Steve Markman, commander of Dayton’s Jewish War Veterans Post #587 — who served on and off in that role since 2008 — died Jan. 2. He was 76.

Under his leadership, the post volunteered at the Dayton VA Medical Center, participated in naturalization ceremonies to welcome new citizens, coordinated the placement of U.S. flags at the graves of Jewish veterans for Memorial Day, maintained connections with Jewish military personnel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, hosted member brunches, assisted Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, and helped lead tours of Prejudice & Memory: A Holocaust Exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

From 2016 to 2018, Markman was JWV commander for the state of Ohio.

An aerospace engineer, Markman served in the Air Force as a missile maintenance officer. He then worked for the Department of Defense for 33 years.

Markman was also a skilled woodworker; as a volunteer, he helped restore airplanes at the Air Force Museum beginning in 2006. He worked on the restoration of the Memphis Belle World War II-era heavy bomber, recreating its wooden fittings, including its doors. Last year, the museum honored Markman with its President’s Volunteer Service Award for his completion of 4,000 volunteer hours.

In 2023, he also coordinated JWV Post 587’s 75th anniversary brunch.

At the post’s annual Jewish War Veterans Shabbat service in 2022, Markman shared that his time in the military gave him a new love for Judaism.

“When we return to civilian life, we take with us not just the skills and confidence we learned, but also our call to service, and some new outlook about ourselves and our way of thinking,” he said.

— Marshall Weiss

To read the complete February 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.