Harry Shuldman, a beloved copy editor at the New York Post who penned some of the newspaper’s most memorable front-page headlines, was tragically killed Sunday in a freak car accident on vacation.
Shuldman, 39, a gifted journalist whose artistic talents transcended the written word, was on a wildlife trip in Uganda with college friends when their Toyota Land Cruiser overturned near the village of Kakureiju.
“He was an incredible son, he was an amazing brother, a terrific uncle and he had such a joy and passion for life, for the arts, for New York City,” his father, Ken Shuldman, said Tuesday. “He really had the pulse of New York in his veins. He just felt it.”
Born Harrison Evan Shuldman on Oct. 25, 1985, in Manhattan to Ken and Emily Shuldman, Harry’s passion for the arts and journalism emerged early in life, his family said.
His love for wildlife photography was on display on Flickr and Instagram, his affinity for sports, art, music and culture were evident to everyone who befriended him.
“Harry was a talented, witty and dedicated editor, a rising star popular with his colleagues at The Post,” Editor-in-Chief Keith Poole said Tuesday. “He will be sorely missed.”
Harry was still young when the Shuldmans left New York City for New Jersey, where he graduated from Millburn High School in 2004. He went on to attend Ithaca College, where he served as editor of the school newspaper — covering news, cultural events and even drawing cartoons.
Harry also delved into the film industry in Los Angeles as an intern for legendary Hollywood agent and producer Bernie Brillstein, rubbing elbows with stars like Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Aniston.
He then returned to the Big Apple and enrolled at New York University, graduating in 2013 with a master’s degree in film theory, his parents said.
But journalism was his real passion, his parents said. In 2014, he took a job as a part-time copy clerk at The Post.
“He was living his dream,” Emily Shuldman said. “He was in journalism. He wanted to be in papers. He wanted to be where you edit things, where there’s journalism. He tried so hard and finally got the job at The Post.”
In 2016, the ambitious young journalist wanted to be more hands-on and approached legendary Post editor Barry Gross, asking for a chance at a job editing copy.
Gross said it took him three months to come around, but he finally gave Shuldman a shot at a hands-on gig at the paper — sensing something special in his future protégé.
“It’s not easy. It takes so long to adjust. I think by the third article that day, Harry got it,” Gross said. “You could not not love him. Harry went from being a colleague to just a dear, dear friend.”
Shuldman landed a full-time gig in 2018, and soon became the go-to copy desk editor for quick and witty headlines — the bread and butter of The Post’s journalism — and its memorable front pages, or “woods.”
“Son of a Gun,” he wrote when former First Son Hunter Biden was indicted on weapons charges.
“Livin’ DeVito Loca,” was his take when rookie New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito went on an improbable run last season. “Off With His Hez,” he wrote when Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah was killed.
His final front-page headline on Jan. 16 before he began his trip to Africa celebrated the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas — “Shalom Coming.”
“He got it. He got The Post mentality,” senior copy editor Joe Illuzzi said.
He added: “He was very much a diamond in the rough. You don’t find many like him.”
Harry’s passion for wildlife photography led him on a trip to Costa Rica with his college pals several years ago — which led to his recent trip to Africa with the same friends, most of them biologists and zoologists.
On Saturday, he raved about the trip in texts to his parents, his friends and his colleagues at The Post.
He told copy editor Anthony Locicero — whom Harry had taken under his wing — how he had followed the NFL playoffs on his phone. He texted Gross about the trip just hours before his death.
According to authorities, Harry and his friends were in the midst of a 12-hour drive to Entebbe when the brakes failed on the Toyota, plunging it into the Nile River and killing Harry.
His family now hopes to have him home by the weekend.
Besides his parents, Harry Shuldman is survived by sister, Dorothy, and his three-year-old niece.
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