Daniel Nachmanoff, a public servant and dedicated family man who served in pivotal leadership roles in Great Neck, died Dec. 16. He was 89.
While the cause of Nachmanoff’s death was not specified, he was described as having passed away peacefully in his Floral Park home.
He is survived by his three children, Elena, Dara and Ari, as well as his seven grandchildren. His death follows that of his wife, Gloria, who died Feb. 9 at the age of 88.
Daniel Nachmanoff’s presence was of note in Great Neck, where he served as the mayor of the Village of Russell Gardens for six years, president of the Great Neck Village Officials Association for two years and as commissioner of the Great Neck Park District for six years until he left the office in 2017. Of note was also his commitment to and involvement with Temple Israel of Great Neck.
His public service went beyond Great Neck, though, including his position as director of inter-governmental relations for former County Executive Tom Suozzi.
Nachmanoff was born in the Bronx in 1934 where he played stickball and basketball with his brother. He attended the Bronx High School of Science.
He later attended New York University to study history and play on their basketball team. Nachmanoff then attended dental school, also at New York University.
“Both in college and in dental school, Dan’s gregarious charm won him many lifelong friends,” his obituary states.
Nachmanoff met his wife while they both were working in the Catskills in the summer of 1953. They married four years later.
He served as an officer in the United States Army, where he used his dental skills to provide service to the military men, while stationed in Neubrucke, West Germany.
“Those years were among the happiest in Dan and Gloria’s life as they fed their hunger for travel and new experiences, which characterized their long and joyful marriage,” his obituary states.
Upon moving back to the States, Nachmanoff opened his own dental practice in Queens where he was known as “the painless dentist.”
Nachmanoff moved to Great Neck in 1969. This was noted as the beginning of his interest in serving his local and Jewish communities.
He was known for his love of traveling and visited nearly every continent with the exclusion of Antarctica. He and his wife were also devoted patrons of the opera and could be seen dancing at the Lincoln Center on warm summer nights.
“He was a fun-loving husband, father, uncle, and grandfather, to whom family was of the utmost importance,” according to his obituary.
Nachmanoff’s service was held at Temple Israel of Great Neck on Wednesday. Shiva was observed at his home Wednesday and will continue through Thursday.
