Ira Saul Glickstein died on April 25, 2025, at the age of 86. A lifelong learner, dedicated engineer, and unrelenting thinker, he lived with curiosity, conviction, and a deep love for ideas. Born in 1939 to Morris and Ruth (Leibowitz) Glickstein, Ira grew up with a passion for science, technology, and the written word. He earned degrees in electrical engineering and systems management, and spent his career as a systems engineer and educator, contributing to groundbreaking work in computer systems and simulation. He worked for many years at IBM and later at Lockheed Martin, where he earned the respect of colleagues for his expertise, clarity, and intellectual rigor.
Ira’s professional life spanned both military and private sectors, but his mind was never limited to his job title. He was also a prolific writer and thinker, contributing regularly to his blog and online forums where he explored topics ranging from artificial intelligence and philosophy to politics, religion, and human behavior. He had a special fondness for climate modeling, often offering a contrarian view grounded in his belief in logic, skepticism, and natural systems.
Ira’s steadfast adherence to his viewpoints and his willingness to engage in detailed discussions made him a respected figure among those who shared his perspectives. He was not easily swayed?nor did he expect others to be?but he welcomed civil debate, valued intellectual precision, and found joy in arguments that made people think harder and speak more clearly. A man of conviction, he particularly enjoyed spirited discussions on conservative politics.
After retiring, Ira moved with his wife, Violet (Stark) Glickstein, to The Villages, Florida, where he embraced a new chapter of life with energy and enthusiasm. Their decades together were marked by mutual respect, adventure, and curiosity, whether raising their family on a farm in upstate New York or traveling in retirement. Violet predeceased Ira, a loss he carried quietly but deeply in his final years.
Ira stayed active and engaged through biking, blogging, and perhaps most unexpectedly leading water aerobics classes with characteristic structure and humor. He also found philosophical kinship in sheep, which he admired for their quiet resilience and evolutionary purpose. He relished long bike rides as opportunities to work through ideas, sometimes returning with an entire blog post formed in his mind. He is survived by his brother, Lee Glickstein; daughters Sara Bar-Zeev (Avi) and Lisa Glickstein (Jeremiah Hagler); son-in-law David Moyers; and five “Grands”: Alex, Samantha, and Michaela Hagler, and Isaac and Emerson Bar-Zeev. He was predeceased by his parents, beloved wife Violet, daughter Rena Moyers, and a loyal golden retriever, Toffee.
Ira lived in several places over his lifetime, but he was most at home in deep conversation?whether by email, in comment sections, or across a table. His presence will be missed in inboxes, late-night threads, and long-winding discussions that never quite landed where they began.
There will be a graveside service on Monday, May 5, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Leesburg, Florida.
The family asks that donations be made to a charity of your choice in Ira’s memory, or simply take a moment to engage in a thoughtful conversation, something Ira believed was among the most meaningful acts of all.