Obituary of Phyllis Ainspan

Phyllis Branz Ainspan, age 82 of the Massry Residence in Albany died suddenly on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at her residence. Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Phyllis had been a Capital District resident since 1937 She was a graduate of Albany High School and the University of New Hampshire ( Durham) majoring in government and minored in history and education. Phyllis did student teaching at Manchester Central High School in Manchester, NH. and graduated in 1954.. She started her Masters work at Harvard University and was awarded a scholarship to study Far Eastern History in the summer of 1955. Phyllis taught world history at Albany High School and became a resident counselor at Brubacher Hall at SUNY Albany in 1955. Phyllis received her Master’s in Guidance in 1957 from SUNY Albany .In 1959 she became an Assistant Professor in Education and a Supervisor of Student Teachers in Social Sturdies at SUNY Albany. She had been employed as a school teacher and taught at the Hackett Middle School, Temple Israel, Bishop Magin High School as well as several other schools. Phyllis was an avid reader and enjoyed movies and theater. While in high school she was active in Delta Psi at the Albany Jewish Community Center and won a local and national Hearst History contest. She was a member of Temple Israel in Albany and a lifelong member of Hadassah. She is survived by her husband, Martin Ainspan, a son, Nathan D. Ainspan PhD and his wife Debbie Ann Doyle Ainspan PhD from Arlington, Virginia, Sister of Vida Branz Hellmann of Fall River, Massachusetts. Grandmother of Isaac Mark Doyle Ainspan. Phyllis was predeceased in 1997 by a daughter, Sara Miriam Ainspan. Services at the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Avenue in Albany on Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 2pm. Interment will follow in the Temple Israel Cemetery in Guilderland, New York. Those wishing to remember Phyllis in a special way may make a memorial contribution to The Sara M. Ainspan Memorial Israel Scholarship c/o Temple Israel, 600 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208.