Donald Bikoff

1947– 2026

Donald "Don" Bikoff, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and guitarist, passed away on April 29, 2026, at the age of 79. A Long Island native who made his life in Glen Cove, NY, Don leaves behind a legacy unlike any other.

Don was a passionate and talented musician. He had a one-of-a-kind sound that drew from blues, folk, rock and even a touch of eastern classical. His style was influenced by frequent pilgrimages into Greenwich Village during the 60’s and refined by jamming with many great, and often obscure, Delta Blues musicians. Eventually, he would be known as a figure in the American Primitive genre, but Don’s music was singular – even if it was a folk song so old, and covered so many times, that its origins were untraceable. He released his first album, Celestial Explosion, in 1968 and his second album, Hallowed Ground, in 2014, decades later after building a life and family with his wife, Amy.

Don and Amy met taking summer courses in college. Their early life together was filled with adventure and accompanied by artists. In the 1970s, Don and Amy loaded up a Volkswagen microbus and toured the country, with Don playing guitar and passing the hat at clubs to get by. When the engine blew up near Washington, Don took it as a sign to settle down. After stints as a middle school English teacher and a linguistics instructor at LIU Post, he joined his father-in-law at Carnegie Chemical & Color Co., a specialty products distributor for wood finishing. He worked alongside family and eventually ran the company until his retirement. 

Don was a loving and devoted father to his three children: Jessica, Derek and Maxwell; and a light and inspiration to his seven grandchildren: Jackson, Gavin, Liam, Damon, Vivienne, Clark, and Dawson. Always present, always supportive. He was quick-witted and funny. He was both deeply intellectual and unabashedly crude. To be in Don’s circle was a gift that brought with it laughter, music, and typically an unwanted nickname. He leaves behind his stories and songs that will be passed on for generations, just like the ones that inspired him so many years ago.

The funeral service will be held on Sunday, May 3rd at 10:00am at the Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home in Glen Cove, NY. The family will be sitting Shiva and receiving guests at Don and Amy’s home in Glen Cove on May 3rd and 4th from 2:00-5:00pm and 7:00-9:00pm; and May 5th from 7:00-9:00pm. In lieu of flowers, a donation is welcomed to the newly established Don Bikoff Memorial Music Scholarship in partnership with Congregation Tifereth Israel in Glen Cove (link to follow).

The Don Bikoff Memorial Music Scholarship

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