Isidore Cross

SOUTHBURY -Isidore Cross, 95, 134C Pomperaug Woods, formerly of Heritage Village and Waterbury, passed away peacefully on January 11, 2012. He was the beloved husband of Belle S. Cross, with whom he celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary recently. Iz was born on Aug. 24, 1916, in Brooklyn, N.Y. son of the late Ben and Jennie Cross. He graduated in 1938 from The College of the City of New York with a B.S. in chemistry, and he attended Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute for graduate studies in metallurgy and electrochemistry. He worked during World War II at various plants producing metal hardware for the war effort. He was in charge of metal finishing operations for anti-aircraft gun parts and coatings for proximity fuses. In 1953, Iz co-founded Harper-Leader, Inc., in Waterbury, and he was Harper-Leader's executive vice president. The business specialized in precious metal coating of electronic and aircraft parts, as well as the continuous plating of metal strip. Harper-Leader was sold in 1979, when Iz became a consultant specializing in surface finishing. Mr. Cross was an active participant in several organizations devoted to metal finishing. He was elected national president of the American Electroplater and Surface Finishing Society for the years 1976 - 1977. In 1977, the title of Fellow was conferred on him for his contributions to the advancement of the science and technology of surface finishing. He was also a Life Member of the American Society of Metals.

Iz authored many articles on metal finishing for scientific journals and handbooks. He taught Basic Electroplating for the Waterbury Branch of the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishing Society and was the first chairman of the Advisory Committee for Waterbury State Technical College's Environmental and Job Safety courses. Mr. Cross was a volunteer of the International Executive Service Corps serving in his specialty to several businesses in Brazil. He also took similar assignments for the United Nations Development Program in the Philippines and Indonesia. Iz was a past president of Beth El Synagogue, he was on the Board of the Greater Waterbury Jewish Federation, he was on the Board of Directors of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, and he was a former Trustee of the Greater Waterbury YMCA. He served on the Waterbury City Plan Commission and the Waterbury Parking Authority. He served several terms as a Trustee at Heritage Village, and he was on the Village's Executive Committee. Iz was especially proud of his membership in the Kiwanis Club of Waterbury, which honored him with a Distinguished Service Award. In addition to his loving wife, Belle, Isidore Cross is survived by two children and their spouses, Alan and Diane Cross, of Chevy Chase, Md., and Janet and Alan Hertzmark, of Oxford, Ct. He also is survived by five grandchildren and their spouses and eight great-grandchildren, and his sister, Sarah Sloman, of Southbury, Ct., and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be on Sunday, January 15, at 11:00 AM at Beth El Synagogue, 444 Main St. N, Southbury, with burial at Beth El Cemetery, Waterbury. The family will receive callers on Sunday evening and on Monday, and Minyan will be held Sunday and Monday evenings at 7:00 at the home of Mr. Cross' daughter, Janet, 146 Country Club Drive, Oxford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alzheimer's Association, CT Chapter, 2075 Silas Deane Hwy, Suite 100, Rocky Hill, CT 06067, or to the charity of the donor's choice.