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Lewis Heyman on Sourcing Gemstones, Post-Retirement PlansHe retired last month after 28 years traveling the world to source the very best gemstones for his family’s jewelry business, Oscar Heyman.
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Ira Wilson, Patriarch of Wilson & Son Jewelers, Dies at 81
He passed away surrounded by family after a five-year battle with leukemia.
Scarsdale, N.Y.—Longtime New York jeweler Ira Wilson died Wednesday after a five-year battle with leukemia.
He was 81.
Wilson was a third-generation jeweler. His grandfather, Morris Wilson, opened the family store, Wilson & Son Jewelers, in 1905.
Wilson worked in the jewelry business for seven decades, scaling back his involvement but never really retiring until about a year ago when his illness became more advanced.
He was on the board of the New York State Jewelers Association and, outside of the industry, was involved with his local Rotary Club and the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce.
He is survived by his wife, Lynne, his high school sweetheart to whom he was married for 60 years; two sons, Matthew (Barbara) and Michael (Tara); one daughter, Amy Soravilla (Danny); eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Wilson & Son Jewelers (@wilsonandson) on Feb 5, 2020 at 4:06am PST
Matthew and Michael Wilson run Wilson & Son Jewelersin Scarsdale, New York today, representing the fourth generation of family in the business.
The store was closed Wednesday through Saturday to “honor the life of our father,” the store posted on its website and social media accounts.
Services for Ira Wilson are scheduled to take place today at 12:30 at Temple Beth Abraham in Tarrytown, New York.
Shiva will commence immediately following the service and burial, commencing at 5:30 p.m.
It will take place again on Saturday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made in Wilson’s memory to the White Plains Hospital Medical Center or Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
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