Obituary of Joseph Popkin

Joseph Popkin, 85, of Mystic, CT, formerly of Glen Cove, NY, passed away peacefully on July 25, 2018, age 85, at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, CT, after a brief illness.  He was born in Brooklyn, NY and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. After serving in the US Army during the Korean War, he graduated from Columbia University.  Early in his career, he worked for the US Army Corp. of Engineers, and was involved with many civil engineering projects around the NY-metropolitan area.  He later moved into the commercial construction industry as a managing engineer for multiple firms.

Joseph met the love of his life, Roberta Davis, while they were still in their teens. They worked together at her parents’ custard stand on the Coney Island boardwalk.  They married in 1959 and raised their two daughters in Glen Cove, NY.  Roberta predeceased Joseph in 2007, just short of their 48^th wedding anniversary.

Joseph was an active member of Congregation Tifereth Israel in Glen Cove.  Among other roles, he was a vocal member of the ritual committee, and ultimately helped to change the bylaws of the synagogue, providing women a more egalitarian stance in the community.  His life was organized around his family and his temple community, and he was known to be called away from many a family dinner table, to run over to the temple to allow for a minyan during evening services.

He is survived by his daughters Jane and Valerie, and his daughter-in-law Marjorie Farmer.  He is also survived by his nephews Shawn Nyfield and Paul Nyfield and his wife Sandra, as well as his sister in law, Barbara Braverman and family.

The funeral will take place at Dodge-Thomas Funeral home in Glen Cove, NY on Friday, July 27, 2018 at noon.  Burial will follow, at New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon, NY.  There will be a shiva gathering at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Glen Cove from 4-6pm on Friday as well.