Obituary: Joel Alexander Lettman | Montclair Local News

Joel Alexander Lettman of Montclair died peacefully on September 11, 2021 after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 82 years old.

Born and raised in the port city of Limón, Costa Rica, Mr. Lettman was the ninth child of Stanley and Merdina Lettman. In 1963 he emigrated to the USA.

After marrying Brenda Stanley, they moved to the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. After the birth of their son Ollyn, the family moved to Coney Island and lived in an apartment just down the street from the world-famous amusement park. There they welcomed the birth of their daughter Yani.

In 1979 the family moved to Montclair.

With his strong work ethic, pleasant demeanor and winning smile, Mr. Lettman enjoyed a long career in business. He attended Baruch College and graduated with a BA in Business Administration.

His professional career began with the auditing company Osborne, Post and Kurtz. He was employed there for over 15 years and worked his way up to controller. He has also worked in the sales departments of companies such as Mars, Inc. and Cablevision.

Mr. Lettman remained active in his older years and was often seen mowing the grass, shoveling snow, and keeping up with the grandchildren. A great advocate of healthy living, he was a believer in vitamins and supplements to help maintain mind and body. He aged gracefully; often people would mistake him for his son’s “older brother”. This would always put an appreciative smile on his face.

He was fond of his family. As the patriarch of the expanded Lettman clan, he was a constant and reliable anchor who kept in touch with his sisters and many nieces and nephews across the country and in Costa Rica. In his later years he took great pride in being the best “lito” to his grandchildren, teaching them to ride a bike, attending all of their school plays and musicals, taking them on trips to the mall and indulging them in various ways.

In addition, Mr. Lettman was known for two of his passions: reading and dancing. He was a keen reader, especially when it came to politics and history. He enjoyed every opportunity to share his views on the world and enjoyed having healthy debates with friends, family, and those he had just met. Regardless of the different opinions, he always respectfully shared his wisdom and experience.

Friends and family knew he enjoyed dancing on the dance floor at family and social gatherings. He was often the first to hit the floor with his wife Brenda or daughter Yani, especially when his favorite music, mambo (or old-style salsa), started playing.

He lived a full and complete life, leaving behind many loved ones, including his 56-year-old wife Brenda; Son Ollyn; Daughter Yani; Grandsons, Eliana and Donovan Peyton and Sofia Lettman; Son-in-law Russell Peyton; Daughter-in-law Ivette Rosario; Sister Mayra Álvarez and a multitude of nephews, great-nephews, nieces and great-nieces.

Arrangements were made by Martin’s Home for Service.