Obituary of Joseph Brandman

Joseph Brandman, aged 94, longtime resident of Albany, passed away on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center. He was born in Riga, Latvia and was a Holocaust survivor. Joseph is survived by his beloved wife, Myra Brandman, to whom he had been wed for 67 years (or 70 years as he said, including some of the years spent in concentration camps). It seemed to the family that he waited to leave us until after October 16th when the family celebrated their wedding anniversary with a private catered lunch. Joseph also is the loving father of Frieda (Abraham) Anolik of Albany and Ellie Sherrin of East Greenbush; grandfather of Jill Katzman of East Greenbush, Nicki (Matt) Sherrin Kessler of Westfield, NJ, Seth (Rachel) Katzman of Arlington, MA, and David (Lea) Sherrin of Brooklyn, NY; and great-grandfather of Alex, Sydney, and Peri Kessler. Joseph worked as a barber (where he was known as Dominick) for many years at Patsy's Barber Shop in downtown Albany and later at Stuyvesant Plaza Barber Shop, where he also was the manager. Joseph had a zest for life, enjoying his friends, playing cards, traveling throughout the world, telling jokes, listening to Klezmer music, and, most importantly, spending time with his family whom he adored. He had a remarkable memory, even to the end, and was featured in a critically acclaimed book, Aging Our Way: Lessons for Living from 85 and Beyond by Meika Loe, PhD. Services will be held at the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center chapel, 180 Washington Ave. Extension, in Albany on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at the Temple Israel Cemetery on Western Ave. in Guilderland. Evening Minyan will be held on Tues., Oct. 23rd and Wed., Oct. 24th at 6:00 pm at the Anolik home, 210 Lenox Ave., Albany. The family will be sitting Shiva from Wed., Oct. 24th through Mon., Oct. 29th at the Anolik home from 1:00 pm until 8:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joseph's memory can be made to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2126. Rest in peace, dearest husband, daddy, and Zeide.