Joseph Panitch, 88, died Jan. 30 at Hartford Hospital following a brief illness. He was the husband of Myra (Wiskind) Panitch. Born and raised in Newark, N.J., he was the son of Bernard and Jenny (Efros) Panitch. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity at Rutgers University, graduating in 1948. He served in the army, studying Japanese at the University of Minnesota, and then deploying to Japan to teach algebra to GIs. He worked as a toy buyer for several companies in New York and Connecticut, retiring from Coleco Industries in Hartford. After retiring, he found a second career as book store manager at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill. He sang in choirs all over the world, beginning with the NJ Masterwork Chorus, and including the Hartford Chorale, the Farmington Valley Chorale, the Connecticut Concert Opera, and the Congregation Beth Israel Choir, where he was an active member. In addition to his wife of 62 years, he is survived by a sister, Anita Erman; a son, Barry Panitch and his wife Margaret; two daughters, Carol Lipson (Gary) and Nancy Flaggman (Allan); and three grandchildren, Mike, Jackie and April. WEINSTEIN MORTUARY