Gabowitz) and Alec Resnick of Gardner, Massachusetts, where he graduated from Gardner High School in 1960. He was cherished by his parents and enjoyed a tight-knit community growing up among extended family and Congregation Ohave Shalom. After working at Heywood-Wakefield during summers in high school, he attended Massachusetts College of Art, earning a degree in commercial art in 1964. He met Carol Frances Mancini while working at Giardini/Russell Advertising in Boston. They married in 1966 in Rockport, Massachusetts and welcomed their first child, Elise, in 1967. Stephen and Carol returned to Carol’s hometown of Syracuse, New York, later that year. After serving in the Army National Guard during the Vietnam War, he became an art teacher in Syracuse public schools. The family moved to Cazenovia, NY in 1976, after Stephen transformed his lifelong interest in stamps and historical memorabilia into a burgeoning business. His professional life was guided by an entrepreneurial spirit and strong sense of responsibility to his family, which welcomed a second child, Alexandra, in 1987. Stephen and Carol became prominent dealers in ephemera and rare books over the following decades as founding members of the Ephemera Society of America, associates of prominent institutions across the US, and mentors and collaborators to younger generations of dealers. Stephen was devoted to his wife Carol, his two daughters, and the most recent addition to his family, his grandson, Oren. He loved nothing more than having a house full of the sounds of his family, reading with his grandson, and visiting with his friends and colleagues. A deeply loyal friend, he invested in sustaining friendships near and far over many decades, traveling regularly throughout the Northeast and enjoying daily phone calls with those closest to him. He was not only an inveterate collector, but a wonderful storyteller. He was generous with his personal memories, sharing stories with his children of everything from 1960s protests to his first dates with Carol. His tales of great finds were legendary, as was his insatiable love of the hunt. A custodian of knowledge about the evolution of the rare book and ephemera field, his contribution to those communities cannot be underestimated. In business, as in life, he was above all fair and generous with his knowledge and expertise. He worked closely with a number of institutions and individuals to support the development of unique collections, meanwhile adding to his own impressive collections over decades. His loss is immeasurable to his family and friends, and to the stamp and rare book and ephemera world. Stephen is survived by his daughters, Elise Resnick of San Diego, CA, and Alexandra (Alex) Poterack of Providence, RI and his grandson, Oren Poterack. He will be buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Cazenovia, NY and a memorial service will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ephemera Society of America. Condolences for Stephen's family may be left at www.michaelebrownfuneralservices.com.