Donald ‘Don’ Hulnick

Don was born in 1931 in the Bronx, New York City and attended DeWitt Clinton High School. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from Fordham University and a law degree from Albany Law School.

After graduating from college, he served in the U.S. Army in Military Intelligence in Germany during the early Cold War period.

After his service, he practiced law with his father, Aaron Hulnick, and his uncle Sol Hulnick in association with New York State Assemblyman Ferdinand J. Mondello. Don was active in democratic politics and served as the first Vice Chairman of the Westchester County Democratic Committee as well as executive assistant to the Chairman, William F. Luddy. During that period, he worked for Robert F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey and other political leaders of that era. A passion for preserving the wilderness made him a great fit for his position as the general counsel for State’s Joint Legislative Committee on Natural Resources.

Don’s legal work was heavily concentrated on estate trial work. He specialized in trials to recover funds for former survivors of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe and Russia and spent many years travelling for his clients in that region long before the end of the former Soviet Union. He also served as the general counsel to the Parkchester Condominiums in the Bronx, which had 12,000 units affecting over 40,000 people. He was a partner in his law firm Allen, Litt, Hulnick and Coe in Tarrytown.

A love of the wilderness and the mountains brought him to Tupper Lake. In the 1960’s Don bought Burnt Island on Big Tupper Lake and later purchased his camp, Silver Birches, where he and his family spent every summer. He and Bobbi spent many winters in Rincon, Puerto Rico. In 2002, Don and his wife retired to Tupper Lake where Don was an active member of the Tupper Lake Lions Club and served as its treasurer. He also was treasurer and advisor of the Beth Joseph Synagogue in Tupper Lake and a member of the Lake Placid Synagogue. He also served as a volunteer attorney for hearings to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities for the N.Y. State Department of Mental Hygiene.

Don was married to Barbara (Bobbi) Orner Hulnick for 65 years and was the father of three daughters: Betsy Hulnick Brown (late husband Chris Brown) of Lake Placid, Andrea Hulnick Ciminello (husband Paul) of Poughkeepsie, and Janet Hulnick (husband Felipe Sipowicz) of Brattleboro, Vermont. Don had six grandchildren, Michael Brown, Danielle King (and husband Todd King Jr.), Adam Ciminello, Dr. Lauren Jen (husband Dr. James Jen), Elisa Hulnick Tavella, Martin Sipowicz and his beloved great granddaughter, Eliana Christina Jen. He was so proud of all of their accomplishments and loved family get togethers, especially in Tupper Lake.

Don was a passionate hiker, kayaker and canoeist and hiked with the Sierra Club in the Grand Canyon, other national parks and many High Peaks in the Adirondacks and across Europe. Don also loved back-country biking and four-wall handball.

A graveside funeral for Don will take place at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14 at the Beth Joseph Cemetery in Tupper Lake. Following the burial, the family welcomes friends to share their stories about Don at the Health Hub in Tupper Lake on Park Street (state Route 30).

Contributions in his memory can be made to the Tupper Lake Volunteer Ambulance or to your favorite charity.