Ronald Carl Brach

Ronald Carl Brach left this earth on November 12, 2022, and is now with Jesus in his Heavenly Home. He was born in Newburgh, NY on April 15, 1939, to Ralph and Muriel Brach. Ron spent his childhood in Pine Bush, NY, and,as a student at Pine Bush High School, was a talent both on the baseball diamond and the basketball court, winning championships on both teams. His high school basketball career culminated in being voted the Orange County “Player of the Year”. In the shadow of the Shawagunk Mountains, the first seed of Ron’s love of the outdoors was planted. While his soul was nourished by the outdoors, Ron’s mind was engaged with a passion for architecture and construction, which was refined in the after-school hours spent working at his father’s lumber business. Throughout his youth Ron made meaningful and lasting friendships; friendships he later reflected on as some of the most important of his life. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Ron continued to pursue his passions for architecture and basketball. During his time as a student-athlete, he was selected as an All- American Division III and is listed in their Basketball Hall of Fame. Upon graduating from RPI with a degree in Building Sciences and a minor in Architecture, Ron set his sights even higher, as high as someone could in the early 1960s - the skies. Ron’s dedication to community and service led him to join the Air Force Reserve. Upon his return to upstate New York, Ron married Inez (Litroff) Hymers in 1962 and they had three children: Lisa Safaeinili (Ali), Sheryl Helstad (Peter), and Joel Brach (Melanie). In 1964, he began his professional career in public service, briefly serving as a teacher at Pine Bush Central School, then as a faculty member at Delhi Technical College. Ron earned his master’s degree in Public Administration from New York University in 1966. Later, he joined the administration at the college as Academic Dean and Director of Institutional Research and Planning until 1980. During his time in administration at the school, he developed and implemented a nursing program of which he was especially proud. Throughout his life, Ron’s passions went beyond professional work to community service and family. He invested his energy in creating a program to remove junk cars from the hillsides of Delaware County, participating in a basketball league, serving on the Delhi Village Council, and leading a square dance club. He included his family in his love of the outdoors and filled his children’s younger years with hiking, camping, canoeing, gardening, golfing, biking, and skiing. Ron shared the second half of his life with Connie Storey in Scotia, NY. From 1980 to 2009, Ron served as the Executive Director of the Rural Resource commission in the New York State Senate and worked for State Senator Charlie Cook. Throughout his nearly three decades in the Senate, Ron tirelessly advocated for the needs of the rural New Yorker. His work made lasting changes to the state’s healthcare delivery system by creating pathways to promote nursing education and increasing rural healthcare access. His passion for service is immortalized in the countless pieces of legislation (over 100 statutes) he was involved in across nine subject areas to better the lives of New York’s small-town communities. Ron’s enthusiasm and appetite for learning spilled over into all facets of his life. He appreciated the beauty of this world through music, travel, and photography, and many of his life’s adventures have been immortalized through his beautiful photography. Ron was seldom found without his Canon SLR in hand. Ron’s hobbies always incorporated his love of the outdoors, be it gardening in his background, golfing at local courses, hiking in the neighboring Adirondacks, or flying over them in his Cessna 182. When Ron retired at 70 years of age, he stayed active. He was a regular member of two golfing leagues, often winning league competitions. Ron was deeply committed to his local senior center in Glenville, NY where he advocated and secured funding for the expansion of the senior community center to host larger events, like a Valentine’s Dinner. He served as the Executive Director for 3 years and led the center through many challenges with success, even though the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it was the senate chambers, at meetings and conferences across upstate New York, or in the local communities where he lived over the years, Ron was recognized and admired as a man of integrity, passion, wisdom, and kindness. He was beloved everywhere he went because of his charisma and ability to make every person he met feel heard and cared about. While Ron possessed a litany of skills and gifts, his greatest gift was his knowledge, wisdom, and love, which he shared in abundance with his children, grandchildren, his partner Connie, and his community. Incredibly precious to those close to him are the thoughtfully chosen and beautifully written cards he sent for birthdays. His unconditional love and support have created a lasting legacy which has encouraged each of his family members’ personal growth and achievement, their love for creation and others, and, most of all, given them a quiet source of stability and unconditional acceptance to help them reach their potential. His children and grandchildren will remember him as someone who could build anything from scratch, made the best BLTs, never turned down a piece of chocolate cake or glass of chocolate milk, and was most at peace being out in nature - whether on the ground or flying through the air. Ron’s life was blessed with 42 years of love and friendship with Connie Storey. Together, they traveled to many parts of the world, and always shared their experiences with the families and local community however they could. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Shirley Gunsalus, many special aunts and uncles, his son-in-law Ali Safaeinili, and his daughter-in-law Melanie Brach. Ron’s love and legacy lives on through so many. He is survived by his three children Lisa Safaeinili, Sheryl (Peter) Helstad, and Joel Brach, as well as his fourteen grandchildren: Nadia Tierney (Aaron), Roya Safaeinili, Stephen Helstad (Megan), Laura Early (Josiah), Rachel Brach (Jordan), Joanna Brach, Suzanne Brach, Jonathan Brach, Daniel Brach and Paul Brach and through Connie’s four grandchildren SophiaRosendo, ArianaRosendo, Elijah Rosendo, and Angelina Ball. He also has two great-grandchildren, Lily Joy Early and Noah Ronald Early Ron will be incredibly missed. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you please send your gifts in memory of Ron Brach to https://www.cfnny.org/ - Foundation of NYS Nurses Association A Memorial Service will be held at Ballston Lake Baptist Church, 1 Edward St. Ballston Lake, NY on December 3, 2022, starting with a family greeting time at 12 PM and service at 1 PM.

Ronald Carl Brach

April 15, 1939 - November 12, 2022