Dorothy Lichtenstein Remembered as Leading Arts Philanthropist

Dorothy Lichtenstein, who led and served on the board of nonprofits dedicated to advancing the arts locally and beyond, died on July 4 at her home in Southampton. She was 84.

Born to Lloyd and Thelma Herzka on October 26, 1939 in Brooklyn, the Midwood High School graduate later studied art history at Beaver College, which is now known as Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. After returning to New York, she became director of the Bianchini Gallery in Manhattan, where she met her husband, pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. After his death in 1997, she cofounded the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation dedicated to the understanding of his work.

“Dorothy was a powerful model of how to be in the world,” her family wrote in her obituary. “She was kind and deeply empathic, always doing ‘the next right thing’ and treating others with patience, love and tolerance. Maximally generous and well informed about the many causes she supported, she extended her benevolence to family, friends, colleagues and employees, sharing her good fortune with all.”

She also served on the boards of the Stony Brook Foundation, the International Advisory Board of LongHouse Reserve and was a Lifetime Trustee of the Parrish Art Museum, among other organizations. The State University of New York Board of Trustees conferred her with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2014.

“Dorothy was a passionate advocate for Southampton Arts, now known as the Lichtenstein Center, as well as Stony Brook’s Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, the home and studio of artists Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner,” Stony Brook University said in a statement. “Her support helped both programs immeasurably, allowing them to fulfill their missions of inspiring and encouraging creativity.”

She is survived by her stepchildren David and Mitchell Lichtenstein, a nephew and three nieces.