Herbert Engel

Engel, Herbert M. ALBANY Herbert M. Engel, 89 of Albany, N.Y. passed away after a brief illness. Mr. Engel was born in Gloversville, N.Y. in 1918. He was the son of the late Laura and Eugene Engel. Mr. Engel was a graduate of Gloversville High School and the State University of New York at Albany. He also received a master's degree in European history from the University of Wisconsin. Mr. Engel was married to the late Rose Helen Engel. Herbert and Rose were married in 1944. Mrs. Engel passed away in 2006. Mr. Engel is survived by his five children, Mrs. Jean Hecht, Mrs. Renee Krosner, Mr. David Engel, Mr. Thomas Engel and Mrs. Laura Sahr. He is also survived by his sons-in-law, Mr. Lewis Hecht and Mr. Leslie Sahr and by his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Cynthia Engel. Mr. Engel was the proud grandfather of Mrs. Amy Tucker (husband Kenneth), Mrs. Sara Grills (husband Brian), Mrs. Rachel Simon (husband Matthew), Ms. Leslie Engel, Mr. Jeffrey Engel and Mr. Steven Sahr. Mr. Engel was also the very proud great-grandfather of Joshua and Jacob Tucker, Elijah and Abigail Simon, and Evan and Anna Grills. Mr. Engel was a veteran of the United States Army. He served from 1942 to 1946. Thereafter, he had a long distinguished career in Albany with the State of New York, including positions with the Department of Labor, the Department of Civil Service and the Office for Local Government. He retired from the State of New York in 1976. From 1976-1979 he served in the governor's office for the State of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Mr. Engel served as an adjunct faculty member at local colleges, including Hudson Valley Community College and the College of Saint Rose. Throughout his life, Mr. Engel was a student of history and politics. He relished political debate. He was an early opponent of both the Vietnam War and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He was a lifelong student. Along with his beloved wife, Rose, he attended 26 Elderhostels. They travelled extensively throughout North America and Europe. He had a lifelong enjoyment of the out-of-doors and the natural world. He was a member of the Sierra Club. In recent years he was deeply concerned with global warming. Mr. Engel was the author of several books and numerous articles. His book, Shetl in the Adirondacks, is a history of the Jews of Gloversville. The book was published in 1991. It is widely regarded as a classic study of the Jewish community in the setting of a small American town. Mr. Engel was an avid collector of stamps, coins, and books throughout his life. Services will be held at the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Ave., Albany on Tuesday April 22, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. Interment will follow in Workman's Circle Cemetery, Guilderland, N.Y. Donations in Mr. Engel's memory may be made to the Community Hospice of Albany County, 445 New Karner Road, Albany, NY 12205.