READERS RESPOND

Recalling one of city’s most extraordinary partnerships

The conventional protocol for writing obituaries very likely requires total focus on the deceased. That’s understandable.

And so The Baltimore Sun’s recent account of George Kostritsky’s long and highly productive life simply stated his wife’s name, where they met, when she died (“George Kostritsky, founding member of Baltimore’s RTKL architectural firm, dies of coronavirus complications,” Aug. 25).

That reticence regarding Margaret Long Kostritsky who died in 1991 certainly kept the obit word-count within bounds, yet seemed not quite right. So, I offer this footnote.

Ms. Kostritsky, a lawyer, became deeply involved in the overhaul of the court system in the 1970s, out of which came the District Court of Maryland. She played a leading role in that new system as the court’s chief clerk.

And it was not just this wholly new animal she had to get up and running. By the 1980s, it was clear the District Court needed transformation from a paper hog into computerized systems for all its records.

And that was when I came to know her and her husband. Statewide, she was known to all us staffers as Penny Kostritsky.

All that intense administrative activity — joys and headaches and multiple cups of coffee — undoubtedly had to reverberate at home. I mean “intense” underlined twice. George apparently thrived in those years of Penny’s professional career. There were times in Penny’s office we’d break from a serious matter affecting the court and she would make a gentle reference to her George. And we’d get a warm glimpse into their domesticity.

I’ve often wondered how two smart individuals working in disparate fields that extract so much energy and time maintain a long, satisfying life together. George and Penny enjoyed such a life. Almost 50 years.

God rest their souls.

Matthew-Daniel Stremba, Baltimore

Don’t idealize employees of the U.S. Postal Service

I have read and listened to people sing the praises of the U.S. Postal Service for too long (“Maryland among states suing Postal Service over election concerns as postmaster general suspends some cost-cutting moves,” Aug. 18). I would like to relate some experiences that I have had with the USPS.

The letter carrier for my mother-inlaw’s neighborhood lived in the house directly across the street from her. When the letter carrier bought the house, it was in need of a great deal of repair work.

Every day, the letter carrier would work very hard and efficiently so that he was done delivering his route by lunchtime.

He would then park his truck somewhere along his route and walk home. Once home, he would do repairs on his house.

At the end of his work shift, he would put his USPS uniform back on, return to his truck, and go back to the post office and clock out. He did this for several years until the work was completed on his house.

All of the neighbors who were home during the day saw what he did, but he was a nice enough person and he always made sure that everyone got their mail so no one complained.

At my home, there have been at least three occasions where I was looking out the window when I saw the letter carrier drive up to my mailbox, put the mail in and drive off. When I went out to retrieve my mail, I found a slip of paper from the letter carrier saying that they had tried to deliver a package to my house but nobody answered the door. This after I stood looking out my window and saw the letter carrier come and go.

Hardly a week goes by that I do not get some mail for one of my neighbors, be it a letter or someone’s prescription medicine.

I’m nice enough to deliver it to the correct address. I realize that not every USPS employee does the type of things that I have witnessed but I would be willing to bet that these are not unique instances.

Melvin Lindsay, Baltimore