Joseph Panitch, 88, died Friday, January 30, 2015 at Hartford Hospital following a brief illness. He leaves his wife of 62 years, Myra (Wiskind) Panitch; his sister, Anita Erman, his son, Barry Panitch and his wife, Margaret; his daughters, Carol Lipson (Gary) and Nancy Flaggman (Allan); his 3 grandchildren, Mike, Jackie and April, and many close friends and family. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, the son of Bernard and Jenny (Efros) Panitch, he lived the last 47 years of his life in West Hartford, CT. Joe was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity at Rutgers University, graduating in 1948. He served in the army, studying Japanese at the University of Minnesota, and then deploying to Japan to teach Algebra to GIs. While in Japan he played alto horn in the army band, a part of his life-long love of music. He worked as a toy buyer for several companies in New York and Connecticut, retiring from Coleco Industries in Hartford. After retiring, he found a 2nd career as book store manager at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, where he worked for 17 years until 2013. Music was always a part of Joe’s life. He sang in choirs all over the world, beginning with the NJ Masterwork Chorus, and including the Hartford Chorale, the Farmington Valley Chorale, the Connecticut Concert Opera, and the Congregation Beth Israel Choir, where he was an active member. Joe & Myra travelled extensively, to Europe, China, Mexico, Russia, South America, Israel, and all over the United States and Canada. Joe was always known for having a sharp wit and an extremely friendly manner. He was a life-long New York Mets fan, and loved watching games with his son. He will be remembered as a guy who was kindly, fun-loving and witty, and who always had a positive attitude towards life. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at 1:00 pm, in the Silberman Chapel at Congregation Beth Israel, 701 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Arrangements are entrusted to Weinstein Mortuary, Hartford CT. For further information, directions, or to sign the guest book for Joe, please visit online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com/funerals.cfm