Burton Baroff

Burton Baroff, Hebrew name Benyamin, was born on February 9, 1929 and grew up in Brooklyn and The Bronx, New York in a middle-class Jewish household just at the start of the Great Depression. Son of Ida Herman and Irving Baroff and brother to George and Carol, all of blessed memory, Burton has now joined the rest of his generation. His mother was a very strong-willed, fiery woman who ruled the roost with an iron-hand. His father was a gin-rummy player, who worked as a manager in the fabric business, unlike his father before him who was a noted labor leader in New York.

Burton was an avid sports fan and told many stories about the New York-now San Francisco Giants and New York Mets baseball teams. But he also faithfully watched the Giants football and Knicks basketball teams, often late into the night. He took up running and completed the New York Marathon after training for hours on an indoor track at his local YMCA.

Burton was our family’s favorite doting Uncle who had no children of his own, so nurtured us, played hide and seek, brought us pajamas, tutored us on life lessons and shared tales of his childhood, young adult years and adulthood. He was a father to his beloved cats and dog, Bogart and remained an active pet owner well into his early 90’s.

For much of his career, Burton was a buyer or sales rep for manufacturers in the children’s wear business. At one time he even had an office in the Empire State Building. The pj’s that he repped and sold for Ginger Peachy were notorious for falling apart after a single wash. As kids, we knew that any nightwear we were given by Burton was “one and done”!

Burton lived in Manhattan at London Terrace Apartments in Chelsea for nearly 60 years. For a decade in the mid-sixties, he was married to Gail, an actress and musical theatre singer and together, they bought a 100 year-old log house with 20 wooded acres in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts as a summer getaway. There Burton gardened extensively, shopped for antiques, attended dance and music concerts, wandered the adjacent County fairgrounds and wrote poetry. Burton finally sold that home and property in his late 80’s when the drive to Massachusetts became too onerous.

Burton was a strong advocate for social justice. He attended the March on Washington in the 1960s and gave generously to local causes. In his middle years, Burton made a radical career change moving from the business world to working in several non-profit agencies as a Job Developer. Burton was dedicated to helping young people learn interviewing skills and find fulfilling jobs. He was working at World Trade Center office buildings #7 on 9/11 and witnessed many tragedies on that terrible day that he was unable to discuss for years to come.

Besides being a sports fanatic, Burton was passionate about the arts, especially ballet and was a regular attendee at Lincoln Center performances. During his senior years, he traveled extensively with his older brother to many international destinations including China, Egypt, Central Europe and Scandinavia. Once he even accompanied his teenage niece on a trip to Russia and was detained at the airport for carrying forbidden material! Burton regularly made the trek by bus, train or plane to Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC and San Diego, CA to visit his siblings and their families and was present at every celebratory event even into his mid-90s.

In line with his commitment to “giving back”, Burton served as a Big Brother, mentor and friend to a young man, Andre for his whole life bringing Andre into the family fold. Often functioning as a trusted confidant and counselor to many second and third cousins, as well as great nieces and nephews, Burton provided much sought-after advice freely and without judgement. He was committed to studying and writing poetry, participating in many workshops and getting published in poetry magazines.

Burton will be remembered for his loving heart, generous spirit and creative bent.

September 2025