Howard Goldman, 83, dies

Howard Goldman grew up in an apartment above the clothing and sporting goods store his family owned, Goldman Bros., a fixture in Hicksville for decades.

He began working there right after college and kept working until he no longer could.

"It was difficult for him to stop," said his son, Win Goldman, 55, of Huntington. "He resisted it. To be honest, I had to force it on him. He still wanted to come in, and I had to kind of tell him that he couldn't.

"He loved it to the end. Up until five or six years ago, he was there every day."

Howard Goldman, 83, died Wednesday, years into a decline in his health brought on by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Born in the Bronx, he moved with his family to Hicksville at age 12.

Goldman Bros. closed last year, unable to weather the latest recession and the competition from large retailers. The store, known for its personal service and its ties to the community, employed 30 people when it closed, including Win and his wife, Liz.

The store was started by Howard's father, Morris Goldman, a Bronx auctioneer. When he moved his family to Hicksville in 1939, he purchased a clothing store on what is now Route 107. Back then it was just a two-lane country road that cut through potato fields. Morris Goldman's haberdashery sold men's sportswear, evolving over the decades into a retailer of athletic and occupational uniforms, and sports equipment.

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He sent his two sons, Howard and Irwin, to Columbia University. When Morris Goldman died in 1950, his sons took over and ran the store for the next 40 years. When Irwin died about 20 years ago, Win became his father's sole partner.

Howard Goldman left administrative tasks to his brother and son because he preferred to work the sales floor. He knew many of his customers from childhood through adulthood.

"He loved doing sales," Win Goldman said. "He was primarily involved with the custom uniforms. He loved dealing with customers one on one. His customers would be coming in for so many years, he knew many of them on a personal basis."

Howard Goldman was devoted to his community, living in the same house with his wife and children in Hicksville from 1950 until he moved into a nursing home in Great Neck a few years ago. He was also an active member of his temple, the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset.

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Besides his son, he is survived by his wife of 61 years, Libbijane Goldman; another son, Michael Goldman of Queens; daughters Anise Parnes of Queens and Barbara Novick of Mamaroneck; 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Friday with burial at Mount Ararat Cemetery in Farmingdale.