Michael Peter Blotsky
Michael Peter Blotsky, 58, of West Orange died Aug. 21, 2010. He was born in Newark, grew up in West Orange, and also lived for many years in Long Branch.
Mr. Blotsky graduated from West Orange High School in 1969 and from Rutgers-Newark. He appeared in many theatrical productions and also worked for the college radio station. After graduation, he worked as a production supervisor for the Rutgers Newark University Television and Media Center for 22 years. He cofounded Upstage Theatre, an independent on-campus production company.
He was a member of the Open Stage Players, did voice-over work for radio and commercials, and served as camera person, director of photography, writer, lighting designer, narrator, and still photographer on many projects. He had also been affiliated with the Studio Playhouse in Montclair and starred in The Philadelphia Story and Brighton Beach Memoirs. He also later starred in Plaza Suite with a traveling theatre troupe and later joined Theatre Under the Stars and had roles in Fiddler on the Roof and the Taming of the Shrew. He worked front and backstage at JCC MetroWest productions and was an extra for the Newark Symphony Hall production of Aida, leading an elephant on stage.
After leaving Rutgers, Michael was employed by Borders Books, most recently in Livingston.
He volunteered at the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter; at the Daughters of Israel nursing home with his beagle, Preshka; and at the Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest. He was scheduled to begin delivering books to the West Orange Library for homebound elderly residents on the day he was hospitalized.
He was also involved with the Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest, Goodwill Mission, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, and the West Orange P.A.L.
He is survived by his wife, Minerva (Wald); his mother, Claire (Rabinowitz) of Toms River; his sister, Racquel Wilsey of Edison; and his nieces, nephews, and great-nephews, Robin, Dale, and Sawyer Green and Stephanie, Paul and Levi Wisniewski.
Services were held Aug. 23 with arrangements by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston.
comments