Obituary

From Albany Times Union on August 18, 2022:

Herman Koretzky who celebrated his 94th birthday with his family three weeks ago, passed away on August 16, 2022, at the Bridges at Cornell Heights in Ithaca. He had resided there since April 2022, after spending most of his life within a few miles of the Hudson River, ranging from Brooklyn to Highland, N.Y. Herman was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on July 25, 1928, to Shoma and Laika Koretzky. As immigrants from Russia they relied on their sons to teach them English and to help them become an American family. Herman was educated in the New York City public school system. At 12 years old he entered Stuyvesant High School, one of the finest and most academically rigorous public high schools in the country. He graduated a month shy of his 16th birthday and enrolled at Brooklyn College. His time there was interrupted by World War II when he entered the Army. During his Army service he was sent to study at Clemson College (now University) in South Carolina. Upon receiving an honorable discharge he completed his degree in chemistry at Brooklyn. His fierce loyalty for the rest of his life was to the Clemson Tigers, cheering on their numerous victorious seasons. On September 9, 1950, Herman married a neighborhood girl, Dorothy Schneider. Ironically they didn't meet until both were college students when Herman became Dorothy's math tutor. They were married for 56 years until Dorothy's passing in 2007. Herman and Dorothy became parents to three children, Rhona (Bernard Forman), Saratoga Springs, Gary (Kim Overby), Ithaca, and Marsha, New Paltz. Their grandchildren are Jason Forman, Alisa Forman and Maya Overby Koretzky (Matthew Franco). A granddaughter, Saryn Overby Koretzky, predeceased them. Herman is also survived by a brother, Joseph Koretzky (Ann) of Vancouver, Wash.; his sisters-in-law and brother-in-law and many nieces and nephews. Herman and Dorothy spent the majority of their lives together in the Poughkeepsie N.Y. area. Herman was employed by IBM from 1958 until his retirement in 1992. He held various positions including in research and development, management and ultimately consulting in environmental services. His last assignment before retirement was in Los Angeles where he mentored engineering students at UCLA, so two Brooklyn kids got to be Californians for a little while. During his long career with IBM Herman participated in many projects resulting in patent awards. Herman was a brilliant scientist who loved mathematics and logic but he also had a keen interest in history and he devoured books by the prominent historians of our time. In addition to his beloved Clemson Tigers he rooted for New York Giants football. His loyalty to the Dodgers after many years of attending Ebbets Field was sorely tested by the Dodgers move from Brooklyn. Herman and Dorothy were eager to travel the world and continued to do so until Dorothy's health would no longer make it possible. Herman was known to everyone for his wit and wry sense of humor which stayed with him until the very end of his life. He followed local, national and world news closely and started a weekly round table discussion group at his apartment complex, Vineyard Commons in Highland. He was an avid and competitive bridge player and a somewhat more relaxed poker player. He enjoyed trivia, puzzles and games until his last days and was captivated by the new sensation, wordle. He played in a regular bocce game at the Vineyard Commons and he was delighted to be a Romeo with a group of old friends from Poughkeepsie. Above all Herman was fiercely devoted to and proud of his family and was a kind-hearted friend to many. The family extends our appreciation to the staff of the Bridges who compassionately cared for him in his final months. We also thank his many friends from the Poughkeepsie and Highland communities, and want to especially acknowledge Dottie and Suzie Struck for all they shared with him.