Arnold Charles Rifkin, Former TV Engineer, Photographer and Chef, Dies at 93

Arnold Charles Rifkin, a former television engineer, photographer and professional chef, passed away at his Pikesville residence on Wednesday, May 4. He was 93.

Raised by a single mother in East Baltimore during the Great Depression, Arnold set his sights on making his way in the world and “having a real family.” He graduated from Baltimore City College in 1947 and worked as an X-ray technician for the Baltimore City Health Department. It soon became apparent that Arnold could “fix, build or do anything.”

In 1949, he married Sally Conn, who he fell in love with “at first sight” and always described as his “beautiful wife.” For the next 73 years, Arnold and Sally were inseparable, the closest of friends and constant companions.

As Sally described in her memoir, “From Generation to Generation: L’Dor V’Dor” “[Arnold was] always there for me, our children and grandchildren. For every birthday, bris and graduation. For every school open house, sporting event and wedding.”

Arnold, who had a passion for photography, took thousands of pictures “showing his pride in his wonderful family.”

While serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War, he earned a medal as the best sharpshooter in his division and studied radar engineering. Under the G.I. Bill, he studied radio engineering. With the advent of television, began working at the local NBC affiliate WAAM — now WJZ-TV — in January 1957. It is said that he and a colleague “turned on the lights” for TV in Baltimore.

Working with the news department, Arnold covered President John F. Kennedy’s funeral in Washington, D.C., a hostage crisis at the University of Maryland Hospital in 1978 (where he received a commendation for helping bring calm to the situation, “ensuring the safety of all concerned”), gubernatorial elections, storms, fires and his favorite, sporting events.

In 1974, Arnold developed the idea of attaching a television camera to a van and helped create the mobile news that became prevalent in the industry. In 1980, he was presented an award by the Society of Motion Pictures TV Engineers for his accomplishments.

In 1987, a workplace accident caused Arnold to lose 95% of his hearing. For a man who loved to sing and converse with others, it was a devastating event. But Arnold persevered and rekindled a lifelong passion for cooking. In 1988, after three decades working in television, he retired and entered the Culinary Institute of Baltimore as a 60-year-old freshman.

A Baltimore Sun article from March 25, 1988, noted, “A stirring retirement for Arnold Rifkin, engineer extraordinaire at WJZ who will be trading his camera for a Cuisinart.” On his last night at the station, news anchor Denise Koch gave Arnold a rousing tribute, featuring Arnold and the WJZ remote news truck on-air.

In 1989, the Rifkins’ sons sent Arnold and Sally to Paris so that he could study French cooking. From that point on, Paris became a special place for Arnold and Sally, where they would live every year for a month during the summer. After graduating from culinary school, Arnold worked as a line chef at various local restaurants, including Linwoods in Owings Mills. Renowned throughout the family for his cooking skills, he could always be counted on to bake a challah or other treats for any family event.

In retirement, Arnold and Sally loved to travel, spend time with family and enjoy each other’s company.

Always part of his children’s and grandchildren’s lives, Arnold will always be remembered and loved as a man of accomplishment, integrity and kindness who achieved his lifelong dream of having a “real family.”

Arnold is survived by his loving wife of 73 years, Sally Rifkin (nee Conn); his sons Alan, Scott and David; his daughters-in-love Leslie, Fran and Connie; his grandchildren Robert and Mariya, Bradley and Priscilla, Daniel and Lillian, Amy and Robert, Joshua, Adam, Brianna and Blake; and great grandchildren Aaron, Benjamin and Ruth.

The family requests consideration of a contribution in his honor to the Kappa Guild, c/o Sheila Mentz, 4327 Crest Heights Rd., Baltimore, Maryland 21215.