Nathan Zankel passed away March 20, 2023 at the age of 94. Born in 1928 to immigrant parents
Samuel Zankel and Esther (Flicker) Zankel, Nathan grew up in Highland Park NJ, graduating
from Highland Park High School. He studied business at Rutgers University, was coxswain on
the crew team, and in the Officer Candidate School program. After graduating from Rutgers, he
married Jeanne Ratet in 1952, and served in the Naval Supply Corps as a disbursing officer
during the Korean War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Nathan remained in the
Naval Reserve for several years after active duty.
Returning from military service Nathan and Jeanne settled in Edison where they raised three
children, Paul, Richard and Phyllis. He joined his father and uncles working at the New
Brunswick Lamp Shade Company, a company the family had founded in 1943. Nathan spent his
entire working career at NBLS, becoming the President. He never wanted to retire and worked
into his nineties.
Active in philanthropy and his community, Nate served on several non-profit Boards as a trustee
and officer, including the Highland Park Conservative Temple, and the Central NJ Jewish
Federation. Nathan was recognized with the Federation’s first Young Leadership Award.
Nate’s biggest passion was stamp collecting, specializing in stamps from the Palestine “Interim”
period and Israel. He chaired many stamp shows, and held leadership positions in several
philatelic groups, including the Society of Israel Philatelists. He became an accredited Judge of
the American Philatelic Society, and juried stamp shows in the US and Israel.
Nathan was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Jeanne in 2020, and his brother Kenneth
Zankel. He is survived by his son Paul Zankel and his wife Nancy (Fried) Zankel, Richard
Zankel and his wife Mindy (Leeds) Zankel, daughter Phyllis Zankel Coyne and her husband
Patrick Coyne, grandsons Ezra Zankel, Aaron Zankel, Michael Zankel and Samuel Zankel, and
great-granddaughter Madeleine Marie Zankel.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Society of Israel Philatelists Education Fund sipedfund@gmail.com and Stein Assisted Living in Somerset NJ.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mr. Nathan Zankel, please visit our flower store.
Samuel Zankel and Esther (Flicker) Zankel, Nathan grew up in Highland Park NJ, graduating
from Highland Park High School. He studied business at Rutgers University, was coxswain on
the crew team, and in the Officer Candidate School program. After graduating from Rutgers, he
married Jeanne Ratet in 1952, and served in the Naval Supply Corps as a disbursing officer
during the Korean War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Nathan remained in the
Naval Reserve for several years after active duty.
Returning from military service Nathan and Jeanne settled in Edison where they raised three
children, Paul, Richard and Phyllis. He joined his father and uncles working at the New
Brunswick Lamp Shade Company, a company the family had founded in 1943. Nathan spent his
entire working career at NBLS, becoming the President. He never wanted to retire and worked
into his nineties.
Active in philanthropy and his community, Nate served on several non-profit Boards as a trustee
and officer, including the Highland Park Conservative Temple, and the Central NJ Jewish
Federation. Nathan was recognized with the Federation’s first Young Leadership Award.
Nate’s biggest passion was stamp collecting, specializing in stamps from the Palestine “Interim”
period and Israel. He chaired many stamp shows, and held leadership positions in several
philatelic groups, including the Society of Israel Philatelists. He became an accredited Judge of
the American Philatelic Society, and juried stamp shows in the US and Israel.
Nathan was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Jeanne in 2020, and his brother Kenneth
Zankel. He is survived by his son Paul Zankel and his wife Nancy (Fried) Zankel, Richard
Zankel and his wife Mindy (Leeds) Zankel, daughter Phyllis Zankel Coyne and her husband
Patrick Coyne, grandsons Ezra Zankel, Aaron Zankel, Michael Zankel and Samuel Zankel, and
great-granddaughter Madeleine Marie Zankel.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Society of Israel Philatelists Education Fund sipedfund@gmail.com and Stein Assisted Living in Somerset NJ.
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