Abe "Buddy" Tomchin

BLUEFIELD, Va- Abe Sylvan “Buddy” Tomchin, 95, of Bluefield. Va., passed away on Saturday, March 17, in Bluefield, after a short illness. Born in Princeton in 1916, he was the son of Joe and Ida Rodgin Tomchin. He graduated from West Virginia University (WVU) and WVU Law School. After becoming a member of the West Virginia Bar, he joined Tomchin Furniture Company, the store his father had founded in Princeton. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after Pearl Harbor, and served from 1942-1945 on the Battleship Indiana in the Pacific, achieving the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Not long after he had returned stateside, he met his future wife, Edith Cooper, at a family wedding in Baltimore. Edith and Buddy were married in January 1947 and settled near Bluefield, Va. They enjoyed a loving and devoted relationship for almost 64 years until her death in 2010. He was redeceased by his wife and parents, a sister, Irene, and brother, Harold. Survivors include his daughter, Ellen Beth Berman (Byron) of Baltimore, Md.; Susan Tomchin of Baltimore, Md.; granddaughter, Emily Bloch (Ashley) of Baltimore, Md.; grandsons, Simcha Berman and Yosef Berman of Baltimore, Md.; and three sisters, Sally Julian of Tucson, Ariz., Evelyn Seelig of Jericho, N.Y., and Leah Alexander of Jerusalem, Israel. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews; as well as friends and caregivers, Mary Rosenthal, Melinda Halsey, and Kryssa Bishop. In 1946, when the family business expanded into McDowell County, Buddy became president of Tomchin Furniture of Northfork. Later Tomchin Furniture, opened another store, Best Furniture, in Welch. Buddy loved McDowell County and its people and worked to make nice furniture affordable for his customers. Multiple generations of families came to see Buddy Tomchin for their furniture. In 1968, Buddy was named Retail Furniture Dealer of the Year by the West Virginia Home Furnishings Salesman's Association. He was a member of Congregation Ahavath Sholom in Bluefield. He was also active in many organizations in the Bluefield area, serving as president of The Credit Bureau of the Virginias, the Golden Age Center of Bluefield and the Bluefield-Princeton United Jewish Charities. People who met Buddy were often struck by his knowledge about so many subjects, from furniture styles to economics to business to history to science. Up until the week of his death, he talked about cloud computing and other Internet technologies with his grandson. Taking care of the people in his life ??“ beloved wife, daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as friends, employees and customers ??“ was his greatest goal in life. Among his friends were the many people he met through his favorite hobby, bowling, at the Mountaineer Lanes in Bluefield. “He was a very generous and giving person,” said his sister Leah Alexander of Jerusalem, Israel. “More than anything he was a mensch (Yiddish for decent human being). I was proud to have him as a brother.” A graveside service will be held on Monday March 19, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. at Monte Vista Park Cemetery in Green Valley with Rabbi Stanley Funston officiating. Following the graveside rites, the family will sit Shiva at the Tomchin home from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Pallbearers include Norris Kantor, Dr. Lenny Horwitz, Dr. David Ofsa, Wayne Stonestreet, Frank Tinder, and Harry Watts. Honorary pallbearers include Calvin Dietz, Dr. I.J. Rodgin, LeRoy Mabe, and Alan Siegel. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request that memorial contributions, if desired be made to the Jewish National Fund in care of Congregation Ahavath Sholom, 632 Albemarle Street, Bluefield, WV 24701. Those wishing to share memories or condolence messages with the family may do so by visiting www.MercerFuneralHome.com Mercer Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family of Abe S. “Buddy” Tomchin.

Abe "Buddy" Tomchin

March 17, 2012