Peter J. Brancazio

Peter J. Brancazio, age 81 of Flushing, NY, died on April 25, 2020 from complications of COVID-19. He was born in Astoria, Queens on March 22, 1939 to Peter and Ann Brancazio. He attended Stuyvesant High School and went on to NYU to study engineering, and then received his Masters in engineering from Columbia University and his Ph.D. in astrophysics at NYU. He was introduced to Ronnie Kramer of Long Island City at a party in 1957, and they were inseparable for the next 62 years and married for the last 57 of those. Peter taught physics at Brooklyn College for over 30 years. He made his name first in astrophysics, then as one of the early pioneers of the field of the physics of sports, and then finally in the study of science and religion. He received public attention for his research on the ideal angle for a jump shot and the spin of football passes and punts, and especially for disproving baseball myths such as the rising fastball. For the last several years, he lectured to adult learners at the Hutton House of Long Island University on topics ranging from astronomy to the historical record of the Bible. Peter was an avid athlete. He was a fixture on the basketball court for years until his knees stopped cooperating, and then took up tennis, which he enjoyed for the rest of his life. He made many lasting friendships among his tennis partners. He shared his love of sports with his sons, spending many years as a Little League baseball and basketball coach. Peter had many and varied interests. He had an encyclopedic memory and was a New York Times crossword aficionado. He loved to travel, and with his family visited a great number of national parks. He and Ronnie were regular travelers in retirement, with annual vacations on St. Martin and recent trips to Italy and France. He had a passion for family traditions, particularly making ravioli for Christmas and the Christmas eve anchovy sauce that only he ate. He was interested in all aspects of science and ideas, and rarely passed up an opportunity to debate politics or religion. He was a fan of many styles of music, ranging from rock to folk to opera. He liked to say that his three greatest heroes were Einstein, Mozart, and Bob Dylan. He also became a community activist in retirement; he founded the North East Flushing Civic Association and was tireless in protecting the neighborhood from overzealous developers. However, Peter’s greatest joys came from his life with Ronnie and their family. He and Ronnie spent a lifetime enjoying mutual interests and pursuing new ones, particularly in travel and in the arts. Most importantly, they never ceased to have fun together. In addition to Ronnie, he is survived by his sons David Brancazio and Larry Brancazio and daughter-in-laws Diane and Dina, and five grandchildren, Nick, Josh, Harris, Nate, and Amelia. His sons remember him as a warm, patient and supportive father who put his family above everything else, who always had time to support their varied hobbies, and who made his love and pride in them abundantly clear. He was exceptionally proud of all of his grandchildren, and took great joy in spending time and talking with each of them. A memorial service will be planned for a later date. Donations in his memory can be made to the Interfaith Nutrition Network at https://the-inn.org or 211 Fulton Avenue, Hempstead, NY 11550.