I met Jeffrey Nagler while we were both substitute teaching for LA Unified School District around 2008. I always enjoyed running into him at Loyola Village, Brentwood Science Magnet, Broadway Elementary, and other schools on the Westside, but I lost touch with him after he retired from the district. A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to another former substitute teacher and his name came up in the conversation. I called him today to see how he was, but his phone number was disconnected. I am so sad to discover that he passed away in September, 2022. I really wish I’d called him much, much sooner. 

My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Marilyn Martin

I first met Jeffrey about 1954 when we were in the same first grade class at P.S. 217. We became good friends all the way thru Junior High where we were in a few classes at Ditmas Junior High School 62. We used to hang out in the P.S. 217 schoolyard on Newkirk Avenue between Westminster Road and Coney Island Avenue, day and night. There were 3 school doors on Westminster Road that we would sit in front of on the step. We called that Mecca. We played all the games that were around then like punchball, stickball (with fast pitching against a chalked up strike zone on a schoolyard wall), touch football, softball, king-queen, ring-aleevio, and probably a few others I'm forgetting about. It took a few years for Jeff to blossom into a really good athlete. He could throw a football farther than anyone. He also had a great unhittable fastball when it came to stickball. When we wanted to meet at the schoolyard, one of us would call the other, let it ring once and then hang up, which meant we were leaving now. So if anyone was wondering what those calls were, it was me.

I remember a few of us sitting in front of the long gone Casa Del Rey catering hall on Coney Island Avenue and Newkirk one cold night in February of 1964 listening on a transistor radio to the then Cassius Clay knock out Sonny Liston and win the heavyweight title.

Besides the schoolyard, we used to go to the TV shows that were around at the time in the city. Sometimes my father would take us and later we would go on our own. Shows we went on include Children's Theater - a kids show like Wonderama, which we also went on. There we a lot of shows like the Ed Sullivan Show in Studio 50, that was later renamed The Ed Sullivan Theater, which is where Letterman's show came from.

Jeff also used to publish a newspaper on his mimeograph machine when we were in Junior High School. I wrote a gossip column and TV reviews and rankings.

Unfortunately, because of the Foster Avenue dividing line, Jeff lived on one side of it and me the other, after Junior High School, Jeff went to Midwood High School and me Erasmus Hall. We tried to keep in contact for a year or two, but I also moved away from the 217 area, and eventually we lost contact. About 10 years ago, I heard from Penny on Facebook and from then on Jeff and I exchanged emails often. I last wrote to him on his birthday, September 4. I never heard back.

Even though we lived 3,000 miles apart (I'm in Newark, Delaware now) and hadn’t seen each other for close to 60 years, through the emails, I can still say that Jeff was as great a friend now as he was back when we were young.

Dearest Jason and Rachel,

I am deeply saddened to hear of your dad's passing. He was a wonderful man and an equally wonderful  friend. My late husband Phillip and Jeff worked together at Goodson-Todman Productions, and we were the best of friends with him and your dear mama Enid. I am blessed to have had their sweet presence in my life. With love and Prayers, Toni Rossi and Family

Rachel and Jason, 

Thinking of you and your families during this difficult, painful loss. Jeff will continue to live on in the stories and memories you share with your loved ones. Sorry I could not be there  

Best,

Renee