Thursday, March 20, 2025
Nathaniel Lazan, husband of Holocaust survivor and author Marion Blumenthal Lazan died on Jan. 26. He was 92.
At 44, he had a stroke that paralyzed half of his body that he was able to overcome and assume regular activities. He was diagnosed with cancer of the bile duct six years ago, and had surgery at 87 that removed a portion of his pancreas, his duodenum, the first part of the small intestine, his gallbladder, part of the bile duct and nearby lymph nodes and tissues from the abdomen. The surgical procedure helped him beat the cancer.
Lazan was born in the Rockaways and grew up in the Averne section until he was 13. His family moved to Woodsburgh and he attended Woodmere High School — now Hewlett High School — and then went to Bradley University in Illinois.
He served as a pilot in the Air Force and was one of the owners of Selby Fifth Avenue, a chain of shoe stores.
“He always was careful to do the right thing and do it immediately,” Michael Lazan, son wrote in an email.
Lazan’s legacy lives on in the Five Towns as he was one of the founders of Young Israel of Hewlett that began in the basement of his home and they held services there everyday for two years.
“He always took Davening very seriously, assiduously saying every word out loud,” Michael wrote.
He was devoted to Judaism, the Jewish people and a supporter of Israel. He volunteered at an army base for six weeks, during the Lebanon War in 1982.
Lazan was the eyes behind the lens, as he was Marion’s scheduler, social media manager and fan mail manager for all of her speaking engagements.
His wife, Marion Blumenthal Lazan, his children, David and Lisa Lazan, Robert and Susan Weinberg and Michael and Rachel Lazan, survives him. Along with his grandchildren — Arielle and Moshe Spern, Joshua and Alyssa Weinberg, Gavriel Lazan, Dahlia and Gilad Kessler, Yoav and Noa Lazan, Jordan Lazan, Hunter Lazan, Ian Lazan, and Kasey Lazan.
He is also survived by his great grandchildren — Kerem Kessler, Leah Spern, Rachel Spern, Ahuva Spern, Esther Spern, Chaya Spern, Atara Spern, Rebecca Weinberg, Yehudis Weinberg, Shoshana Weinberg, Be’eri Lazan, Rimon Lazan, Ayala Lazan.
“Dad, we love you and we will miss you,” Michael wrote.
A funeral was held at Boulevard-Riverside Chapels, in Hewlett, on Jan. 27. He was buried at Old Montefiore Cemetery, in Elmont.
The family is asking for donations to be made to the Israel Chesed Center, in Hewlett in his memory.
