Elliot Avedon

1930 - 2016  (86 years)

• Name	Elliot Avedon
  Born	28 Apr 1930	New York City, New York, USA.
  Gender	Male
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-83118
  Died	21 Nov 2016
  	Cause: lung and heart disease
  Person ID	I83118	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

• Notes

  Passion for games Elliott Avedon's cultural legacy Waterloo Region Record By Valerie Hill Born: April 28, 1930 in New York City Died: Nov. 21, 2016 of lung and heart disease Elliott Avedon was a game player, in the most positive sense of the phrase. As a University of Waterloo professor, Elliott had a fascination with games and their role in human history, a passion that evolved in profound and unexpected ways. Elliott had been teaching at New York's Columbia University Teachers College, using games as a teaching tool. When he moved to the University of Waterloo in 1971 so did his collection. His daughter Madeline Avedon said their family vacations often involved trips to purchase games; but for her father, it was never a simple exchange. He wanted to know about the person and his or her cultural history. He wanted to understand the historical context. Elliott once told a reporter: "One thing that really stands out is that nothing really changes, except technology.".... "He was ahead of his time," she said. "He was recognized as an international authority on games." She also said that it's unusual to receive such a well documented collection. "He kept really good records," she said. "It was a very sophisticated museum."..... Elliott was born in New York an only child. After moving to Richmond, Va. in 1944, his parents Paul Cohen and Dorothy Avedon (he chose to use his mother's name) opened a grocery store. As a young man, Elliott completed several degrees, including a doctorate in education from Columbia University, where he met Lisa Freund. Freund was born in Germany, the daughter of a Jewish businessman who was caught by the Nazi's smuggling money out of the country. The entire family, including four-year-old Lisa, was arrested. Her father later died from suicide and the family fled Germany aboard the MS St. Louis, on a trip later dubbed "Voyage of the Damned." Most of the more than 900 passengers were Jewish refugees and at each port they were denied entry. Lisa, her family and a few others were accepted by Britain. Lisa and Elliott married in 1960 and as parents, their style would prove unconventional.... Separated from Lisa in 1984, Elliott retired in 1999, then moved to Sarasota. A year later he met Jesse Nelson, a Vietnam War vet, a man who shared a keen intellect and love of culture, particularly opera. Nelson died in May 2014..... Passion for games Elliott Avedon's cultural legacy. (2017). Therecord.com. Retrieved 2 January 2017, from https://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/7045454-passion-for-games-elliott-avedon-s-cultural-legacy/#.WGpWbnxm7LA.facebook

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 28 Apr 1930 - New York City, New York, USA.  = Link to Google Earth