Former Huntington English Teacher Passes Away
Clint Marantz, a former Huntington High School English teacher and theatre program faculty advisor has passed away peacefully at his home in Hawaii. He was 89 years old.
Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Marantz began his career in Huntington in September 1949. At the time, the high school was located on Main Street in the building that now houses Huntington Town Hall. His first year as a faculty member coincided with the last year of Robert L. Simpson's 20 year stint as principal.
When the new high school opened on the corner of Oakwood & McKay Roads in November 1958, Mr. Marantz made the move there with students and fellow teachers. He was known as a dynamic teacher and energetic drama club advisor. His knack for directing plays was legendary and the theatre program featured a tight-knit group of students.
After leaving Huntington High School, the longtime Huntington resident devoted his time to the Performing Arts Foundation of Long Island and its playhouse in Huntington, which he founded along with his wife, Audrey. The PAF provided arts-in-education workshops for more than 20 LI school districts and produced a string of plays. Harry Chapin came to play a large role in its operations.
Mr. Marantz, a World War II U.S. Army veteran who earned a BA at Bucknell University in 1948 and a MA at Columbia University in 1949, eventually moved to Hawaii, where he became actively involved in the arts community. He continued teaching and created the Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education in Honolulu.
While at Bucknell, Mr. Marantz played a key role in the creation of the first national interracial, non-denominational fraternity. He more recently founded ADDEC (Accepting Diversity to Develop and Enhance Community.)
In 2002, Mr. Marantz and his son Benjamin purchased 3.2 acres in Kailua Kona on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii. They named it Banyan Tree Sanctuary and established an organic vegetable farm and exotic fruit orchard, sharing "sustainable farming techniques and offering vacation rentals with healing services and a beautiful redwood and white cedar 12-sided temple, available for workshops," according to The Marantz School of AcroSage website. It became a cherished site for meditation.
In a six minute video clip that he recorded in 2002 for the 50th reunion of Huntington High School's Class of 1952, Mr. Marantz recalled the town's 350th anniversary celebration, the high school drama club and his belief that the world was heading into an era when war would become obsolete.
In recent years, Mr. Marantz left Kailua Kona and moved back to Oahu, where he had previously lived for 22 years. He leaves behind two sons, two daughters, a sister and six grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at Spencer Beach Park in Kawaihae, Hawaii.