Celebrating the Life of Alan D. Nemlich
ALAN DAVID NEMLICH
September 3, 1929 – September 4, 2013
The last thing he did was catch a fish, off his beloved boat, on Flying Pond in Vienna ME, his wife of 63 years there to snap his picture – Alan D. Nemlich was full of life to the end.
Born in Lawrence NY, Alan was raised on a farm in Croton. He graduated from Adelphi University in 1951 and served in the Air Force until 1955. After his discharge he worked for his father in the furniture business, then opened his own store in Elmsford NY in 1959. Regan of Westchester advertised itself as “Westchester’s only office furniture department store,” and became the largest office furniture store serving not only Westchester but New York City and Rockland County as well. He served as chairman of the Better Business Bureau for those same three counties for an unprecedented two terms.
He became a charter member of the Elmsford Rotary Club in 1959, serving as president twice and as District Governor for Westchester, Bronx, Staten Island, and Bermuda in 1981-82. Rotary was Alan’s religion, the place he found community and direction for his life. He had perfect attendance for over 50 years, and always lived by the Four-Way Test. Declaring “it’s payback time,” he devoted himself to community service projects through Rotary, the largest being a project to ship used hospital equipment to developing countries all over the world.
Having sold the business and retired in 1991, he and Magda left their long-time home in Scarsdale NY in 2010. Thereafter they lived half the year in Allentown PA and half in Farmington ME. In Farmington he found friends and a new Rotary club to devote himself to.
Alan was treasured by all who knew him for his irrepressible personality and sense of humor. He loved boating, fishing, reading, home construction projects, westerns, football, and most of all his family.
In 1948 he met the love of his life, Magda Eichenwald, at a party and proposed two weeks later. They were married in January of 1950. They shared 63 loving years together, and were never apart.
He was predeceased by his parents, Bernard and Jeanetty, and by an older brother, Ian. He is survived by his wife, Magda, brother Lee, and three children: daughter Karen Komlos and husband Dennis of Orefield PA, son Aryeh Ben-David and wife Sandra of Efrat Israel, daughter Victoria Cohen and husband Jonathan of Farmington ME; by grandchildren Jedd, Shachar, Ma’ayan, Amichai, Samuel, Yaniv, Rosa, Nell, Ra’aya, Eli, Lilach, and Miriam; and five great-grandchildren. Condolences and tributes may be shared on Alan’s memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com.
Nemlich – died at Lewiston, September 4, 2013, Alan David Nemlich, 84, of Farmington. A celebration of life will be held at the home of Victoria and Jonathan Cohen, 146 Sunset Ave., Farmington, on Sunday, September 22, 11am-12noon. Donations may be made to the Alan D. Nemlich Fund of the Farmington Rotary Club, PO Box 864, Farmington, ME 04938. Cremation services have been cared for and provided by the Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Road, Farmington.