Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz (1928-2024) passed away peacefully on May 25, 2024 at the age of 96.  Her loving daughters, Melody and Donna, sang her to her rest as she gently passed from this world.  She had been as sharp-witted as ever until a few days earlier and she parted this life as unique and individualistic as when she entered it.  She embraced life with a vibrant spirit and she leaves behind a legacy of passion, creativity, and unwavering determination.

Gladys was born on January 25, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Hyman and Sarah Goldberg Smuckler. There was always music in their home and from her earliest years Gladys loved playing the piano and possessed a beautiful soprano voice. Her family later moved to Brooklyn, where she attended elementary school and proudly won the brass medal for achievement in 6th grade.

At Erasmus Hall High School, her love for opera took root and she dreamed of performing at the Metropolitan Opera.  Despite her old-fashioned father’s disapproving views on women attending college, Gladys remained resolute in her pursuit of higher education and a career in music. She entered Brooklyn College in 1945, where she majored in Music and Education.  She often recounted how much she enjoyed life at college and, alongside her dedication to music, she led an active social life.  Always intellectually curious and passionate about social issues, she actively engaged in political activism, advocating for progressive causes during a tumultuous era in American history. She was a great beauty and won a Queen of Brooklyn College contest at the age of 19. 

At about that time, she met a tall, handsome young man named Leonard Moskowitz at a lecture on Psychiatry, which neither of them were studying. They dated briefly but Gladys was extremely ambitious and serious romance didn’t feature in her plans at that time. After graduating college in 1949 she taught music at a Hebrew kindergarten and put most of her energy into building a career as an opera singer, taking lessons from the well-known teacher, Yves Tinaire. In addition to her music, she led an exciting young life, teaching, singing and hanging out in Greenwich village.  She cut a flamboyant figure with her long earrings, flowing skirts, peasant blouses and unique second-hand clothes. She embraced left wing politics and had a unique passion for playing chess at the little tables in the park.

Fate intervened when she again crossed paths with Leonard, and, at a New Year’s Eve Party in 1952, he proposed by playing a record which he had specially made.  That record is a family heirloom.  It begins, to the sound of ringing bells, with: “Hear ye, hear ye, Leonard Moskowitz calls you all together to ask for the hand in marriage of Gladys Smuckler”. They were married in March 1952.

Leonard and Gladys made an exceptional team and created a new, wonderful career for her as the international folksinger, Gladys Young.  She was incredibly charismatic and could sing folksongs in many different languages. He would fit the translated lyrics to the music and critique her performances. She played the guitar, autoharp and drums, and wore beautiful, embroidered blouses, and occasionally native American or international costumes. They travelled by freighter to Europe, where he worked as a butcher and she performed for the passengers, and eventually to Israel, then a new country, where she performed at various kibbutzim.

In 1960, they moved to Woodbourne NY, where Gladys continued as an international folksinger, in between being a loving Mom to two energetic daughters. She was a beloved music teacher, teaching the piano, guitar and voice privately as well as teaching music in the Fallsburg Central School system. In 1964, Gladys taught music at the new Sullivan County Community College and began an arduous commute to Brooklyn College to obtain her masters degree. This also led her to Paris, to the Biblioteque Nationale and other libraries.

It was during this time that she found her true vocation – that of composer. She set several popular poems to music, and then composed her first opera, The Masque of the Red Death, based on the short Story by Edgar Allen Poe. This was the first of many operas and musical pieces that she continued working on until her death at 96. She created a body of work that has been performed nationally and internationally and she has made many friends from all over the world.

Throughout her life, Gladys remained committed to her passions, from her career as an opera singer to her advocacy for social justice. She possessed a unique flair for life, embracing her individuality with a sense of style and grace that captivated all who knew her. Her love for music, politics, and the arts enriched the lives of those around her, leaving an enduring legacy of courage, creativity, and compassion.

Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz was a truly exceptional and unique woman. She was an exceptionally gifted composer, but this was just one of her many talents. As an entertainer, her talent as a singer and her extraordinary charisma created a unique atmosphere for her audience.  But, perhaps most striking of all, was her enormous zest for life which remained with her to the end.

She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Though she may have departed this world, her spirit will continue to inspire and uplift us, reminding us to live each day with purpose, passion, and unwavering determination.

Relatives include her deceased husband Leonard Moskowitz

Her daughter Melody Buckley and her son in law Noel Buckley. 

Her daughter Donna Fork

Her granddaughters

Sonia Buckley and her husband Adrian Weaver

Michelle Buckley and her husband Colm Manning

Their son, her great grand child Leo Manning

Her great nieces

Nina Smuckler Mrose

Cheri Yuzik and her wife Kelly Jordan

Wendy Yuzik and her children Juliana, Cassiel, Michel and Jasmine, and her grandson Neako Hightower (her great great great nephew!)

Many cousins

Her dear friends of many years Anna Ratajska and Howard Barner, Dr. and Mrs. W Sidorowicz, and her cat Jakie.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless, 9 Monticello St., Monticello NY or to Catskill Animal Rescue, 263 Old Monticello Road, Ferndale, NY.

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Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz began her musical career as a singer, graduating from Brooklyn College, City University of New York with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music. Under her professional name Gladys Young she toured the United States, Europe, and Israel, as a folk singer-instrumentalist, accompanying herself on guitar, auto-harp, 300-year old lyre, and Arab drum. As a composer Ms Moskowitz has written music which glorifies the human voice, using classical, folk, and jazz elements to create beautiful “drama in music.” She has also written the libretto for two chamber operas and a two-act music drama. Her satirical chamber opera, “Chicken Little The Sky Is Falling” (based on the children’s story) was premiered by the Bluegrass Opera and Orchestra in Lexington, Kentucky. “The Fountain of Youth,” a Chamber Opera (based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment“) received a grant for a workshop performance and was also awarded a special commendation by the Nancy Van de Vate International Opera Competition for Women. “The Masque of the Red Death,” a Renaissance-style Music Drama in two acts, based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe received a premiere Halloween performance by the Suliivan County Dramatic Workshop, South Fallsburg, New York. Arias from her operas have been performed in New York City, and at concerts with the Delaware Valley Chamber Orchestra. The composer’s dramatic settings of Art Songs for voice and piano by American poets have been performed in New York City, at universities, and in Europe. Her poignant setting of the anti-war poem “Grass” by Carl Sandburg was sung by the Belgium soprano Francoise Vanhecke in New York City and at concerts throughout Europe. “Three Love Songs” on poems by Sara Teasdale, for soprano and piano were sung by Siri Howard at the Renee Weiler Concert Hall , NYC. Among her later compositions “Three Songs of Passion” for soprano, flute, cello and piano captures emotions the poet experiences in her love affair, from the joy of “Life Sentence,” to the sensual pleasure of “Utopia,”ending with the death of her beloved in “Manic Screaming.”NOTE: For perusal scores, please contact the composer.