Irving Drantch

Irving DRANTCH February 16, 1918 - April 13, 2011 Irv lived a full life and is mourned by his loving family and friends.Born in Brooklyn to immigrants Celia and Max Drantch, Irv was one of six children. He was a good kid who excelled in school, loved his Yankees and practiced his violin when he'd rather be playing sports in the street. That violin took him to Carnegie Hall where he played a recital in 1927.His smarts took him to the City College of New York where he earned a B.A. in liberal arts and to Cornell University for a B.S. in agricultural economics. During his CCNY years he sold newspapers at night outside Columbia University. He gave some of the pay to his parents and saved what he could for his upcoming two years at Cornell. The Great Depression still was raging while he was at Cornell. And with no money for a daily lunch, Irv ate apples off the trees in Cornell's research and training orchard.Irv joined the Army in 1942 and after Officer Candidate School was stationed in Los Angeles where he met the love of his life, Lily Burstin. They married in January 1945, just days before he shipped out to the Pacific for a year, serving during World War II in New Guinea, the Ph...[more]

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ppines and Japan.When he returned, Irv put his ag studies to use working for Beggs Brothers Produce which he eventually bought out, renaming it Pacific View Produce.Irv's beloved wife, Lily, preceded him in death. He leaves his daughters Rosalie Fox (Daniel) Huntington and Vicki (Jim) Clary along with two brothers, his sister and other loving family.Services are at Mt. Sinai Hollywood Hills, 1 p.m. Sunday, April 17.In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Irv's memory to www.TeakFellowship.org, or for scholarships to www.CityCollegeFund.org or www.Giving.Cornell.edu.