Resources

Selkirk – Joseph A. Albert, 86, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he is the son of the late Jack and Sara (Swartzman) Albert. Joe graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, NJ, and would go on to obtain his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH, and his PhD in psychology from The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, IL. In 1970, Joe established the Counseling Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, where he served as director and offered support as a psychologist to students before reluctantly retiring in 2018. In the mid-1970s, Joe also co-founded Bethlehem Counseling Associates—a private practice in Delmar, which is now thriving in the community—where he helped countless patients over the years until closing his door for the last time in 2022. He continued to help others even after his professional counseling days were over, and earned a certificate in grief counseling in 2023. In his personal time, Joe found joy in community theater as a member of The Highlight Acting Troupe, Matinee Theatre Players, and other local groups. The joy he found in these experiences came not only from being on stage but also from the company of his wonderful theater friends. Joe loved reading (especially science fiction), watching Turner Classic Movies, and rooting for the New York Mets (his second baseball love, after the Brooklyn Dodgers). Joe is survived by his daughters, Shannah Albert and Kristin (Scott) Rubens; his brother, Jonathan (Dawn) Albert; his grandchildren, Alexa Albert, Jayden Albert, Jordyn Rubens, and Charlie Rubens; his daughter-in-law, Lindsay Piela-Albert, and his former wives and lasting friends, Sharon Villines and Sharon Kopyc. He was predeceased by his beloved sons, Jason Albert and Jonathan Albert; and his dogs Moose and Peggy, both of whom provided unconditional comfort when he was the one who needed to be lifted by love and affection. The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to all of Joe’s caregivers, who each treated him with the utmost care and compassion, including, most recently, Rondah Cato, Christina Chapin, Shannon Miller, Nba Ahmed, Demetria Jimenez, Lekisha Terrell, and Karen Hendrickson. Those wishing to honor Joe’s legacy of tireless compassion can make memorial contributions in his name to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) at afsp.org. Every year, Joe organized a team for the AFSP Capital Region Walk for R.I.T.A.; he named his team Jonathan Starfish in memory of his beloved son, Jonathan Aaron, and The Starfish Story, by Loren Eiseley, about making a difference one “starfish” at a time. Funeral services for Joe will be held on Monday, October 21, at 10:00 am at Congregation Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Rd. in Albany. Burial will follow at Beth Emeth Cemetery in Loudonville.