Martin Bratman, 90, of Lawrenceville NJ and Big Pine Key, FL, passed away peacefully on Tuesday December 6th at Capital Health Medical Center in Hopewell with his family by his side.
Marty loved people and was happiest surrounded by family and friends. “Who else is coming?” was a common refrain heard during almost any outing. He lived a wonderful life made rich by those who loved him. When Marty connected with someone they were his friend for life.
Born in the Bronx, NY in 1926, Marty enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII and served as a tail-gunner on a B-29. Following his service, he moved to New Jersey and pursued many jobs.
He worked as a chicken farmer, a door-to door vacuum cleaner salesman and a furniture salesman. Marty and his late wife Mary Bratman (Manto) opened Viking Furniture in Trenton, NJ. Through their hard work the store flourished and they moved the business to Princeton where it remained for 30 years.
Marty closed Viking in 1984 and he and Mary retired to the Florida Keys. Retirement did not last long and he soon opened Paradise Bagels and Deli in Key West, FL. After several successful years Marty closed the deli to pursue lifelong hobbies of fishing, flying, skeet shooting, painting and creating stained glass murals and stepping stones.
Son of the late David Bratman and Lillian Greenberg Bratman, husband of the late Mary Manto Bratman, he is survived by his son, J. Robert Bratman of Pennington, 2 daughters, Dr. Cynthia Bratman of Princeton and Wendy Mason of Mexico, a sister, Dr. Audrey Tarchine of Tucson, AZ, 3 grandchildren, Tyler, Kira, and Zachary, a great-grandson, Dominic, his beloved companion Joan Mainzer of Hamilton, NJ and his two dedicated caregivers Connie and Frank.
Services will be private. A celebration of his life will take place in May.
Arrangements are by the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, 2560 Pennington Road, Pennington. Condolences are welcome at www.wilsonapple.com. Donations in memory of Marty Bratman may be made at http://www.copdfoundation.org/
