Obituary of Manush Raship

Manush Raship, much loved father of Carolyn and Michael, died in his sleep on April 8, 2023, nine days before his 92nd birthday.

Matty (as he was called by his family) was born in New York City on April 17, 1931, the oldest son of Bill and Mary Raship. He was raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and later the Bronx, graduating from Stuyvesant High School in 1949. After a tour with the US Navy, he returned home to New York, earning his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering, all from New York University, along with many academic honors. During this time, he worked in the IBM Labs at NYU, participating in and contributing to the start of the modern computer age. After a successful career in private industry he returned to academia, teaching engineering and robotics at Hofstra University for many years. Never losing sight of new innovations in his chosen field, he taught an elective HTML and CSS class to undergraduates when he was in his seventies.

Matty was happily married to Virginia Gorman (1930-2016) for over 56 years. He and Virginia made their home in Great Neck, NY, where they raised their two children, Michael and Carolyn. In his free time Matty led walking tours in New York City and throughout his life continued to engage in intellectual pursuits, reading classics of literature with a monthly book club for over 20 years and beginning the study of the French language while he was in his seventies. He was devoted to his parents, his younger brother Hal, and his wife and children. He will be remembered by all who knew him for his independence of thought, his gentle sense of humor, and his kindness.