Stephen Gushin ’54

Steve died July 14, 2021, of cardiac arrest.

He came to us from Linden (N.J.) High School, where he was active in dramatics and publications. An English major, his thesis was on “The Depression Novel in America.” He was president of Cloister Club, technical director of Theatre Intime, active in Triangle Club, and on the 1953 Bric-a-Brac staff.

After earning a medical degree at New York University Medical School, he interned at the Veterans Administration and then served in the U.S. Indian Health Service for two years, providing care for the Navajo and Hopi in Winslow, Ariz. His marriage to Jessica Rakin in 1956 ended in divorce. After a residency at New York University-Bellevue Psychiatry, he practiced psychiatry for 50 years, both privately and at NYU and at Bellevue, where he developed its first psychiatric walk-in clinic. He developed and directed a day hospital named ADEPT providing extended outpatient psychiatric care.

Steve was an early environmentalist, bird watcher, gardener, and accomplished baker. He loved history and biographies, dogs (mainly Labs), and baseball (Mets only). 

He is survived by his wife of nearly 49 years, Janet; three daughters, Olivia (from his first marriage), Rebecca, and Alexandra; and grandchildren Annabelle and Charles.