Joel L. Goldberg

Joel Lawrence Goldberg, beloved husband of Rose and father of Louis and Eve, and the designer-builder of many beautiful Hudson Valley homes, died at his home in Rhinebeck, New York on the evening of Friday, August 27, 2010, most likely of heart failure. He was 66 years old. Born in Brooklyn, NY, to Louis Goldberg and Mary Goldberg (ne Rossinksy), Joel graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1961. He was a guitarist for several bands, playing NYC clubs like Trude Heller's, and sometimes touring the country, before he met Rosemary back in Brooklyn. Joel then shifted gears from music to architecture, taking classes at Pratt Institute and working at architect Richard Dattner's fledgling firm in Manhattan. The couple married in 1969 and their children Louis and Eve were born in 1974 and 1977, respectively. Rose and Joel moved up to the Hudson Valley with the kids in 1978 where they have lived ever since, designing and building houses together. Joel was a devoted, loving husband and father who worked very hard to provide for and protect his family. He loved hunting deer a pursuit which brought him closer to nature and spoke to his soul, visiting the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, learning about Mayan history and culture, spending time at the beach, fishing, working with clay, being silly, watching the Godfather movies, Goodfellas, and the Sopranos (he was a fan of all things Italian), collecting knives, and coming up with delicious, new ways to prepare the venison he brought to the table. He will be especially remembered for the beautiful, one-of-a-kind homes he built in Lanesville, Bearsville, Riverbee, Shokan, Rhinecliff, and Rhinebeck photos of many of these homes can be seen at www.rossfox.com. Joel is survived by his wife, Rosemary Fox of Rhinebeck, NY, his son, Louis Fox of Berkeley, CA and his daughter, Eve Fox of Woodstock, NY, his daughter-in-law, Juliana Birnbaum-Fox of Berkeley, CA, his son-in-law, Rahmiel Rechtschaffen of Woodstock, NY, his grandchildren, Lila and Serenne Fox of Berkeley, CA, and Will Fox-Rechtschaffen of Woodstock, NY, as well as his cousin, Roberta Russell of Inglewood, NY and his cousin, Ira Goldberg of NJ. Joel was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Mary Goldberg. A memorial gathering will be held on Sunday, September 5 from 1-5 PM at Rose and Joel's home in Rhinebeck. Relatives and friends are welcome to attend. Call 845-516-4346 for more information.