CRAIG/FLAGLER PALMS FUNERAL HOME
511 Old Kings Road South
Flagler Beach, Florida

Dr. Ira Mintz, 93, of Palm Coast, Florida, passed away on September 27, 2019. He was born on March 10, 1926 to the late David and Eva Mintz (Herschaft), in Brooklyn, NY.

Ira attended New York City’s renown Aviation HS, before entering the Army Air Corp to serve in WWII. He became a radar and electronics specialist. In this role, he helped install and maintain the radar facilities which assisted US aircraft flying over the Alps from Italy to bomb German targets.

Upon returning from Europe, he met his future wife, Florence Mintz (Fisgaer), and the couple were married on June 15, 1946.

After the war, and due to the GI Bill, Ira attended college. He graduated from Long Island University with a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s degree in Psychology. He went on to obtain his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

His first professional position was as the Dean of Men and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Glassboro State College in Glassboro, New Jersey (now Rowan University). He later became the Chief Psychologist at the Men’s State Correctional Facility in Bordentown, New Jersey. He was then selected to become the Facility’s Superintendent and functioned in that role for 10 years.

The next stage in his career began was when asked to become the first Superintendent of the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, NJ. This was New Jersey’s innovative and highly recognized facility for the treatment of Chronic and Repetitive Sex Offenders. A movie was made about the program and the actor, James Whitmore, played Ira.

During his time working for New Jersey’s State Correctional System, Ira was active in the New Jersey State Psychological Association. He held numerous leadership positions and was elected President. However, before being inducted as President, he was selected to be the Association’s first Director of Professional Affairs. He held this position until his retirement and move to Florida with his wife in 1983.

Throughout his early adulthood, Ira was an amateur pilot and flew from NJ to the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in his single engine Piper 180. He also was an avid golfer, loved to landscape and manicure his property, and follow his beloved NY Giants football team.

Ira was enormously proud of his children’s professional accomplishments. His daughter, Pamela, was a highly trained Trauma Nurse specialist and his son, Marshall, a Clinical and Sport Psychologist.

Ira was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Florence, in January 2019 and his son, Robert Howard Mintz, as a toddler in 1950.

Survivors include his son, Marshall and his wife Betsy Mintz; his daughter, Pamela and her husband Arthur F. Leyden; grandchildren, Chelsea Leyden of Tampa, Daniel Leyden of Tampa: Andrew Mintz of Dallas, Tx, Rebecca Mintz of Denver, CO, Andrew Yamarick and his wife Jaqueline of Pittsburgh, PA, and Jessica Yamarick of Arlington, VA.

Donations in his memory may be made to Temple Beth Shalom of Palm Coast, Fl, the New Jersey Psychological Association or the local VFW.

The Mintz family would like to thank the staff of Care Giving with Love of Palm Coast, Fla for their compassionate care over the past year, as well as, the staff of Las Palmas Retirement Community, the Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House and AdventHealth, formerly Florida Hospital Flagler, for the tireless compassion they provided.