Samuel Colman, a political force in Rockland and Democratic politics, dies at 89

MONSEY - Samuel Colman, a child of the Holocaust who became an engineer and a dominant political figure in Rockland for decades, has died. He was 89.

Colman served on the Rockland County Legislature from 1974 to 1984 and as its chairman for two years, and served 18 years as a state Assembly member from 1985 until 2002. He then won elections in 2002 and 2006 as Ramapo town justice. He retired in 2009.

"I knew Sam Colman from some of my earliest days in politics in the first half of the 1980s," former Legislator Bruce Levine of Ramapo said. "He was a smart, dedicated public servant whose focus was always on getting things done for his constituents and for Rockland County in general. He was a good man and an even better friend."

Colman lived in Florida with his wife, Shifra. They had three children — Miriam, Jacob, and Abraham — and grandchildren.

A service for Colman was scheduled for noon Wednesday at the Community Synagogue of Monsey, where he and his family had worshipped for years. Burial was to follow in the Monsey Community Synagogue Cemetery.

Colman's political career: Legislature to Assembly to judge

Colman worked as an engineer in Rockland in the 1970s when he decided to run for the Legislature, representing Ramapo. At the time, Colman recalled he did not think an observant Jew had a chance to win elected office. He won twice, being named chairman by his peers in 1978 and 1979.

When the late Linda Winikow, a Democrat, left the state Senate for a corporate vice president's job with Orange and Rockland Utilities, Assemblyman Eugene Levy, a Republican, won her seat.

Colman ran and won Levy's former seat, eventually being appointed deputy majority leader. He served until 1984 before being appointed Ramapo justice, winning two elections and retiring to Florida in 2009.

Colman developed connections with state officials and governors, like Mario Cuomo, and federal elected officials. He supported and had the support of Rockland's Hasidic and Orthodox communities.

Colman created turmoil among his fellow Democrats when he challenged two-term County Executive John Grant in a 1993 primary. Grant, the first executive, and Colman had served together on the Legislature. The hostile primary led to Grant's defeat in the general election by Republican C. Scott Vanderhoef, who went on to serve 20 years.

The primary became engulfed by an investigation into Winikow funneling utility money disguised as campaign donations under other people's names to the campaigns of state and federal officials, including Colman. Winkow later served jail time.

At the same time, District Attorney Kenneth Gribetz was under federal investigation and had been investigating Winikow and the Colman campaign. Gribetz pleaded guilty in 1995 to federal crimes, resigned and lost his attorney's license for several years.

Colman was not charged and continued serving in the Assembly. He denied any wrongdoing, claiming Gribetz had a political vendetta against him for challenging Grant. Both Colman and Gribetz also attended the same synagogue, adding tensions to the political intrigue.

Colman's early life

Colman was a moving force behind the creation of the Rockland Holocaust Center, then in Spring Valley. He and his wife also were active in local causes, including sponsoring an annual lecture series at the Holocaust Museum & Study Center, now known as the Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education and based at Rockland Community College.

Colman recounted his life in a 2018 memoir, "Lifted from the Trash Heaps."

Shifra Colman lived through the Holocaust, surviving the Nazi's Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Germany. About 50,000 people were killed at the complex during World War II, including Anne Frank.

Colman was born on Jan. 14, 1933, in Wadowice, Poland, to Jacob and Sara (Cizner) Zollman. He came to the United States in 1954.

At age 21, Colman obtained a visa and moved to New York to continue his education. He received a bachelor of electrical engineering degree from the City College of New York in 1963.

Colman's public service honored

Levine said Colman was tremendously focused on transportation issues in the county. He said Colman gave the county a chance to get out of the Metropolitan Transporation Authority, where the county got minor status and paid more than it has received in service. The issue continues to this day.

"He facilitated significant state funding for local transportation programs (county buses, transport for the disabled) when the county decided to stay in." Levine said. "We got $3 million every year for at least a decade for transit."

During his political career, Colman received many honors for public service, including awards from Venture of Rockland, the American Red Cross, the Yeshiva of Spring Valley, the Hebrew Institute Rockland County and the Rockland County Irish Arts Forum.

Rockland County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr. noted Colman's contributions to the county.

“On behalf of the entire county Legislature, I offer my heartfelt condolences to Judge Colman’s family and friends,” Hood said. “He served others through his involvement in the county Legislature and the state Assembly before becoming a Ramapo town justice."

Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht said he got to know Colman as a deputy town attorney appearing before Colman in Justice Court.“He treated everyone, whether they were an attorney, witness or party, with great respect and really took his role as judge very seriously,” Specht said “He kept an open mind and always paid careful attention to the evidence in every hearing or trial, then issued a well thought out decision.”

Rockland resident Joel M. Petlin, a schools superintendent for Kiryas Joel, tweeted that "Sam devoted his life to community service & was a strong advocate for Rockland County. May his memory be a blessing."

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal.

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Colman, a Holocaust survivor, helped develop study center in Rockland