He tells you he's the only man on the seven-member board, and then, after a pause, he adds that the problem is that the women are all married. Then he asks you with a smile if you'd work a non-paying job for so long.
Kruh shares other comical reasons why he has finally decided to retire. What would you expect, though? This is the man who created Dial-A-Joke for New York Telephone.
But anyone who knows Kruh understands that his retirement, which will take effect June 30, has nothing to do with a lack of interest or a waning commitment to the children of Merrick. The betterment of young people has been his guiding mission since he took the position in 1978.
"Talk about a man who always cared about the children," said school board President Benay Shear. "Lou always asked how anything we did would affect them. I think of him as Mr. Merrick. He's a bright man, is fascinating and has always volunteered in this community."
Kruh has had a full life. He received the Bronze Star in World War II. While in France, he volunteered to race into a battlefield that was under fire in order to retrieve ammunition for his platoon. He heard a shell whistling toward him and instinctively leapt into a fox hole. The mortar exploded just feet from him, ripping apart his lungs and shattering his eardrums. He was hospitalized for six months.
But he sees the experience as part of a pattern in his life. "I volunteered, like I've done for so many organizations," Kruh said. "But that time I woke up in the hospital in France."
After moving to Merrick in 1960, Kruh ran for the Board of Education at the urging of the PTA. He was serving on the Merrick library board at the time. "Both boards are tough to get into," Kruh said. "I stayed on the school board for so long because I liked it."
Kruh has had a varied job history, working in public relations at an advertising agency and as an executive for New York Telephone. Later in his career he earned a law degree and became a law guardian in Nassau County Family Court, protecting children's interests.
"It was tough being a law guardian, but I did my best," Kruh said. "The job of a law guardian wasn't a lucrative business, not that that made a difference. But being a lawyer wasn't what I thought it would be."
Leaving the court system, Kruh became the senior attorney for the New York State Workers' Compensation Board, where he stayed for 11 years.
But he was always involved in other projects, too. Half a century ago, Kruh founded the magazine Cryptologia and became its editor. Once he retired from the compensation board, he continued writing, at times co-authoring books on cryptology, the science of encryption, or secret codes. He also wrote "Presidential Landmarks," a guide to historical presidential locations, with his son David. And two of his books, "Family Guide to Long Island" and "The New Family Guide to Long Island" were big hits.
One of the main reasons Kruh is retiring is to devote more time to his other interests, mainly his writing. He is also on the Town of Hempstead Landmarks Preservation Commission, and remains active in the Merrick Historical Society, which he co-founded. "I brought a lot of knowledge to the school board," he said.
Other trustees agree, saying that they have valued his knowledge, maybe even more than Kruh ever imagined. "Lou is often the wisdom of the board in terms of our own dynamics and the history," said Dr. Nancy Kaplan, the board's vice president. "He's always been a steady hand with, a wealth of historical information and experience that he always brings to the table each meeting. He really is an inspiration; he's been a guiding light for me."
Kaplan said she believes that part of Kruh's success is explained by his ability to look at issues from many angles. "He was always concerned with the taxpayer dollars," she said. "He brought incredible knowledge about board policies, the district's history and programs, and he was always so helpful."
But the bottom line for Kruh has always been the same -- how will programs benefit Merrick children? He has served as Board of Education president three times, and is credited with spearheading the effort to introduce full-day kindergarten in Merrick. Most recently, he advocated starting a Spanish language program for grades three to six, which is now in all three district schools.
"Being on the board has always been an important job for me," Kruh said. "Most trustees are educators and/or parents. I think I brought common sense to the job of trustee." Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
