Irwin Flescher

Dr. Irwin Flescher, 95, of Raleigh, NC, passed away peacefully in his apartment on Tuesday December 28, 2021 with family at his side. For nearly 50 years, Irwin Flescher, Ph.D. was a committed and esteemed clinical psychologist. He loved his work and spent his life helping others, not only as a private psychotherapist, school psychologist, and author, but also as a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, friend, and colleague.

Irwin was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 12, 1926 to the late Max Flescher and Gussie (Spiegel) Flescher. After graduating high school during the height of WWII, Irwin enlisted in the military and entered basic training in the Army Air Corps in July 1944. He advanced to become a radar specialist in high altitude bombardment and spent months in secret radio training at a variety of air bases around the United States (he was required to burn his notes after each day). He was training for "Operation Olympic", the invasion of the Japanese mainland, when the war ended. He then served in Japan with the occupying forces.

After the war, Irwin entered college on the G.I. Bill, graduating from Long Island University in 1949, and receiving a masters degree from New York University in 1950. He was a staff psychologist at the Bureau of Child Guidance in New York City, and later received his doctorate in School Psychology from Columbia University in 1960. From 1960-1986 he served as a school psychologist in the East Williston school district on Long Island and from 1962-2009 he was in private practice in Roslyn Heights, NY. In the 1970’s, he was an Adjunct Associate Professor at C.W. Post Graduate School, Long Island University.

A recognized leader in his field, Dr Flescher served as president of the Nassau County Psychological Association (NCPA) from 1972-1973 and as chairman of the Nassau Psychological Services Institute (NPSI) from 1975-1997. He was proud of overseeing community service projects run by NPSI for over two decades, including NPSI's management of professional volunteers providing pro bono psychological services to those in need.

He will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, sense of humor, enjoyment of puns and number games, keen intelligence, and lifelong love of poetry. He became a published poet at age 14 when his poem "We Are The Hope" won an award from his high school newspaper. He continued to write and publish poems for eighty years, including poetry in the “The Lyric” magazine in 2021. He authored two books: “Children in the Learning Factory”, about humanizing the education system, and “Wearing Thin”.

Irwin was preceded in death by Adele, his beloved wife of 59 years (www.59sweetyears.com) and is survived by his children, Jonathan Flescher, MD, Mark Flescher, Ph.D. (Maria Kechaidis), and Judy Starkman; his grandchildren Samuel Flescher, LCSW (Alyssa Pilkons), Max Flescher, Eleni Flescher, Brian Starkman, MD, Aaron Starkman, and Jason Starkman; and his great grandson Oz Pilkonsflescher.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at Mount Ararat Cemetery (1165 Route 109, Lindenhurst, NY 11757). In Lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh, NC, or to Teachers College Columbia University, NY.