Arnold Intrater's Obituary
ARNOLD INTRATER 1939 - 2023
Arnold “Arnie” Intrater, age 84 of Boynton Beach, FL died peacefully in his home, on Sunday, October 15, 2023.
A service will be held at 2pm on Friday, October 20, 2023, at Beth Israel Funeral Home in Boynton Beach. A memorial will be held in the summer in Harpswell, ME, where he spent many happy summers.
Arnie was born on August 28, 1939 in Antwerp, Belgium to Samuel and Freida Intrater, who had themselves recently moved from Blazhov, Poland. As an infant he and his parents escaped Nazi occupied Europe and made their way to Cuba where his brother Kenneth was born. He attended the American school in Havana, where he was the first in the family to learn English. In 1947, the family proudly immigrated to the United States, settling in Forest Hills, NY. New York is where Arnie attended Yeshiva of Central Queens, Forest Hills High School, Columbia College and Columbia Law School. New York is where he and his brother met many of their life-long friends. And New York is where, in 1958, he met the love of his life, Karen Adrianne Weill whom he married in New York on January 30, 1964.
In 1968, Arnie and Karen moved to the Washington, DC area where they raised their family and found their vocations. Arnie’s professional life overlapped with his personal life as his work colleagues were some of his closest friends. Those colleagues he admired and those he mentored and counseled are an esteemed and special group. Arnie was the first and often only call one would make when in need of counsel, support, advice or a good story. A true public servant, Arnie proudly served his country with dedication and integrity He could unpack the most complicated legal quandary and teach others how to do the same; he gave credit to others, raised others up and gave young professionals, colleagues, and those he reported to an unflappable guidepost for how to solve problems efficiently and ethically. He quickly rose to leadership in the general counsel’s office at the Treasury Department, at the White House, as General Counsel at both the Peace Corps and the Federal Housing Finance Board, and on numerous advisory committees. Long after he retired, colleagues sought his mentorship, counsel and friendship.
While he loved being a lawyer and government service, Arnie’s wife Karen was his true love and, with her, family was the focal point. They were together with nearly no time apart for the last 65 years. Arnie was an engaged, loving, fun dad to son Marc (Pamela) Intrater and daughter Michelle (Joseph) Mettner. Family camping trips, roadtrips, travel, cooking and trivia game nights were a staple when his children were young. Car talks, sharing news articles, debating policy and politics and card games (euchre or poker) when they got older. His grandchildren, Zachary, Jacob, Isabel, Sara, Kelsey and Johanna all have individual and collective stories of belly laughing fun with grandpa Arnie as young children and great talks and stories as they grew older. His nephews Matthew (Robin), Adam (Christina) and Michael shared many wonderful uncle Arnie times. Arnie’s niece Nadia held a very special place in his heart.
He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends and colleagues. Donations in Arnie’s name can be made to Magen David Adom (the Israeli affiliate of International Red Cross). afmda.org
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