Studley employees remembered as 9/11 anniversary marked

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 11, 2002

The Downtown Manhattan office of Julien J. Studley Inc. was located on the 86th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center. James "Jim" Michael Gartenberg and Patricia Ann Puma, two Downtown employees of the commercial brokerage firm, were lost in the Sept. 11 tragedy. Jan Maciejewski, a part-time information technology consultant at Studle's Midtown Manhattan headquarters, was also lost; he was working for Windows on the World restaurant when the attacks occurred.

James Gartenberg

Gartenberg, a 13-year real estate veteran, spent five years at Studley as an associate director. In the course of his career as a broker, he represented both tenants and landlords in Downtown and Midtown Manhattan as well as New Jersey.

Jim was known for his extraordinary work ethic and for his buoyant personality. George Martin, vice chairman of Studley, who ran the Downtown Manhattan office, and is now based in Edison, N.J., said that Jim was a tireless worker who routinely put in extra hours and additional effort.

Martin said that Jim's professional success could be attributed to his personal demeanor as well as his hard work. "Jim was an extremely successful broker who had a great sense of humor and was always upbeat," Martin said. Other colleagues who worked with him in the downtown office, Barbara Kennish, administrative assistant, Donna McQuade, marketing manager, and Stephanie Fiorino, local systems administrator, also recalled the affect of Jim's positive attitude.

Jim was a huge supporter of his alma mater, the University of Michigan, and its college football team. Co-workers said that he coached his daughter Nicole to say, "Go Blue," as her first words. He served as the president of the New York City chapter of the University of Michigan's alumni association for 10 years. Jim also met his wife at a University of Michigan alumni reception.

Jim is survived by his wife, Jill, and two daughters, Nicole and Jamie Michelle. Jamie Michelle was born on March 12, 2002, and was named after her father. Both children will be able to follow in their father's footsteps to attend the University of Michigan if they choose, as the university will offer scholarships of undergraduate tuition to children of University of Michigan graduates who died in the Sept. 11 tragedy.

Patricia Puma

Puma worked as an administrative assistant for four Studley executives including George Martin and Don Schnabel, vice chairman. She shared her job responsibilities with Barbara Kennish, who now works in Studley's Edison, N.J., office. Kennish said that she enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Patricia so well and that it was an honor to have worked with such a charming and professional individual.

"Patricia was very generous with her family and friends, and she always went out of way for others," Kennish said. "We will not forget her caring attitude and graciousness."

Patricia is survived by her husband, Kevin, a New York City Transit worker, and three children, Kiefer, 11, BriAnna, 6, and Dylan, 2. To cherish her memory, the Puma family had gold pendants specially crafted for each child with Patricia's picture on the front and an inscription on the back. Each child will always wear their pendants in remembrance of their mother.

Jan Maciejewski

Maciejewski worked as a part-time information technology consultant in Studley's Midtown Manhattan office. He provided troubleshooting expertise to Studley employees to keep equipment up and running. This position required both computer knowledge and an understanding of the goals of brokers and analysts. Jan also was employed at Windows on the World restaurant.

Jan was introduced to his wife, Mary, in 1995, and they married the following year. According to an article in The New York Times, Mary said that her husband, who emigrated from Poland in 1990, was always on the go, working two jobs, and he was happy to be working and residing in New York City. Jan was a soccer coach in his native country.

According to The New York Times, he came to New York when he was given a student visa to study in the United States by a friend who was unable to use it.