Leo Pinsky

Leo Pinsky died peacefully on Thursday, April 12 at the age of 91. Leo was predeceased by his parents Isidor and Minnie Pinsky, his older brothers Jules, David, and Albert Pinsky, his granddaughter Becky Esterson, his nephew Hap Paul, and his niece Pamela Pinsky. He is survived by his wife of 67 years Lorraine Pinsky; his daughters and their husbands Galya and Jonathan Greenberg, Tia Pinsky and Avi Esterson; six grandsons and their wives (Akiva, Betzalel and Yisrael Esterson and Ethan, Ezra, and Eli Greenberg) and ten great grandchildren. Leo grew up on Sumner Street in Hartford, attended Hartford High School and the University of Connecticut. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII where he was stationed on Guam, guarding POWs and playing on the Marines baseball team. Leo worked in the Farmington school system for 32 years, primarily as a high school social studies teacher and baseball coach. He won 411 games and 12 league titles in 31 seasons coaching the Farmington Indians, holding a losing record only once. He was a member of the Connecticut High School Coaches Hall of Fame and was the first Connecticut coach to win three state baseball championships (1957, 1965, 1978). Pinsky was named the outstanding coach for the year 1965 by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association. In 1986, Pinsky was named to the Hall of Fame for Greater Hartford Jewish Athletes. In 1988 he received the Baseball Coach Gold Award from Scholastic Coach Magazine, and in 1989 he was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was unanimously voted to receive the Red O'Neill Award from the University of Connecticut, citing his character, leadership, athletic ability and successful career. Also in 2003 he was inducted into the Hartford Public High School Sports Hall of Fame. The funeral will take place TODAY Friday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m. at the Emanuel Synagogue cemetery 1361 Berlin Turnpike (intersection of Berlin Turnpike and Jordan Lane) in Wethersfield. Shiva will take place at the home of his daughter Galya Greenberg from Sunday morning through Thursday morning. The family will receive visitors at the morning minyan and after 1:00 p.m. Morning minyan will be at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, 6:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Afternoon and evening minyanim will commence at 7:15 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. On Sunday morning there will also be a women's prayer group at 10:00 a.m. Women of all faiths who knew Leo and/or are friends of Lorraine, Tia, and Galya are invited to participate. Funeral arrangements provided by Hebrew Funeral Association, West Hartford. The family is grateful to the staff of St. Mary Home in West Hartford who have cared for Leo since May, and for the home health aides who assisted him for three years at home. Please honor the memory of this kind and loving man with a contribution to the charity of your choice. May his memory be a blessing.