New York has lost one of its sharpest minds, iron wills and gracious hearts. Our dear friend Dorothy Marie Miner passed away Tuesday night.

Dorothy served as the counsel for the Landmarks Preservation Commission for two decades, furiously protecting the integrity of the Landmarks Law and guiding the Commission through some of its toughest legal challenges. She played a critical role in the 1978 Penn Central case, which upheld not only the designation of Grand Central Terminal but also the constitutionality of local governments to protect historic buildings. After leaving the Commission in 1994, Dorothy continued to be active in the preservation world, offering her expertise to many non-profit and civic organizations. She was a dedicated and inspiring professor at Columbia ’s Historic Preservation program, Pace University School of Law, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Dorothy was an integral part of the Municipal Art Society, serving on almost all of its professional committees (Preservation, Planning and Law) for years. With her fierce intellect she was able to dissect complex issues and sum up the problems in a few perfectly crafted, and often funny, sentences. Her dedication went well beyond her extraordinary work on those committees – she was a mentor to so many on the MAS staff. While demanding and rigorous when it came to work, she was a warm and sweet friend to so many of us. She is irreplaceable and will be sorely missed by everyone at MAS.