MEMORIAL

Martin Waldman passed away November 24, 2019. This LifePosts, created for his 90th birthday, captures his full life story. Another memorial LifePost has been created to house obituaries, eulogies, and other remembrances: https://www.lifeposts.com/p/milestone/69/.../rial/lifestory/

LifeTimeline

Martin Gordon Waldman

    • Morris Gordon (Marty's Grandfather) Born

    • Barnett Waldman (Marty's Paternal Grandfather) Born

    1868
    • Celia Gerufsky (Marty's Grandmother) Born

    1869
    • Mary Lippman (Marty's Grandmother) Born

    1870
    • APR 23

      Max Waldman Born

    1893
    • MAR 27

      Rachel "Anna" Gordon Born

    1894
    • Max Waldman and Rachel Anna Gordon Get Married

    1926
    • MAR 15

      Martin Gordon Waldman Born

    1927
    • Little Marty Comes of Age During the Depression and New Deal

    1933
    • Elementary School at P.S. 197

    1937
    • A serious boy scout

    • Avid Worlds Fair lover

    1939
    • Living on Kings Highway

    1941
    • World War 2 Civil Defense Messenger and "Scrap King"

    1942
    • James Madison High School

    • OCT 21

      Marty joins throng to cheer FDR

    1944
    • The Navy months

    1945
    • NYU Graduate!

    1948
    • Marty meets Sandy

    1949
    • Goes to work at WNYC

    1950
    • Marty becomes a Mad Man

    • APR 20

      Marty marries Sandra Nemser

    • MAY

      Move to Peter Cooper Village

    1958
    • Marty discovers Soupy Sales

    • Gets a Masters Degreee

    1959
    • AUG 03

      A son!

    1960
    • Creates Communication Planners

    1961
    • NOV 10

      Stevie born

    1962
    • Move to the 'Burbs

    1965
    • Elsa, Puffy and George

    1966
    • Political consultant

    1967
    • Co-Founds COPAY, a drug treatment program

    1969
    • Civic activist

    1975
    • PR Man Extraordinaire

    1986
    • Writers Guild Strike!

    1987
    • Marty marries off boy #1

    1989
    • Crusading for labor unions to communicate better

    • OCT

      Marty marries off boy #2

    1991
    • The rural life Marty always wanted

    1992
    • MAY 16

      Marty becomes a grandpa! (Ben)

    1993
    • MAY 20

      Marty becomes a Grandpa v. 2 (Joe)

    1994
    • Marty becomes a grandfather v. 3 (Susannah)

    1995
    • SEP 17

      Marty becomes a Grandpa v. 4 (Gordon)

    1996
    • Marty becomes a grandfather v. 5

    1997
    • MAR 15

      Marty turns 80!

    2007
    • Volunteers for Obama

    • APR

      Marty and Sandy Celebrate Their 50th Wedding Anniversary

    2008
    • Moving to the big city!

    • Attends every graduation and performamce of every grandchild and child

    2010
    • MAR 15

      Marty turns 39

    2017
    • NOV 24

      Marty Dies

    2019
  • 2

    Morris Gordon (Marty's Grandfather) Born

    Kadan
    Russia
    Anna Gordon's father came here when 19 because didn't want to serve in the Russian army. He married Celia when he was 20, she a year older.

    Owned M & H Gordon Clothing, second largest coat maker in NYC. The H was for Harry, Aunt Gertie's husband, (son became insurance agent) They owned 3 lofts.

    Morris belonged to Kdaner Association; he has a plot in Washington Cemetery in
    Brooklyn.

    He never went to college but he was so anxious to learn that when Anna was in high school studying French, he had her teach him. They read Les Miserables.

    His daughters were Ethel, Fanny, Della, Ruth, Mary and Anna.

    Morris died fairly young man (in his 40s, think of stomach cancer). Family fell
    apart.

    1900 Census says he was married 1893, and that he was born May 1872, was a "cloth manufacturer" and that "Selia" was born Dec 1870. Lists his address as 1464 Madison Avenue in Manhattan!
    By Steven Waldman
  • 1241 50th Street in Brooklyn

    Barnett Waldman (Marty's Paternal Grandfather) Born

    Russia
    Everyone called him Barney. Married to Mary Lippman. They lived at 160 Henry Street in Manhattan. The Waldmans also wealthy clothing people. They lived down the street from the Gordons (in Boro Park?).

    From Anna: Parents married March 17, 1889. (According to note on birth certificate, the Federal census of 1900 shows Max Waldman, age 7, and parents listed in records.) Mary died when 32; father married her sister, Beatrice, who also was Max's aunt. Bea really raised him, his full brother Joe. Two half brothers Myron and Herbert.

    According to Peter Waldman (Herb's son, i.e. a grandson of Barnett): "This is the story that I was told, as a kid. Our grandfather and your great grandfather was Barnett, known as Barney, was a 13 year old in Russia. He was smart enough to know that conscription into the Russian army was not a good place for Jews.

    He left Russia with little more than the clothes on his back. To cross one border he had to swim a river and get to Germany. There he had an aunt of cousin who was married to a gentile inn-keeper.

    This man's name was Waldmann. He told Grandpa to take his name and drop the last "n" and DON’T STOP TILL YOU GET TO AMERICA."

    Rob Waldman adds: "According to research by Selma Waldman, the original name was either Doluboff or Jacobs." And he was born in Bialystok, Poland (according to a letter from her to Peter Waldman)

    1915 NY State Census of 1915 lists him as 45, and his wife Rebecca was 30. Says he lived at 1241 50th Street in Brooklyn. It lists his occupation as "contractor" and says Rebecca was from Germany.

    Steve Waldman says he died in 1941.
    Robert Waldman
    Barnet's second wife was Rebecca, not Beatrice, although some of her grandchildren called her Grandma Bea.
  • 2

    Celia Gerufsky (Marty's Grandmother) Born

    Aron
    Russia
    Celia (Anna Gordon's mother) was born in Aron, Russia, then Latvia. She spoke Polish. She immigrated in 1891 (per 1920 census record)

    She probably met her husband, Morris Gordon, in the clothing business. They were not religious until they moved to Boro Park. She then kept Kosher. All the Jews there helped build their synagogue, Temple Emanuel.

    Morris died fairly young man (in his 40s, think of stomach cancer). Family fell apart. Celia had to sell house, moved to apartment with daughters. Eventually, Celia had to be put in a nursing home.

    Ancestry record of Rutchik family says she died in 1933. Aron May have been in Latvia.

    Says 4619 13th Ave in 1920. The 1920 census record says she was 46 in 1920, which would mean she was born "about 1874."

    Census record lists her as "about 1874" Says both her parents were born in Russia and that by 1920 she was widowed.
    Mark London
    I believe that the city where Celia came from, is in Lithuania, not Latvia. The 2 countries are easily confused. After an extensive search, there is no town in Latvia named Aron. There is one in Lithuania, whose Lithuanian name is Varena, but whose Yiddish name was Aran.

    Celia's sister Bella, has a record that indicates that she came from Lithuania. Also, there are Lithuanian records from the 1800s, that show that Jews with the surname of "Gerovski", came from a town not far from "Aran". That is the closest sounding surname that I've found in any Jewish database. No such surname appears to be connected with Latvia.

    And yes, Morris's death certificate does show that he died of stomach cancer.
    Mark London
    Morris died in 1917, and is buried in Washington Cemetery, NYC. Celia died in 1941, and is buried in the Beth David Cemetery, in Elmont, New York
    Steven Waldman
    Thank you! Are you a relative?
  • Mary Lippman (Marty's Grandmother) Born

    Mary Lippman (Max Waldman's mother) married Barnett Waldman March 17, 1893. She came from East Prussia (according to Selma Waldman). She died when she was just 32. She and Barnet(t) had two sons, Joe and Max.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 16

    Max Waldman Born

    The Waldmans lived down the street from the Gordons. They were also wealthy clothing people. Max's older brother Joe proposed to Anna after 3 weeks of wining and
    dining, but she said no.

    Anna and Max had known each other for many years, but had not been in touch for long time. They sat next to each other at a cousin's wedding. Right then, he asked her to marry him, courted her for 3 weeks. This time, she said yes.

    But then he went to South America for 6 months. They were married shortly after he returned home.

    Max died Oct. 24, 1973, at age 79.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 16

    Rachel "Anna" Gordon Born

    New York, New York
    Anna born on Broome Street on lower East Side, the oldest of six girls. They had very little , a trunk, 2 chairs. Parents probably met in clothing business. They were not religious until they moved to Boro Park. Then mother kept Kosher. All the Jews there helped build their synagogue. Temple Emanuel.

    Father never went to college but he was so anxious to learn that when Anna was in high school studying French, he had her teach him. They read Les Miserables.

    She went to Girls High, which high in academics, but all "old maids." She wanted to go to Manual Training Girls High distance away, many blocks, 3 changes in buses. Anna dropped out of high school because she was sick.

    At first the family was very wealthy. They had box at Opera. they belonged to social club where young girls, boys met. Played tennis. Anna had expensive clothes, music lessons. Very large house in Boro Park, front porch, servants. Very social life, many parties. A neighborhood of wealthy Jewish families.

    Morris died fairly young man (in his 40s, think of stomach cancer). Family fell
    apart. Celia had to sell house, moved to apartment with daughters. Eventually,
    Celia had to be put in a nursing home.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 8

    Max Waldman and Rachel Anna Gordon Get Married

    They lived down the street from the Gordons. Max's older brother Joe proposed to Anna after 3 weeks of wining and dining, but she said no. Anna and Max had known each other for many years, but had not been in touch for long time. ^fife sat next to each other at a cousin's wedding. Right then, he asked her to marry him, courted her for 3 weeks. This
    time, she said yes. But then he went to South America for 6 months. They were
    married shortly after he returned home.

    Ship records say he went to Cuba on May 15, 1925. Maybe that was the trip?
    Mark London
    Married Jan 26, 1926, in Brooklyn, certificate # 1792.
  • 2

    Martin Gordon Waldman Born

    Brooklyn, New York
    Born to Anna Gordon and Max Waldman, at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 3

    Little Marty Comes of Age During the Depression and New Deal

    Brooklyn, New York
    Young Marty rode his first bike and earlier posed for formal portrait. Later went to P.S. 197 (1599 East 22nd Street) in Brooklyn and P.S. 193 (2515 Avenue L) nearby.
    By Steven Waldman
    Robert Waldman
    Martin loved radio and his favorite show was Stoopnagle and Budd. One day, Uncle Max and Aunt Anna surprised him with a trip to New York. Destination: Rockefeller Center, Radio City! NBC! They had gotten tickets to see a broadcast of Stoopnagle and Budd!!
  • 2

    Elementary School at P.S. 197

    Brooklyn, New York
    He attended Elementary PS 197 at 1599 East 22nd St in Brooklyn (near Quentin Road) near their house at East 23 Street

    He also attended P.S. 193 at 2515 Avenue L, off Bedford Avenue, near the Avenue L House.
    By Steven Waldman
  • A serious boy scout

    He was a dedicated boy scout, earned a few merit badges, and was proud of his troop and uniform.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 17

    Avid Worlds Fair lover

    Brooklyn, New York
    Marty LOVED World's Fairs. He attended the 1939-40 World's Fair, the 1964 World's Fair and Expo 67 (in Montreal). At the 1940 World's Fair he remembered seeing the debut of black and white TV! He went to the 1939-1940 World's Fair a total of 22 times.
    By Steven Waldman
  • Living on Kings Highway

    In high school he lived at 2828 Kings Highway between East 28th and 29th Street.

    Before that he was in a two family house on East 23rd Street off Kings Highway when he went to P.S. 197

    He also lived at a two family house, upstairs on Avenue L between Bedford and East 24, diagonally across from P.S. 193
    By Steven Waldman
  • 2

    World War 2 Civil Defense Messenger and "Scrap King"

    Brooklyn, New York
    With World War II in full swing, and everyone on alert, Marty served as a Civil Defense messenger, complete with helmet and armband, as America went through blackouts and scary false alarms. In the attached video, he describes becoming "scrap metal king."
    By Steven Waldman
  • 3

    James Madison High School

    Brooklyn, New York
    He attended James Madison High School from 1941-44 during the war. He became champion scrap collector for the war effort, found that he liked public speaking and performing in school plays, became interested in working in radio broadcasting.
    By Steven Waldman
  • Marty joins throng to cheer FDR

    New York
    One of Marty's most vivid memories was of seeing his idol, Franklin Roosevelt, for the first time in person. He was struck by the fact that Roosevelt was .... in color! Here is newsreel footage of the FDR visit that made such an impression.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 2

    The Navy months

    Dad enlisted in the Navy, as part of the medical corps. It was while he was in the Navy that he heard that FDR had died.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 3

    NYU Graduate!

    New York, New York
    His motto was E Pluribus Unim??
    By Steven Waldman
  • 2

    Marty meets Sandy

    In case there was any mystery about why Sandy fell in love with Marty, this video should explain. The second video is of mom and dad describing the first time they met. She was just 16, and he was a dashing college graduate. Hmmm. Here's a video of them telling the story.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 8

    Goes to work at WNYC

    New York, New York
    Working for the city he wrote speeches for Mayor Impelitterri, covered news events including the 1952 election, and pretended to know about classical music. This incredible audio is Marty covering Dwight Eisenhower's victory. Marty's part comes in at 3:22 minutes. His voice is relatively unrecognizable to modern friends and family.
    Michael Waldman
    Marty reconnects with the Stuart Davis mural from his office at the Whitney, 2016.
  • 8

    Marty becomes a Mad Man

    New York
    Marty joins Young & Rubicam, the archetypal Madison Avenue advertising agency. In those days, the agencies and their clients produced the shows.
    By Michael Waldman
  • Marty marries Sandra Nemser

    They are married at the Essex House in Manhattan. Here's a truly amazing video of the big da
    By Steven Waldman
  • 10

    Move to Peter Cooper Village

    New York, New York
    By Steven Waldman
  • 8

    Marty discovers Soupy Sales

    New York, New York
    One of Marty's greatest gifts to the world was Soupy Sales. It was Marty who recommended that the local TV personality be given a network slot -- and it worked!
    By Steven Waldman
  • Gets a Masters Degreee

    New York
    While working at WNYC, Marty gets a Masters in Communications from New York University. Later he would also get a major honor from the NYU Alumni Association.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 6

    A son!

    New York
    Although Marty was usually behind the camera, here is some rare footage of an ecstatically happy guy with his new baby, Michael Alan Waldman
    By Steven Waldman
  • 18

    Creates Communication Planners

    New York
    Marty takes the bold step of leaving Young and Rubicam and creating his own public relations and advertising firm, which he called Communication Planners.
    Robert Waldman
    Martin helped his Cousin Rob (me) get work experience in p.r. when he asked Rob to office sit Communication Planners while he, Sandy and the boys went on their summer family vacations. Always thorough, Martin left explicit instructions for Rob on the care and feeding of the firm's clients, especially the Nassau County Medical Society.
  • 3

    Stevie born

    Dad is convinced that he could hear Steve crying from inside the womb (the video explains).
    By Steven Waldman
  • 13

    Move to the 'Burbs

    Great Neck, New York
    The follow the American dream, fleeing the city to the paradise of Great Neck.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 4

    Elsa, Puffy and George

    Marty was always fond of the house pets -- Elsa (the mom), Puffy (the tragically-obese one) and George (the people pleaser). There was also the bird, Christopher, and later on a rescue cat named Ertha (rescued from Steve's immaturity).
    By Steven Waldman
  • 7

    Political consultant

    New York
    Early in the days of political media, Marty and Sandy are consultants for Nassau County Executive Eugene Nickerson in his reelection campaign -- then did the media for the New York State campaign of presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey. Nickerson won reelection in 1967 with the slogan "It Takes a Big Man to Run a Big County." In 1968, Humphrey won the state Democratic primary (contrary to the myth that he never ran), and won the state in the general election as he lost narrowly to Richard M. Nixon.
    By Michael Waldman
  • Co-Founds COPAY, a drug treatment program

    Great Neck
    Marty helps found -- and is the first president of -- COPAY, a community organization to provide drug and alcohol treatment. It is still going strong and has helped thousands of people deal with addiction through the years. The PDF is Marty's speech at Temple Emanuel describing the birth history of COPAY. A few fascinating passages:

    "It was back in 1969, a period of ferment in our country, and of changes in our communities. Young people were deeply troubled by a war that even adults had trouble justifying. There were new generational conflicts, uncertainty about the future, changes in family life, for some, lack of direction. An unfortunate component of the ferment that resulted was the spread of teenage drug abuse -- at first in the cities, and then to affluent suburbia.

    In Great Neck, some people had recognized the problem, and small attempts here and there were made to do something about it. But there was no broad community-wide effort. In fact, some people wanted to pretend that the problem didn't exist.

    [Chana Friend, the chairman of Nassau Country Drug Abuse Commission and Rabbi Widom of Temple Emanuel convinced me to help organize the effort]

    The months that followed became a constant frenzy of activity, meetings, publicity, organizing, persuasion, arguments, politicking, negotiations and structuring...all designed to create an organization that was broad-based, could obtain county funding and would have acceptance and a positive chance for survival.

    Above all, we wanted to create a professionally-run organization... an organization that could go beyond the individuals who created it.

    It was not all fun and games. Anyone who is a student of the formation of organizations should take note: when a community organization is formed to meet a problem -- even with the most noble of motives -- there will always be a few people who will find it threatening -- some, in this case, because it reminded them of a problem they did not want to hear about, some who wanted to politically exploit the problem, some leaders who took offense because they felt that the creation of a new group somehow implied that existing organizations or institutions had failed to meet the problem. Fortunately, most people understood the need, and the ball was rolling.

    As I look back at that year, I see a kaleidoscope of images -- I remember Rabbi Widom working on the phone till all hours to obtain the support of other clergy in the community who agreed to serve on our advisory board and encouraging several temple members to also serve on the initial board, as I recruited other leaders from outside the temple to also serve.

    I remember Sol Friend, who we had drafted as our free attorney, sitting with me as we seriously discussed the name for the organization. It was vital that the word AND in "Community Organization for Parents AND YOUTH" be stressed. If we didn't COPAY might have been called COPY... not the best name for a new organization....

    I well remember the team of Widom and Waldman begging, pleading and cajoling people for rent money and contributions for other expenses to get us rolling with the first contribution coming from the Temple's own Social Action Committee.

    I remember Channa and I appearing before the Mayors of the nine villages to seek their support. I remember my wife Sandra calling everyone she knew through her years of involvement to form a brigade of volunteers who would answer the phones, who could be called upon for a variety of tasks, who could become the core of the future leadership of COPAY. I remember temple members bringing in paneling and providing free electrical work to make COPAY's first offices pleasant attractive.

    I remember too, when my wife and I took part in a symposium on drug abuse on Channel 13, being asked by a representative of another community group, "Do you really think that a community group can do anything about a drug abuse problem?" I could only answer, "I dont know. But all we can do is try."
    By Steven Waldman
  • 3

    Civic activist

    Great Neck
    In addition to founding COPAY, Marty committed himself to an incredible range of civic and community causes -- often without pay and often in leadership positions. An incomplete list:

    President of the Public Library Board (he also voluntarily did PR for the campaign that led to the funding of a beautiful new public library

    President, Washington Square College of NYU alumni association

    Board of NYU Alumni Federation

    Board of Family Service Association of Nassau County

    Chair of Adult Education advisory committee of Great Neck schools

    Board of Temple Emanuel of Great Neck
    By Steven Waldman
  • 14

    PR Man Extraordinaire

    New York, New York
    He had a stunning range of clients in days at the helm of his own firm, Communications Planners. They included:

    Interstate Cigar Company
    Masters
    Nassau County Medical Society
    United Housing Foundation
    Writers Guild of America East
    Barneys
    L.S. Amster
    Great Neck Library campaign

    Here are a few samples of their work
    By Steven Waldman
  • 4

    Writers Guild Strike!

    New York
    Marty strategizes the strike by news writers for CBS and ABC, as public relations consultant for the Writers Guild of America, East. Taking on the new ownership of the networks, the strikers won over public opinion and prevailed.
    By Michael Waldman
  • 3

    Marty marries off boy #1

    Brookline, Massachusetts
    By Steven Waldman
  • Crusading for labor unions to communicate better

    In 1991, the book "With Just Cause: Unionization of the American Journalist" concluded with the essay "Reaching Out to the Media: A Union CAN Make Itself Heard". Around this time he also taught a course on labor communications and one on general communications at Adelphi.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 2

    Marty marries off boy #2

    New Marlboro, Maryland
    By Steven Waldman
  • The rural life Marty always wanted

    Great Barrington, Massachusetts
    Though Marty was never much interested in hiking, fishing, skiing, snowboarding, kayacking, canooing, trees, wild animals or fresh air, he really wanted a house in the country! So they got a lovely place in Great Barrington -- which became a place for many, many great family memories.
    Steven Waldman
  • 8

    Marty becomes a grandpa! (Ben)

    Washington, District of Columbia
    By Steven Waldman
  • 4

    Marty becomes a Grandpa v. 2 (Joe)

    Washington, District of Columbia
    By Steven Waldman
  • 3

    Marty becomes a grandfather v. 3 (Susannah)

    Washington, District of Columbia
    Susannah Eve Fine Waldman is born on February 7, 1995 at Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C.
    By Michael Waldman
  • 8

    Marty becomes a Grandpa v. 4 (Gordon)

    Washington, District of Columbia
    Gordon -- the first Waldman to draw their name from the Gordon side of the family -- joins the crew of grandchildren
    By Steven Waldman
  • 2

    Marty becomes a grandfather v. 5

    Washington, District of Columbia
    Joshua Fine Waldman born in Washington, D.C., December 16, 1997.
    By Michael Waldman
  • 2

    Marty turns 80!

    By Michael Waldman
  • Volunteers for Obama

    Marty and Sandy work the phones for Barack Obama, continuing a long life of civic activism.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 2

    Marty and Sandy Celebrate Their 50th Wedding Anniversary

    Great Neck
    Five decades and counting. Here's a sweet video of mom reading a Valentine's Day note from Dad.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 4

    Moving to the big city!

    New York, New York
    After more than 40 years in Great Neck, Marty and Sandy decide to move back to NYC so they can be closer take out food, museums and doctors.
    By Steven Waldman
  • 33

    Attends every graduation and performamce of every grandchild and child

    Marty (and Sandy) have attended every school play, performance, birthday, Bar Mitzvah, funeral school induction, or graduation.
    By Steven Waldman
  • Marty turns 39

    By Steven Waldman
  • Marty Dies

    See this memorial for obituaries, eulogies and other remembrances.

    https://www.lifeposts.com/p/milestone/69/.../rial/lifestory/
    By Steven Waldman