Alvin Goldman, MD

Alvin Goldman MD
 
Alvin Goldman, a Danbury Pediatrician, who worked tirelessly and passionately to enhance the lives of children and to promote Jewish education and culture, died peacefully in his Danbury home on July 14.  He was 96 years old.
 
Dr. Goldman was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on August 7, 1923, the son of the late Ida and Harry Goldman.  He attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn and subsequently graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Bio-Chemistry and a determination to become a medical doctor.  World War II intervened and he joined the U.S. Navy serving in the Department of Epidemiology in the South Pacific.  After discharge from the Navy, he earned an MS in microbiology from The University of Texas.
 
In 1953, Dr. Goldman earned his pediatric degree from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.  He began the practice of Pediatrics in Danbury in 1957 and found great gratification in working with children and their families.  In 1960 he joined Dr. Robert Joy to form Pediatric Associates.  Both doctors, close friends as well as partners, continued in this practice until their retirement in 1993.  During these years, Dr. Goldman served on the Danbury Hospital staff with two terms as chairperson of the Department of Pediatrics.  Along with Drs. Joy, Draper, and Randolph, he spearheaded the founding of the first Danbury Hospital Childrens’ Clinic.
 
Recognizing child abuse as a serious and often unreported issue, Dr. Goldman along with Drs. Joy, Fong, and Gundy worked to educate physicians and develop programs for the prevention of child abuse.  In an effort to facilitate more comprehensive programming, Dr. Goldman organized and chaired the Commission for a Safe Community, bringing together representatives from Danbury Hospital, the Danbury Public Schools, Danbury Police Department, clergy, and social service organizations all working together toward integrated community planning to deal more effectively with child abuse.  One of the outgrowths of this effort was the founding of Families Network of Western Ct., originally chaired by Dr. Joy and his wife, Nan.  Dr. Goldman worked closely with this organization from its inception and continued serving on its Advisory Board until his recent illness.
 
After his retirement, Dr. Goldman worked with Danbury Hospital’s Wellness on Wheels, an innovative program dedicated to providing care and guidance primarily to undocumented children in the Greater Danbury area.
 
Always active in the Danbury Jewish Community, Dr. Goldman served as president of Congregation B’nai Israel, the Danbury Jewish Federation and its National Board and B’nai B’rith, a Jewish service organization.  Dr. Goldman devoted much creative energy to developing educational and cultural programs of Jewish content.  One of those programs was The Jewish Cultural Arts Society in which he brought together leaders in the greater Danbury Jewish community to work cooperatively in establishing an art series of performances to showcase well known Jewish entertainers of music, dance, and theater.  Perhaps his greatest satisfaction was as a founder of Maimonides Academy of Western Ct., a Jewish Day School with classes for pre-school through sixth grade.  The school existed for over thirty years providing enrichment to the Jewish community and a high standard of excellence in education for the many students that passed through its doors.
 
In recent years, Dr. Goldman developed a program in the Danbury Area Public Schools bringing Israeli teens together with their American peers.  Meeting in social studies classes the two groups shared their lives and cultures learning about their commonality and differences.
 
Over the years Dr. Goldman received numerous awards in recognition of his extraordinary leadership and public service.
 
Dr. Goldman is survived by his wife of 63 years, Pat Mendlovitz Goldman, a son, Hillel of Danbury, a daughter, Beth and husband, John Coniglio of Conklin, N.Y., a sister Selma Goldman Peltz, four grandchildren who always brought a twinkle to his eye:  Elisha and Ben Coniglio and Evan and Gabby Goldman, a sister and brother-in-law, Renee and Dr. Kopel Burk and sister-in-law Miriam Gold as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.  He was deeply appreciative of his immediate and extended family and greatly enjoyed spending time with them.
 
Due to concerns facing us all currently regarding social gatherings, all funeral services will be held privately for the immediate family.
 
In lieu of flowers donations in Dr. Goldman’s memory might be made to Congregation B’nai Israel, 193 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury 06811, Families Network of Western CT, 5 Library Place, Danbury 06810 or to Regional Hospice & Palliative Care of Western CT, 30 Milestone Rd., Danbury, CT 06810.
 

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