I received word from a friend of mine who used to work for the Armory Foundation that Dr Sander passed away unexpectedly. I not sure when or what happened. Dr Sander was the key person behind the revitalization of the Fort Washington Armory in New York from a homeless shelter to the indoor track & field hub it is today (2013 article about this work is available here - http://www.runblogrun.com/2013/12/track-field-visionary-dr-norbert-sander-armory-savior-by-david-hunter.html).
Not only was he responsible for the revitalization but he (gary muhrcke and a few others) did the labor, ripping up the old track, painting etc...
Sander had a gigantic impact on NYC running - He will be terribly missed
RIP
A few details here. We'll update as more info becomes available.
So sad. Shocking. :(
I knew Norb as a teammate on the Millrose AA in the 70's. A wonderful guy and tough as nails competitor.
Imagine my shock as a 3rd year medical student when he walked on the ward as the Attending Physician for my team. He was a brilliant physician, too.
He was so modest. I knew him for years, and he rarely, if ever, discussed his past running achievements. I had no idea he was on the Penn Relays 4 x mile record team in the 60's until reading about their inclusion in the Penn Relays Hall of Fame
He was a marvelous raconteur, breaking up the room with his hilarious stories of races, and personalities he knew.
He will be missed.
Uh-oh, who'll be the third? Whitlock, Sander and...and an over 70 top marathoner to buy it soon....
Uh-oh, who'll be the third? Whitlock, Sander and...and an over 70 top marathoner to buy it soon....[/quote]
Warren Utes passed in Feb - it was his record at age 70 (3:01:14) that Ed Whitlock broke.
A sad day for our running community.
Norb and I were team mates in the 1960s in NYC and I knew Ed Whitlock as well. What a terrible week! I can't believe it, both of them gone within a few days of each other. I'm 72 and have been running for 59 years.
A legend for New York City runners.
Funeral details are as follows:
Public Wake:
Monday, March 20, 2017 at 2:00-4:00pm and 7:00-9:00pm
Edwards-Dowdle Funeral Home
64 Ashford Avenue
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
Funeral Mass:
Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 9:30am
Monastery Church of The Sacred Heart
110 Shonnard Place
Yonkers, NY 10701
Here are some other articles on his passing.
NBC Olympics:
http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/03/17/norb-sander-dies/
Armory track:
http://www.armorytrack.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45586&do=news&news_id=465159
Milesplit:
Dr. Sander was my physician when I was a teenager and he always encouraged my running and tracked my progress. Amazing guy, and so modest. Even though he knew I was a runner he never mentioned HE WON THE NYC MARATHON!! I found out later and was blown away. Then I talked to him about it and he still downplayed it. Incredible. I ran high school track at the armory before and during the changes and saw the amazing transformation it went through under Dr. Sander's awesome leadership and passion. Truly a remarkable man. I was just talking about him this morning out of nowhere, so weird. I'm shocked. Used to see him running out at night in Westchester, NY as recently as a few years ago with his reflective vest on. So cool. Rest in peace, the running community has lost an epic figure but his legacy will live on.
I am very sorry to hear this. I knew him when I was a medical student and he was a young attending physician. He gave me good career advice and spent time with me when there was absolutely nothing in it for him. I was and remain impressed that he could win the NYC Marathon while pursuing a busy cardiology practice. RIP.
Very sad news. I worked part time at the armory for a number of years and Doc was always hard at work. He was friendly and fair to his staff, but like all great coaches and leaders, always demanded excellence. He drove running in the NYC area relentlessly forward, and his legacy reaches further than most people realize. He will be missed, and presence will resonate in track and field for a long time.