In Memory of Larry Fleischer
Dr. Lawrence Fleischer, a professor who was instrumental in developing CSUN’s Deaf Studies program, and a leader in many facets of the deaf community, died Sunday at the age of 64.
“We lost a giant,” said Dr. Genie Gertz, who has been a faculty member in the department for 14 years. “Larry was larger than life. It is a devastating loss for the deaf community here in the U.S. and all over the world. He was a pioneer, a trailblazer in the field of deaf studies who was way ahead of his time.”
Fleischer was the endnote speaker at the American Sign Language Teachers Association conference Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz., where his daughter, Flavia, an assistant professor of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies at Utah Valley University, was also a keynote speaker, Gertz said. He collapsed and went into full cardiac arrest after arriving at Bob Hope Airport Sunday evening and died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
In addition to his daughter, Fleischer is survived by his wife Vera, son Flann and granddaughter Ryssa. Affiliated with CSUN since 1972, Fleischer began by working in special education and with teachers for the deaf, Gertz said. He was considered a “major architect” of the Deaf Studies program since it began in 1975, according to a biography provided by the Deaf Studies department. “We worked well for the deaf community,” Gertz said of her working relationship with Fleischer. The program became a full-fledged department in 1994 and now has over 475 majors enrolled, Gertz said.
Excerpted from an Article by Jonathan Pobre; Published on November 03, 2009 (Daily Sundial)
About Larry Fleischer
Message from Dean Spagna:
Hello, Members of our CSUN Community.
It was with great sadness that I learned that our beloved colleague, mentor, and friend Larry Fleischer passed away unexpectedly November 1, 2009. This is a shock to all of us and a tremendous loss on so many levels-both professional and personal. I will relay more information as I receive it, including details regarding counseling for any and all who would like to avail themselves of these services. For now, through all of the grief, I would ask you to join me in taking a moment to remember a truly remarkable person, one who has touched our lives in special and unique ways.
Sincerely yours, Michael (Michael Spagna, Dean of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education)