Sherwin Goodblatt, 87

COHASSET, MASS. – Longtime health-care executive and educator Sherwin Z. Goodblatt, of Cohasset, died July 12, 2023, at South Shore Hospital. He was the husband of Lois J. Goodblatt for 35 years.

During a lengthy corporate working career that ended with his retirement in 1985, Sherwin served as administrator of Deborah Hospital, in Brown Mills, New Jersey; first executive director of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, in Boston; executive director of the Rhode Island Group Health Association (an HMO in Rhode Island); and chief executive officer of both Westwood (Mass.) Lodge and Pembroke (Mass.) hospitals. He developed new hospital facilities at his positions in New Jersey, Boston and Pembroke. After retirement, he served as a consultant to several hospitals throughout the U.S.

Sherwin served as a faculty member at Rutgers University, where he was honored by the university as outstanding faculty member, and at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, Teacher's College and Graduate School of Business. He also spent 20 years as an adjunct professor of health services administration at Providence College.

He was a founding board member of the Burlington County (N.J.) Community College and its nursing program, and a board member for the New Jersey Hospital Association. Goodblatt also was a member of the American College of Health Care Executives, the American Public Health Association, the World Health Association, the Pan American World Health Organization and the Federation of American Hospitals Association. He served on the board of directors and as an officer of American Hospitals, the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems and other national, state and local health-care organizations, including Bournwood Health Systems, for which he served as an officer and director for more than 20 years.

In 1994, Sherwin received the Dean's Distinguished Service Award from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where he served on the Board of Overseers for more than 25 years. He was appointed to the Board of Overseers of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2017 and continued as an active member.

Sherwin was interested in antiques, especially clocks and pocket watches. He enjoyed traveling, and he visited 48 states, missing only North Dakota and Hawaii. He particularly enjoyed capitol buildings. He traveled extensively through Canada, visiting all but one of the provinces/territories, and many foreign countries. He enjoyed crossword and similar puzzles, the stock market and classical music.

Born Nov. 22, 1935, Sherwin was the only child of the late Sarah and Alex Goodblatt, of Providence. His early years were spent in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and Providence, where he graduated from Hope High School. After graduating from Providence College, he received a graduate degree in health care administration from Georgia State University and Columbia University. He served his residency in hospital administration at Maimonides Medical Center, in Brooklyn, New York.

In addition to his wife, Sherwin is survived by two step-children, Diane Seymour, of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and Robert Astin and his longtime partner, Alicia Geller, of Falmouth, Massachusetts; two grandsons, Joshua Astin and his wife, Catherine, and Ryan Astin and his wife, Jenn; two great-grandchildren, Oliver and Cameron, with a third great-grandchild on the way; as well as cousin and best friend, Ronald Z. Kaplan, of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He is also survived by two children from an earlier marriage.

Sherwin was a longtime friend and supporter of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Mailman School at Columbia and the Providence Hebrew Day School, which honored him with a dinner for his distinguished service to the school.

Contributions can be made to Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.