ROBY'S ARMY ENLISTMENT RECORDS

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 U.S. 

Name: Robert Sandler Birth Year: 1923 Race: White, Citizen (White) Nativity State or Country: Massachusetts State of Residence: Massachusetts County or City: Suffolk Enlistment Date: 15 Feb 1943 Enlistment State: Massachusetts Enlistment City: Boston Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA Grade: Private Grade Code: Private Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men) Source: Civil Life Education: 4 years of high school Civil Occupation: Shipping and receiving clerks Marital Status: Single, without dependents Height: 66 Weight: 149

ROBERT SANDLER - DOG TAGS WWII

My cousin Ellen just sent me the dog tags Roby wore during WWII.

I never knew the mother's name, Boby's name, was also on the dog tags
along with the street address, 48 Harlem Street, Dorchester, MA.

ROBERT SANDLER-HONORED VETERAN

I did not know all of this until Bernice sent it to me several months ago. Thank you Bernice and thank you for taking such good care of Roby all these years. (click on text to enlarge)

BITTERSWEET MIAMI VISIT

Barry and I travelled to Florida on monday to get to Roby's funeral on Tuesday.

Bernice told me I was on the list of people Roby requested to speak at his funeral. I was very moved. That meant he knew I would come. It was heart-wrenching listening to Ellen and Jeff and the grandchildren get up and talk about their memories and all the time they spent with Roby. Barry + I did not get to spend that much time with him but still we felt his love even as far away as Boston. He was such a dedicated correspondent, he sent articles and clippings to everyone it seems - even the Rabbi commented on that....."did he send articles to everyone in the room ? It seems he did."

The glowing terms that everyone used to describe their connection with him.........such an extraordinary man, an intellectual, a great mind, learning right up to the end........never stop learning.......and what came through for me especially, a very loving man. He was extraordinary. This is a great loss.

Julian Slane, Ellen's son came from Seattle. He spoke along with Ellen + Jeff and the grandchildren, Jocelyn, Jeremy and Erin. Julian spoke for his sister Amber who couldn't make it. She wrote about the loss of Grandpa Sandler on her blog, Amber's Adventures. My cousin Ellen wrote about her father on her blog, lifeisjustabowlofchicken; scroll down to January 6, Remembering my Dad, Robert Sandler, 1923-2010 + Hollywood Beach, January 9, 2011. 

After the funeral we went to the cemetery and after that back to the Temple to begin sitting Shiva, eat, and attend the afternoon service, Mincha. We sat at the Sandler cousins' table with Ellen and Robert, Jeff and Debbie and Julian. We hadn't seen each other in over 40 years. I had never met Robert and Julian Slane or Debbie, Jeff's wife. This was a historic occasion for the Sandler family. Unfortunately, due to the occasion, no photos were taken.

A very beautiful obituary was written in the Miami Herald and can be seen here. Julian Slane wrote about Grandpa Sandler's funeral on his blog, Julian's Early Morning Blog.

ROBY'S BAR MITZVAH

Roby received this certificate from the Beth El Hebrew school in Dorchester (Massachusetts), c.1936 on the date of his Bar Mitzvah. (My mother and I also went to the Beth El Hebrew School)

Roby's Bar Mitzvah: Zaidy, seated, Boby, Aunt Ruth, the Bar Mitzvah boy, Roby, and Shirley, my mother (age 5)

Aunt Ruth, seated, Shirley, my mother, age 5, Zaidy, Boby and the Bar Mitzvah boy, Robert Sandler.

REMEMBERING ROBY

Roby and Bernice, 

Barry's wedding, 1997;

Roby and Bernice, Miami, 1990

Roby + Bernice, Padua, Italy

ROBY HAD A STROKE 12.10.10-12.17.10

12.10.10, Friday morning, 10:00 a.m. I got a call from Bernice telling me Roby had a stroke the night before. The last time I wrote on this blog was August 19th, the day Robert Slane took the picture of Roby + Ellen. ......where they both are smiling into the camera..........

Barry + I were scheduled to go to a travel agent and book flights to visit Roby and Bernice on January 4th -11th; I had booked a reservation at Kendall Hotel + Suites, less than ten minutes away from where they lived. I was so looking forward to seeing him, spending time with him and going through a lot of his published articles and work on the blog together. That was the plan. We did not book any flights today.

12.13.2010, monday afternoon; "relentless grey' day here........"all the leaves are brown + the sky is grey..."
more bad news about Roby; I just pulled out all the pictures of him I could remember - where he looks fabulous !

This has to be the toughest week for the Sandler family. All week long I exchanged emails with Bernice and Ellen who, in spite of being at the hospital round the clock, found the time and energy to let me know what was going on with Roby and for that, I am very grateful.

12.17.10, Shabbos, Friday night, Roby passed away at around midnight.
I feel a big hole, an empty space.......pain.......my uncle Roby is gone............shock......sadness.........

Barry and I have booked flights to Miami for Monday, December 20th.

The last time I saw Roby was at Barry's wedding and the time before that was in 1990 when I visited Roby and Bernice from Berkeley, California.

BROOKLINE TOWN HALL WALLS/ART SHOW

 I had an opening at Brookline Town Hall for my art exhibit along with three other artists. This is my first juried show. Many friends of mine came for the opening, Bill and Bruce and Dorothy, Mimi (who took these beautiful photos, thank you !), Riva, Lena, Barbara and Irma. I was delighted to see them ! Barry came ........it turned out very well. My abstract paintings and paper bag drawings were very well received. Click to see individual paintings and paperbag drawings.