Obituary of Lee K. Broadwin

Lee Broadwin Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend Lee Broadwin, also known as Ashley Kaufman Broadwin, passed away peacefully at age 92 on Monday, November 1, 2021. Born to Abraham and Susan (Kaufman) Broadwin on November 6, 1928 in New York. Lee graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx where he played trumpet in the school band. During high school and college he had a swing combo called “Lee Wynn and his Royal Knights that played for friends at parties and dances. In his seventies, Lee returned to his beloved trumpet, playing with the New Horizons Seniors Band for local clubs and senior citizen centers. In his youth he worked for his father’s printing business and learned to run all the presses, and printing cards and stationary for all his friends. He earned his B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Bridgeport and was editor of the school paper, “The Scribe”. He entered the commercial sign business and oversaw the production of signs for state roads, interstate highways and major hotel chains. He made his mark, however, in roof construction, designing and planning the roofs for commercial buildings, and schools throughout the metropolitan area, his favorite project being the covering of the silver dome for the planetarium at the Liberty Science Center on the Hudson in Jersey City. Lee served in the Korean War and met the love of his life, Harriet Ancowitz, at a social dance for servicemen in Boundbrook, New Jersey, where she was teaching. They married on March 29, 1953 and started a family on Long Island where their sons, Edward and Elliot were born. In 1970 they moved to Nashville, TN and five years later settled into their home of 46 years in Morris Plains, New Jersey. Lee enjoyed traveling with the family and spending holidays with his sister, Sandra Bangsgard, niece Katrine and their family. Lee was an enthusiastic grandfather and devoted to his grandchildren Matthew, Joshua, Cassandra and Mitchell along with his grandniece Silke and grandnephew Jens. He and his wife Harriet were passionate in their love of music, theater and community. They were active in many local groups from the Shalom Club at Temple B’Nai Or to senior citizen centers and line dancing. Lee could always be counted on to help serve lunch, get tickets for a concert or pick up someone who needed a ride. In retirement he started Fostglass Collectibles and enjoyed touring the country with Harriet and sharing their love of collectibles and glass with others. Lee is survived by his sons and daughters in-law, Edward Broadwin and Andrea Gruber, Elliot Broadwin and Christina Dawson, grandchildren Matthew Broadwin, Joshua Broadwin, Cassandra Broadwin, Mitchell Broadwin, and his sister Sandra Broadwin Bangsgaard, niece Katrine and husband Bill Kline and grandniece and nephew Silke Bangsgaard and Jens Kline. Lee was warm, supportive and generous with his heart and with his time, always positive, inspiring a love of life, family and friends. Lee will be deeply missed and will be remembered for his sense of humor along with his loving and kind spirit. A graveside service will be held at Beth Israel Cemetery in Cedar Knolls, NJ at noon on November 5, 2021. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in Lee’s name may be made to Temple B’nai Or in Morristown, NJ. May his memory forever be a blessing for all who knew and loved him.