YA Mourns the Passing of Arts Advocate and Emeritus Trustee Dr. Arthur Factor

We mourn the passing of Dr. Arthur Factor, an Emeritus Trustee of Young Audiences and beloved arts advocate, known for his warmth, curiosity and out of the box thinking.

Over the many years of service as Trustee of Young Audiences, Arthur’s ability to think dynamically was a key contributor to the organizations success.  Arthur’s commitment to the wellbeing of children was always at the core, which served as his guidepost. Our appreciation for his contribution to Young Audiences, and to the larger field of arts education, will never be forgotten.

Cards may be addressed to Jane Factor in honor of Arthur at his home address:

108 Lincoln Avenue

Highland Park, NJ 08904

OBITUARY FOR DR. ARTHUR FACTOR 

Emeritus Trustee of YA and beloved arts advocate, Dr. Arthur Factor

Pediatrician, enthusiastic supporter of the arts
Dr. Arthur Factor died peacefully at home in Highland Park, N.J., on May, 6, 2019, 12 days short of his 87th birthday, after a long illness. Born in Trenton, N.J., to Abraham and Bessie Factor, he graduated from Tufts University and Georgetown University School Of Medicine in 1958 with a specialty in pediatrics.

During his internship at Cincinnati General Hospital in 1959, he met the love of his life, Jane Lerner. They married in 1959 and moved to Philadelphia for residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, and then to Children’s Hospital of Detroit, Mich., for a fellowship in pediatric hematology.

In 1964 Dr. Factor moved to Highland Park, N.J., to join the practice of Dr. Martha Leonard and Dr. Paul Curtis. He later formed the University Pediatrics practice, from which he retired in 2000. He served as the head of pediatrics at Middlesex General Hospital (now the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital) for many years.

An enthusiastic supporter of the arts, Dr. Factor was appointed by the Governor to serve on the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He was Chairman of the Council for several years and also served as vice-Chair. He was a member of the Council’s Arts Education Committee and of the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership (NJEAP) Steering Committee. He received the Governor’s Award in Arts Education in 2012.

He leaves his wife, Jane Factor, two sons, Dr. Drew Factor and wife, Adrianna, and their children, Sophia, Sebastian, and Eva of Sacramento, Calif., and Steven Factor of San Luis Obispo, Calif.; sister, Harriet Gassel of Knoxville, Tenn.; Milo Lopes who lived with the family as an exchange student from Brazil and became an honorary family member, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

His funeral service will take place at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, 222 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, N.J., at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 10, 2019.

Arthur Factor, M.D. – His role as an Arts Advocate

Dr. Factor, a resident of Highland Park, NJ was first appointed to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in 1992, and served four terms as Council Vice Chair and as Chairman of the Council’s Arts Education Committee since 1993. He was a pediatrician, who has served as an attending pediatrician at St. Peters General Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.  Dr. Factor held faculty positions at Temple University Hospital, Cornell University/Sloan Kettering Institute and the position of clinical associate professor of pediatrics at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Rutgers. Dr. Factor formerly served as an advisor to very Special Arts/New Jersey and as the Chairman of the Highland Park Arts Commission. He was currently serving on the boards of George Street Playhouse, Young Audiences Arts for Learning, the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership and the Central NJ Maternal and Child Health Consortium