Funeral mass was held March 19 at Sts. Joseph and Michael Roman Catholic Church, Union City, for Dr. Albert T. Powers, D.C., 84. He passed away March 13 at Angeles Hospital in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Albert was born in Brooklyn and attended the High School of Music and Art where he graduated in 1944. Upon graduation, he joined the Navy and specialized in ham radios during World War II. After being discharged from the Navy in 1946, he played in several bands with his brother James, which included Ray Kinney and His Ambassadors to the Mainland, J.C. Johnny Band and his own band, “Al Powers Trio.”
His band played throughout the New York and New Jersey area, where he was lead vocalist as he played his favorite instrument, the steel guitar. In 1949, Albert was inspired to attend Chiropractic School after visiting a Chiropractor for a chronic ear problem that he developed while in the Navy. After one adjustment he felt so much better that he decided this would be his life’s work and so began the beginning of his legacy. In 1949 he decided to attend Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa under the tutelage of B.J. Palmer, Galvin Price, Clay Thompson, Lyle Sherman, and Herbert Hines.
Following his graduation in 1952, he practiced with Dr. Starr for a little over a year and then rented space in an office with Dr. Tegmier in Jersey City. In 1956, he left this location and decided to open his own practice. He purchased a practice from Dr. Farber in Union City where he remained practicing until August of 2011.
Dr. Albert Powers loved chiropractic and its philosophy. He participated in the town’s health fairs, giving spinal screenings and talking about the healing of chiropractic to anyone who was interested in listening. Dr. Al Powers was the co-chair and a founding member of the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors (ANJC) Senior Advisory Committee, a committee whose members have vast experience in the profession and act to serve in an advisory capacity. He was instrumental in all of the committee’s projects. Dr. Powers was also his committee’s representative for ANJC Strategic Planning.
His famous quote was, “Will practice until God calls me” and he did. He was one of the oldest practicing chiropractors in the state of New Jersey, in practice over 50 years. Albert was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Rose; his parents, Ellen Vitale and Phillip Gennuso; brothers James and Harold. He is survived by his son Brian Powers of Cape Coral, Fla.; his daughter Maureen and her husband Thomas Canetti of North Bergen; and her two sons, TJ Trapp and Dr. Adam Thomas Trapp and his wife Jennifer; his sister Rosemarie Worthy; and over 24 nieces, nephews and their spouses. Services arranged by the Leber Funeral Home, Union City.