Nick Beilenson, former publisher of Peter Pauper Press, died on February 22 of complications from Covid-19. He was 85.
Born and raised in Mount Vernon, N.Y., Beilenson attended Harvard University, earning a BA and a JD. He married Evelyn Loeb of New York City in 1959.
In 1981, Beilenson and Evelyn took over his family's publishing business, Peter Pauper Press, which was founded by his parents in 1928. Partnering with Evelyn and later his son, Laurence, he transformed and expanded the company, producing gift and humor books, stationery products, journals, planners, and children's books. As a publisher for almost three decades, Beilenson was committed to continue his parents' publishing legacy of quality and value, with products offered at ''prices even a pauper could afford.''
Prior to taking over Peter Pauper Press, Beilenson was a corporate attorney and civil rights activist, and founded Westchester Residential Opportunities, a nonprofit that pressured enforcement of the Federal Fair Housing Act and integration of Westchester County neighborhoods. More than 50 years later, WRO continues to promote equal, affordable, and accessible housing opportunities for all Westchester residents.
Evelyn Beilenson passed away in October 2021.
