Obituary of Seymour Speckman

Sy Speckman was born in Germany on June 20, 1932. With his parents, he came to the United States in September 1939. They were on one of the last boats from Europe prior to the start of World War II. Very sadly, at least ten relatives were unable to leave Europe and perished in the Holocaust. The family had little money, few skills, no formal education, and did not speak English. Like other Jewish immigrants, they labored very hard to make ends meet. They started on the Lower East Side and later moved to the Bronx. Sy was raised in an observant Jewish household, attended synagogue regularly, and became a Bar Mitzvah in 1945. His dedication to Judaism remained with him until his passing. Sy was an excellent student and graduated from Fordham University in 1954, later earning a Masters Degree in Pharmacy. He worked as a pharmacist from then on, with continuing education studies being a constant part of his regime. From 1960 to 1990, he owned a pharmacy in upper Manhattan and, later, in Rye, NY. In 1990, he joined the pharmacy at the Albert Einstein Medical Center, retiring in 2003, at age 71. In addition to his regular duties, he helped with research efforts to develop medications for pediatric Aides patients. He married Della June Bailin on December 19, 1959. They lived in the Bronx, then upper Manhattan, and then moved to Larchmont in 1970. There they raised a happy family of children and pets. His main avocations were reading, traveling, golfing, and attending classical concerts with his wife. Sy and Della remained married until she passed on May 25, 2013. Sy passed on October 14, 2015. He was 83 and had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease. A 45-year resident of Larchmont, he resided at the Sarah Neuman nursing home for his last six years. The funeral was held at graveside, at Mount Eden Cemetery, on October 15. Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman officiated. Shiva was at the Nossan household in the days following burial. Sy is survived by his daughter, Emily Nossan of Ridgefield, CT, and son, Stuart, of Fairfield, CT. He adored his three grand children: Hannah Rose Nossan, Kory Nossan, and Drew Speckman. He also leaves behind his devoted aide, Ms. Jocelyn Stennis, who cared for him non-stop for six years. She was an angel to him, whom G_d sent. Zichrono L'vracha. May his memory be a blessing.