Irwin Jack "Sonny" Sonsky

Irwin Jack Sonsky, known to all as “Sonny”, passed away on June 2 in Fort Lauderdale after fighting nobly to recover from the cascading effects of a major stroke he suffered six weeks earlier. He was 95 years old. Just a week earlier, after being admitted to a rehabilitation center, he was encouraging his son, at 10 pm at night, to lead him through another round of the exercises the physical therapists had him doing. That was in character for Sonny.

A devoted husband, a loving father, a doting grandfather and uncle, a Navy man, Sonny was known for his humble, calm and patient manner and his ready smile, renowned for his fairness and decency. He was married to his wife Harriette for 71 extraordinary years and at age 92 she survives him, along with his son Steven Sonsky and granddaughter Shea Sonsky, of Villanova, Pennsylvania; his daughter Stacey Sonsky of New York City and Stacey’s fiancee Skip Palmer; nieces Shelley Graff and Deborah Rabin and nephew Neil Cohen; sisters-in-law Ann Berg and Bobbi Cohen. He was grand-uncle to Marissa Donovan, Alex Frieder and Deborah Rabin and honorary grand uncle to the Landers Family, connected to him by Steven’s late wife Peggy — Terri Landers, Kathleen Landers, Maureen Miller, Brad Miller, Morgan Wiener, Chelsea Zegarski, Lindsay Wiener, Juliana Biviano, Katie Alessi, Meaghan Birakis, Lauren Miller, Shannon Landers and Jesse Landers.

The son of Russian immigrants who came to America at the turn of the century, Sonny was Brooklyn born and bred, a graduate of Champlain College in upstate New York, an aeronautical engineer who worked for 38 years for United Airlines at JFK International Airport in Queens, New York, before retiring in 1990 as Chief of Ground Crew for United there. He found new purpose when he and Harriette retired to the Township community in Coconut Creek, Florida, elected and re-elected and re-elected and re-elected as the President of the Township Community Master Association, ultimately serving for 22 years with a steady hand and that easy manner, responsible for honchoing and improving so much in the community over that time.

He was especially proud of having served in the United States Navy from 1947 to 1952, doing submarine detection on two destroyers, the USS Rich and the USS Van Valkenburgh. He loved doing woodwork, built furniture and clocks, enjoyed assembling model airplanes and doing photography. A true engineer, Sonny was always at the ready to build or fix something, and back in Brooklyn especially, if anyone needed “fix-it” help the cry went out… “Sonny can do it!’

Movies and documentaries about World War II and ANY Western was his thing, If while grazing TV channels he came across any old Western he’d watch it, especially any starring Randolph Scott or John Wayne. He loved watching sports as well, especially college football.

Harriette and Sonny met in 1950 at the salt water pools at the old Washington Baths on West 21st Street between Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk in Coney Island. They were married two years later and their 71st anniversary was just nine days before he passed. That’s a pretty good run.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Sonny’s name to The American Cancer Society.

Following the Funeral Service and Committal Service at Star of David Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Chapel at 11:45 AM on Wednesday June 7, 2023, there will be a private shiva just for family, a few dearest friends and out of town visitors. The family hopes to have a Celebration of Life ceremony for Sonny and his many local friends at Township sometime later this summer or fall.