By Snejana Farberov

PUBLISHED: 10:51 EST, 21 August 2013 | UPDATED: 16:49 EST, 21 August 2013


Sad loss: Louis Gerstner III, 41, a philanthropist and the son of a former IBM CEO, passed away after choking on his food at a New York City diner

Sad loss: Louis Gerstner III, 41, a philanthropist and the son of a former IBM CEO, passed away after choking on his food at a New York City diner

The 41-year-old son of a former CEO of IBM has died after choking on a piece of steak at a New York City diner.

Louis Gerstner III passed away last Wednesday while dining alone at Lenox Hill Grill Diner on the Upper East Side.

According to the owner of the restaurant, the 41-year-old married father of two ordered the $24.99 George's steak - a 16oz cut of beef topped with grilled mushrooms and red onions - which he washed down with a couple of vodka shots.  

'He was fine. It was fine till the last moment,' John Politidis told the New York Post. 'He was just watching TV at the bar.'

Grace Brugess, a spokeswoman for the New York City Medical Examiner's Office, said that he died at Lenox Hill Hospital. The results of Gerstner's autopsy are pending.

Gerstner's father, Louis Gerstner Jr, 71, became the CEO of IBM in 1993. At the time, the technology giant was in dire straits, but Gerstner was able to transform the struggling company on the verge of bankruptcy into a profitable business.

Last meal: Gerstner choked to death while eating a 16oz aged steak topped with mushrooms and red onions

Last meal: Gerstner choked to death while eating a 16oz aged steak topped with mushrooms and red onions

Dinnertime drama: Gerstner was eating at the counter at Lenox Hill Grill and watching TV when he fell back in his chair

Dinnertime drama: Gerstner was eating at the counter at Lenox Hill Grill and watching TV when he fell back in his chair

Under his stewardship, IBM's market value jumped from $29billion to $168billion over the course of nine years, Bloomberg reported..  

Gerstner Jr retired as CEO in 2002, and later wrote a book about his experience turning around IBM's fortunes titled Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Mr Gerstner's impressive resume also includes stints at American Express and RJR Nabisco. 

Louis Gerstner III graduated from Princeton University and Columbia Business School, and was hired by the private equity firm Forstmann Little.

Loved ones: Gerstner is survived by his wife of 14 years, Mary Gervaise Lawhorne (center), and their two daughters, Grace and Olivia

Loved ones: Gerstner is survived by his wife of 14 years, Mary Gervaise Lawhorne (center), and their two daughters, Grace and Olivia

Visionary: Louis Gerstner III's father, Louis Gerstner Jr, is credited with turning around the fortunes of IBM and saving it from bankruptcy during his nine-year tenure as the tech giant's CEO

Visionary: Louis Gerstner III's father, Louis Gerstner Jr, is credited with turning around the fortunes of IBM and saving it from bankruptcy during his nine-year tenure as the tech giant's CEO

Later in life, Mr Gerstner turned his attention to philanthropy. Most recently, the 41-year-old served as president of the Gerstner Family Foundation, providing education opportunities to underprivileged children, the New York Times reported.

In 2011, the charity reported $94million in assets. The foundation pledged $2million to the Partnership for Inner-City Education, which pays tuition for low-income children to attend Catholic schools, and $4.6million to fund a study of ADHD.

In an entry on the site Legacy.com, David Thomas Clephane, who described himself as Gerstner's childhood friend, wrote that the deceased was 'a prince of a man.' 

Louis Gerstner III is survived by his wife of 14 years, Mary Gervaise Lawhorne; their two daughters, Grace and Olivia; his sister, Dr Elizabeth Gerstner, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital; and their parents.  

Living the high life: Gerstner owned a $2million two-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side, not far from the Lenox Hill Grill

Living the high life: Gerstner owned a $2million two-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side, not far from the Lenox Hill Grill

Home base: The 41-year-old philanthropist is listed as the owner of a massive $12.7million colonial mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, just steps away from the Long Island Sound

Home base: The 41-year-old philanthropist is listed as the owner of a massive $12.7million colonial mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, just steps away from the Long Island Sound

Real estate websites show that Gerstner owned a lavish $2million two-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side, not far from the Lenox Hill Grill, featuring marble finishings and a health club on site.

The 41-year-old philanthropist is also listed as the owner of a massive $12.7million colonial mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The imposing 5,884-square-foot brick house nestled in a buclic landscape boasts five bedrooms, at least two fireplaces and a manicured lawn just a few minutes away from the Long Island Sound.
 

The comments below have not been moderated.

Didn't anyone in there know the Heimlich manouver? If you don't know it go to your local fire station and they can teach you in five minutes flat! (they're all E.M.T.'s) And cut your steak or other food in SMALL PIECES! That's the main problem, people think they can swallow more than they actually can and take the time to CHEW!

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Even though the children's faces are blurred seems like a beautiful family. Poor children.

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It didn't say if anyone was eating with him or if anyone tried to save him with abdominal thrusts. - Focus , Shipp, United States, 22/8/2013 02:54 But it did say he was dining alone. In the second paragraph.

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RIP and my condolences to his family. It sounds like he was a good, charitable man. If any of the family reads these posts I hope they ignore the unkind and inappropriate ones. They don't matter and were written by very ugly people with very small minds.

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he should have had the fish

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Did no one in that restaurant know the Heimlich Maneuver? Being rich doesn't guarantee you a long life, does it? May he RIP.

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To commentors who cant read the storying asking rediculous questions before the eyes, its lenox hill grill!

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Oh wow the picture of this steak looks massive couldnt imagine the the actual steak itself and the chunk of steak choked on to death. Sad. This dead animals spirit was.angry or something.

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This is a bit scary, I dont want to say something without knowing. Ive never bee in this situation, God forbid I ever am...... but the article says he'd washed it down with 2 shots of vodka & was ok watching T.V. how do they know he was choking?

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on this occasion i don't think i will make a comment,story says it all..*G*

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