Mr. Jeremiah Avins

August 28, 1932 - April 17, 2018

Jeremiah Avins, born August 28, 1932, in New York City, lived in Kendall Park, NJ, for the past 57 years. His house, which has no basement or attic, is as full of relics of his interests, family, and history as his conversation was full of technical know-how, support for the underdog, and original thought. Avins spent most of his career as an electrical engineer at RCA Labs Princeton. One of his more interesting projects was to recreate the technology that underlay a patent granted to RCA years before – using only the techniques and materials known at that time. He developed many patents. Avins served for decades on the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority and later its oversight committee, where he was proud to work with colleagues across the political spectrum who were as committed to smart solutions as he was. He was responsible for saving the authority significant money in the way that bonds were issued. He enjoyed referring to himself as a shit commissioner. Avins enjoyed making jewelry, and for many years taught jewelry-making classes for members of the South Brunswick community. Later in life, he was an avid member of the Yiddish club at the South Brunswick Senior Center. He enjoyed making many sorts of things, from model steam engines to a variety of useful gadgets. He was a pied piper of other people’s broken treasures, and saved neighbors and friends countless bills for repair. Avins is survived by his four children, Dvd, Jon, Joe (Kat), and Miriam Avins (Keith Pardue), and his grandchildren Isabelle Avins, Nina Avins, Skylar and Rivkah Pardue, and Tom Pile, as well as his life partner, Shen Silvey. He was predeceased in 1989 by Ann Avins, and in 1999 by Carolyn Avins. Donations can be made to the Southern Poverty Law Center or to Baltimore Green Space.