Joseph Alan Novak ’52

Joseph Alan Novak ’52 passed away at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, on October 23, 2019, eight days after his 90th birthday. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Classical High School. He was a magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth with a business administration degree. He was a member of Pi Lambda Phi, a Rufus Choate scholar, and very active with undergraduate organizations, especially the Dartmouth Outing Club. He then earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, class of 1955. He also studied at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture and the Parson School of Design. From 1955 through 1958 he was on active duty with the Navy as an assistant legal officer at the naval station in Newport, Rhode Island. After a successful career as an attorney in New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico, specializing in taxation and estate planning, Joe decided to pursue his passion as an artist and dedicated the last 38 years of his life to creating an extensive collection of paintings and prints. Dartmouth’s Hood Museum of Art featured his paintings at his 50th College reunion in 2002. In 2010 he wrote a memoir, Something to Do with Wings, in which he described his full and adventurous life. Joe is survived by his sister, Judith, niece Laurie, nephews Jeff and David, four grandnieces, and his partner, Wilfredo.