Sadly, I learned on social media that he passed away on February 12, 2026. In shock, I realized that not only did I lose a mentor, but I also lost a dear friend. After both of our departures from the Courier, we remained in contact and supported each other’s writing endeavors. I worked with Neil until around 2011, and he was much more than a reporter for the oldest independent newspaper in Brooklyn.
He loved to schmooze with politicians who visited our office, and he always exchanged sarcastic banter with civic leaders. And no one can forget his quick-witted weekly column, “This Week’s Attitude.”
His liberal editorials unleashed dozens of puns/jokes and insightful opinions. They also revealed some lesser-known personal attributes – like the fact that he was left-handed, loved Bruce Springsteen (he mentioned in one column that his first Springsteen concert was in 1973) and, impressively, he rocked out with The Rolling Stones as Assistant Tour Publicist from 1989-1990. He would constantly share how humble and professional he tried to be – only asking Mick Jagger for a photo and autograph at the very end of the prestigious tour. Brooklyn-born and raised, Neil was also a U.S. Army Veteran – proud of his service – and used his column to share worldly travel experiences.
Everyone at the Courier was into baseball back in the day – and you’d hear Neil come in any given morning, booming, “How about them Yankees!” and he would get into deep analysis about the game with our editor, the late Charles Rogers. He also loved talking sports with our reporters and photographers, getting into heated athletic debates.
Crazy enough, I had the liberty and honor of proofreading “This Week’s Attitude” right before deadline.
This was a daunting task!
He was somewhat of a perfectionist and just when I thought the editorial was good to publish, he’d change another line or word. Even though it irked me (and the late business manager, Catherine Rosa, who also proofread the paper), he demonstrated how important detail was.
When I was working on elaborate stories about controversial construction, park projects and school/civic meetings, he would always make sure my grammar was on point. He’d help me double-check facts, financial figures and the correct spelling of names – catching my errors at the last minute. I often disagreed with how he edited my articles and headlines, but we always met halfway, communicated with respect and collaborated surprisingly well.
After a few years, we became more like family than co-workers. Not many people know this, but I nicknamed him “Neilman” – a combination of his first and last name, and he would call me “Morm” – short for my last name. It was a quaint and silly gag we kept going all these years.
He had a generous heart in many ways. When my home was flooded from Superstorm Sandy, he gladly kept some of my appliances and belongings in his Sheepshead Bay apartment until I moved back. Whenever my birthday came around, he knew the perfect books to gift me that would enlighten my intellect. Even when our respective stints at the Courier ended, he continued supporting my growth – joining my father’s Esophageal Cancer Awareness events, donating annually to the cause and even volunteering. We also sent each other greeting cards in the mail, sharing our love for Seinfeld quotes and the celebration of Festivus! I always felt he had a great sense of humor that many didn’t get a chance to appreciate.
Neil’s health took a turn in early 2021when he had to have triple bypass surgery. Eager to be a part of his recovery, I visited him and helped him food shop on Nostrand Avenue. It was an interesting and humbling experience to laugh about our Courier days — and also find out how much he liked different kinds of fresh fruit (but they had to be on sale!).
As we reminisced, he said, “Your writing is getting better and better, Morm – keep it up.” I was sure that I made him proud whenever he read a new article I had published on different platforms. Sure, Neil and I had creative differences, but there was a mutual respect for each other’s opinions and experiences.
What impressed me about Neil as he aged was that his writing spirit never wavered. He continued to publish columns as a hobby – about politics, sports and simply anything that annoyed him – as monthly blogs. I was all-in when he asked me to proofread a few in my leisure (this time without a tight deadline!).
His mind remained sharp and he prided himself on completing several crosswords puzzles and word jumbles a week. He was also a regular contributor to the Daily News – his name popping up all over their Letters to the Editor section with brief and snappy commentary about what’s going on in the world.
To my surprise, one day I sent him a Facebook message – as I did every month – and he didn’t respond. Usually keen to get back to me within an hour, I had a feeling something was wrong and checked his page for recent activity. It was an upsetting moment to read one of his friend’s posts – that he passed away peacefully the week before after suffering more health complications.
My heart sinks acknowledging that I didn’t get to talk to him one last time and that the last surviving mentor of my youth in the journalism industry is gone.
I still feel joy reading our correspondence, going through over 20 years of photos and I’m thankful that I always saw the good in him. He was an amazing friend and teacher, no matter where our journeys took us.
Rest in peace Neil and keep “This Week’s Attitude” alive!
You can check out his archived blogs at https://nfriedman2511.blogspot.com/
His liberal editorials unleashed dozens of puns/jokes and insightful opinions. They also revealed some lesser-known personal attributes – like the fact that he was left-handed, loved Bruce Springsteen (he mentioned in one column that his first Springsteen concert was in 1973) and, impressively, he rocked out with The Rolling Stones as Assistant Tour Publicist from 1989-1990. He would constantly share how humble and professional he tried to be – only asking Mick Jagger for a photo and autograph at the very end of the prestigious tour. Brooklyn-born and raised, Neil was also a U.S. Army Veteran – proud of his service – and used his column to share worldly travel experiences.
Everyone at the Courier was into baseball back in the day – and you’d hear Neil come in any given morning, booming, “How about them Yankees!” and he would get into deep analysis about the game with our editor, the late Charles Rogers. He also loved talking sports with our reporters and photographers, getting into heated athletic debates.
Crazy enough, I had the liberty and honor of proofreading “This Week’s Attitude” right before deadline.
This was a daunting task!
He was somewhat of a perfectionist and just when I thought the editorial was good to publish, he’d change another line or word. Even though it irked me (and the late business manager, Catherine Rosa, who also proofread the paper), he demonstrated how important detail was.
When I was working on elaborate stories about controversial construction, park projects and school/civic meetings, he would always make sure my grammar was on point. He’d help me double-check facts, financial figures and the correct spelling of names – catching my errors at the last minute. I often disagreed with how he edited my articles and headlines, but we always met halfway, communicated with respect and collaborated surprisingly well.
After a few years, we became more like family than co-workers. Not many people know this, but I nicknamed him “Neilman” – a combination of his first and last name, and he would call me “Morm” – short for my last name. It was a quaint and silly gag we kept going all these years.
He had a generous heart in many ways. When my home was flooded from Superstorm Sandy, he gladly kept some of my appliances and belongings in his Sheepshead Bay apartment until I moved back. Whenever my birthday came around, he knew the perfect books to gift me that would enlighten my intellect. Even when our respective stints at the Courier ended, he continued supporting my growth – joining my father’s Esophageal Cancer Awareness events, donating annually to the cause and even volunteering. We also sent each other greeting cards in the mail, sharing our love for Seinfeld quotes and the celebration of Festivus! I always felt he had a great sense of humor that many didn’t get a chance to appreciate.
Neil’s health took a turn in early 2021when he had to have triple bypass surgery. Eager to be a part of his recovery, I visited him and helped him food shop on Nostrand Avenue. It was an interesting and humbling experience to laugh about our Courier days — and also find out how much he liked different kinds of fresh fruit (but they had to be on sale!).
As we reminisced, he said, “Your writing is getting better and better, Morm – keep it up.” I was sure that I made him proud whenever he read a new article I had published on different platforms. Sure, Neil and I had creative differences, but there was a mutual respect for each other’s opinions and experiences.
What impressed me about Neil as he aged was that his writing spirit never wavered. He continued to publish columns as a hobby – about politics, sports and simply anything that annoyed him – as monthly blogs. I was all-in when he asked me to proofread a few in my leisure (this time without a tight deadline!).
His mind remained sharp and he prided himself on completing several crosswords puzzles and word jumbles a week. He was also a regular contributor to the Daily News – his name popping up all over their Letters to the Editor section with brief and snappy commentary about what’s going on in the world.
To my surprise, one day I sent him a Facebook message – as I did every month – and he didn’t respond. Usually keen to get back to me within an hour, I had a feeling something was wrong and checked his page for recent activity. It was an upsetting moment to read one of his friend’s posts – that he passed away peacefully the week before after suffering more health complications.
My heart sinks acknowledging that I didn’t get to talk to him one last time and that the last surviving mentor of my youth in the journalism industry is gone.
I still feel joy reading our correspondence, going through over 20 years of photos and I’m thankful that I always saw the good in him. He was an amazing friend and teacher, no matter where our journeys took us.
Rest in peace Neil and keep “This Week’s Attitude” alive!
You can check out his archived blogs at https://nfriedman2511.blogspot.com/
As published in the Canarsie Courier- February 26, 2026
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