Madelin Alk, died Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at her Manhattan home at age 96. A native New Yorker, Madelin lived a life of passion and activism.
A graduate of Ethical Culture Fieldston school and Antioch College, Madelin’s career was varied. She was an editor at Collier’s Magazine, a teacher and a human resources expert at CitiBank.
She proudly advocated on behalf of the LGBT community, and was predeceased by her longtime partner Renee Rosenfeld.
A highlight was meeting President Barack Obama at the White House with Renee and a group of lesbian and gay activists from SAGE. She was a devoted family member to her extended family, and a loyal friend as well.
The daughter of the late Ben and Ray Alk, Madelin loved being a New Yorker and enjoyed all of the benefits, relishing visits to art museums even when she lost her vision.
She is survived by her niece, Malvina Alk Craig (Thomas Craig) and their son Edward; her cousins Nancy Braus (Rich Geidel), Pat Braus (Edwin Lopez) Paul Braus and Peter Braus (Kaija Braus); her cousin Barbara Samuelson; and her good friends Karen Kissane, Karen Kasen, Sandy Bowers, and Arthur Freeman. Her nephew Christopher Alk predeceased her, as did her brother Alfred Alk and sister-in-law Celine Alk. She is also survived by Renee’s children, Linda Rosenfield and Roberta Lichtenberg.
A memorial event will be held in January. Contributions can be made to The Central Park Conservancy, The High Line or the Metropolitan Museum of Art.