Obituary of Martin Nedboy Stein

                Martin Stein died suddenly at home on June 23, 2018.  He and his identical twin, Bernard, were born on July 6, 1932 at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, NY to the late Tillie and Oscar Stein.  They grew up in Schenectady, both attending Nott Terrace High School and Siena College.  He was so proud of having a twin brother and they were “joined by the hip” until Bernie’s untimely death in 1982.  Marty also served stateside in the United States Army at the end of the Korean Conflict. 

                In 1965, Marty met Phyllis Hochman Stein at Grossinger’s ice skating rink.  They wed in May 1966 and were married for 36 years until Phyllis died in 2003.  They had two daughters, Susanna and Jessica Max.  Later, Marty was introduced to Arleen Fialkoff Urell and she and her family married Marty and his family in 2010. 

                After his family, Marty’s greatest passion was his work.  Until the day of his death, Marty worked full-time selling food, focusing on kosher and specialty items.  His career began as a child when he worked for his family’s kosher food distributorship, Stein Food Products, in Schenectady NY.  The company closed after the death of his brother who also worked in the family business.  Marty then joined A. Greenhouse which merged several times into bigger companies.  At the time of his death, Marty was working for Nassau Candy, Specialty Confections and Fine Foods.  He was one of the five national judges of new products for the annual Kosher Food Show and was on the new member selection committee of the Specialty Food Association.  One of his proudest moments came when he was inducted into the Specialty Food Association’s Hall of Fame in 2016.  Marty also was an avid reader and garnered a large library that fills almost every free wall space in his home.  Marty and Arleen also enjoyed visiting their children, traveling to Europe and Israel.  He was an active member at Congregation Beth Emeth, in Albany, and remained a member of his family’s synagogue Congregation Agudat Achim in Schenectady.  He celebrated his second Bar Mitzvah at Beth Emeth in 2015.

                Marty is survived by his cherished wife, Arleen, and daughters, Susanna (John) Hurley of Guilderland and Jessica Max Stein of Brooklyn.  He also leaves his sister-in-law Dr. Mindy Sanders Stein, of Schenectady; beloved niece Lori Beth Stein of Albany and several cousins.  He is also survived by his loving step-children:  Jeffrey (Kay) Urell of Bluffton SC; Andrew (Sue) Urell of Athens GA; Dr. Ellen Urell of Denver CO, and 4 step-grandchildren whom he loved as his own. 

                Marty was a true mensch.  He will be remembered for his quiet sense of humor, awful puns, his love of reading and Judaism, as well as his dedication to his family and to the food business. 

                Internment will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at the Agudat Achim Cemetery, Schermerhorn St. Rotterdam followed at 1 PM with a memorial service at Congregation Beth Emeth, Academy Road, Albany.  A period of mourning will be held at the Stein Home, 7 MacAffer Dr., Menands on, Tuesday after the service until 8, and Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5 until 9. 

                In lieu of flowers, you may contribute to a food bank or food pantry of your choice or the charity of your choosing. 

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