Ex-Malverne dentist Alfred Sternfeld dies
Dr. Alfred J. Sternfeld spent 50 years taking care of his patients' smiles, becoming known simply as "Doc" to three generations of families visiting his Malverne dental office.
For years after he retired, patients begged him to come back, saying there were no other dentists like him, said his daughter Barbara "BJ" Moore, 69, of Florham Park, N.J.
"Everybody in Malverne knew him, or knew of him," she said.
Sternfeld died on Jan. 11 in Deerfield Beach, Fla., where he had moved in 1995. He was 94.
Born in Albany on Aug. 24, 1916, Sternfeld received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Michigan in 1939. He served as a dentist in India for the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1944. He referred to himself as "an old soldier from World War II," his daughter said.
"He told me about flying over the Himalayan mountains and someone opening the bomb bay doors," Moore said. "He had a pretty adventurous life."
As a young man, Sternfeld took kayak trips down the Hudson River. In later years, he went sailing with the South Bay Cruising Club, according to his daughter. Sternfeld always wanted to do new things, she said, and became proficient in photography, building model trains and flying private planes.
"He got his pilot license when he was 55," Moore said. "It was something he always wanted to do. I actually flew with him."
Sternfeld always tried to be on the cutting edge, she said. He had the first radios, televisions, computers and convertibles in town.
That desire also applied to his professional life.
"He always had the newest techniques and new equipment. He invented a lot of his own techniques," Moore said.
His daughter said Sternfeld was proud to be a part of Malverne, where he had moved in 1939. He served as president for both the Rotary and Lions clubs of Malverne.
"He was a fixture in Malverne," she said. "He knew all the businesspeople. He had the same friends for 50 years."
A private memorial service will be held on Sunday in Palm Beach, Fla. In addition to his daughter, Sternfeld is survived by his son, Ken Sternfeld, 66, of Palm Beach, Fla., and a granddaughter. His wife, Adelaide Hamburger Sternfeld, died in 1992.
Donations may be made to the Adelaide Sternfeld Scholarship Fund at Hofstra University.
Out East: Mecox Bay Dairy, Kent Animal Shelter, Custer Institute & Observatory and local champagnes NewsdayTV's Doug Geed takes us "Out East," and shows us different spots you can visit this winter.
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