STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Mildred Denes Josefson, a lifelong educator whose passion for the arts and family history shaped every chapter of her life, died Oct. 14 surrounded by her children. She was 89.

Born in Brooklyn to Erna and Michael Denes, Hungarian Jewish immigrants, Mildred was their only child. Her parents instilled in her a deep reverence for craft, culture, and discipline.

Her mother, Erna, had been a concert pianist in Hungary and continued teaching piano after immigrating to the United States, while her father, Michael, was a master watchmaker who crafted Marine chronometers for the U.S. government during World War II.

Lifelong passion for art

A gifted artist from a young age, Mildred painted in the Dutch Master tradition. As a teenager, she was offered a summer spot to study

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