Maurice Paprin, a real estate entrepreneur who built thousands of apartments in New York and spent decades promoting liberal causes, died on November 25, 2005 at a hospital in Manhattan. He was 85. Paprin was a longtime member of the Townsend Harris Alumni Association Board of Directors, having graduated from the school in 1936.

Born in the Bronx, Paprin got his start building single-family homes in the 1960s and went on to build, buy and manage large apartment buildings and subsidized housing complexes throughout the city.

While he made his fortune in business, Paprin was busy as an activist. He protested U.S. wars, bought newspaper advertisements calling President Clinton’s impeachment an “obscene circus” and founded a nonprofit called the Fund for New Priorities.

The group organized forums on issues ranging from the plight of the U.S. farmer and Watergate to the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.

Paprin also served as chairman of the Business, Labor and Community Coalition of New York and was president of Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York for 14 years.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Paprin, his sons Seth, Yale and Frederick, a daughter, Judith, and stepsons Steven and Miles Stuchin.