Irving Sisenwein

Irving Sisenwein passed away peacefully at home on October 11, 2010. He was a native New Yorker, who resided in Palm Springs, Calif. for the past 30 years. Irv was a true renaissance man; world traveler, linguist, golfer, tennis player, boater, music lover (long-time patron of the Metropolitan Opera) and philanthropist. He was able to achieve all of those accomplishments in spite of having to cope with severe sight impairment for more than 50 years. His inner strength and determination allowed him to live a full life with Branna, his beloved wife of 70 years. After retiring from a successful career in business, he devoted his life to helping other sight-impaired people though the Desert Visionaries, a charity that he and Branna founded in California's Coachella Valley. Irv was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Yeshiva University in 2007 in recognition of his and his wife's support for the university's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, through their establishment of the Branna and Irving Sisenwein Chair in Ophthalmology and Visual Science. He was loved and respected by all. Irv will be missed and always remembered. Please make contributions to the Coachella Valley Desert Visionaries c/o Alfred Isaacs, 120 Shoreline Road, Rancho Mirage, CA, 92270.