Charles S. Tepfer

Following is the obituary for CHARLES S. TEPFER, submitted by his family.

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Charles S. Tepfer, of Westport, a World War II veteran who later published a number of magazines and newsletters promoting the use of television for education and industry, died Nov. 16, 2024, at his home surrounded by his family. He was 100.

Tepfer was born on July 5, 1924, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Harry Tepfer, a cantor and awning salesman and his wife, Sara. He attended City University of New York where he studied physics and corresponded with Albert Einstein.

When the United States joined the war in 1941, Tepfer volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps, but he was instead transferred to the infantry and assigned as a radio operator in a tank in the 13th Armored Division.

When the division rolled into Germany, Tepfer was assigned to take over a local newspaper office and publish a newspaper touting the Allied troops advancement for the benefit of the German residents.

On his return to the U.S., Tepfer was stationed at the Oakland, Calif., Army base, where he took a position as a reporter at the base newspaper, the Service Knight. He worked his way up to editor of the newspaper and interviewed then-General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The war over, Tepfer returned to New York State and enrolled at Syracuse University, where he earned a master’s degree in journalism.

Following graduation, Tepfer began freelancing as a reporter for a number of publications, including The New York Times. He developed a special interest in the field of electronics and later became the founding editor of Electronic Illustrated.

In the mid-1960s, Tepfer started his own publishing company in Ridgefield, C.S. Tepfer Publishing Co., writing, editing and publishing two newsletters and a subscription-only magazine, Cablecasting, all promoting the use of the then-rather new television technology for education and industry. For a while, he also published a newsstand magazine on television technology called Videoplay.

In the late 1970s, Tepfer organized and ran several television trade shows in Los Angeles.

In 1968, Tepfer was one of the founders and later became president of Temple Sherith Israel in Ridgefield and secured the congregation’s first permanent building.

Tepfer is survived by Sandra, his wife and business associate of nearly 70 years; his three children, Daniel and wife, Teresa; Paul and wife, Kathleen, and Lisa and husband, Randy, as well as his seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He is predeceased by his parents and three siblings, Murray Tepfer, David Tepfer and Ruth Gold.

A memorial gathering will be held Nov. 30 in the Tepfer home in Westport.