Obituary: Albert B. Glassenberg, 89, of Haddam

Information via Byles-MacDougall Funeral Service

Albert B. Glassenberg, of Haddam, formerly a resident of New London for over 80 years, passed away on February 13th, 2017. He was 89 years old.

Albert was born July 20, 1927 in New London to the late Charles and Victoria Glassenberg. He attended the Harbor School and graduated in the class of 1945 from the Bulkeley School, where he was manager of freshman basketball team, the varsity football team and co-edited the yearbook.

Albert served in the United States Army for 18 months, including six months in the Army of Occupation in Japan as a member of the 304th Signal Battalion. Following his military service, he attended Cornell University, graduating in 1951 with a B.A. in History.

After graduating, Albert joined the New London News Company, a wholesaler distributor of newspapers and magazines founded by his father in the 1920s, and became President and General Manager in 1955. He oversaw the expansion of the business and its relocation to a new facility on Broad Street in New London in 1966, before selling the company and retiring in 1997. Albert was active in the wholesale distribution industry as an officer of the Atlantic Coast Independent Distributors Association and the Atlantic Coast Executives Society.

Albert was active in many civic organizations including the YMCA, Thames Science Center, Lyman Allyn Museum, Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, Congregation Beth El, Beth El Cemetery Association, Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Thames Club, New London Country Club and the FI-MOs.

When not working or traveling, Albert enjoyed golfing, lying in the sun on Pequot Beach and listening to classical music. He was a voracious reader of books and, of course, newspapers. Albert was a patriot who flew the flag on every holiday and never missed voting in an election.

In 1971 he married Judith Zupnik of Colchester, Connecticut. They enjoyed many years collecting art, entertaining friends and family and traveling to dozens of countries on six continents. Judi predeceased him in 2014, after a 13-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Albert was also predeceased by his eldest sister Ruth (Bobbe) Glassenberg. He is survived by his children, Charles S. Glassenberg of Wellesley, Massachusetts and his wife Abigail, and Jacqueline D. Hemmerdinger of Forest Hills, New York and her husband Damon. Albert is also survived by his five granddaughters, Roxanne, Stella and Josephine Glassenberg and Ellis and Jordan Hemmerdinger, his sister Edith (Fuzzy) Gipstein of New London, his beloved brother-in-law and sister-in-law James and Karen Zupnik and his extended family from the Gipstein, Freedman, Speltz and Zupnik families.

Albert’s life was also enriched by his many treasured friends. He and his family benefited from the devotion, care and patience of Kristin Bonner and Alexander Akore. Albert was a loyal son of New London, and was known and loved for his generosity to causes and people, work ethic, loyalty, bartending skills and lively sense of humor.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, February 16 that Congregation Beth El, 660 Ocean Avenue, New London. Burial will be private and memorial observance will be omitted. Please omit flowers.

Donations in Albert’s honor should be made to the Glassenberg Family Fund, Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, 68 Federal Street, New London, CT 06320 or to Congregation Beth El, 660 Ocean Avenue, New London, CT 06320.