YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of R’ Tzaddik haLevi “Charlie Buttons” Nassofer Z”L, a beloved personality and cherished fixture in the Crown Heights community. He was 81 years old.

Known to generations simply as “Charlie Buttons,” R’ Tzaddik Halevi brought joy and warmth to countless simchos throughout Crown Heights over the decades. With his signature smile, colorful attire adorned with pins and buttons – many of them promoting the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s mivtzoim and other Yiddishe messages – Charlie stood out in both appearance and in heart.

He was often seen at the Rebbe’s farbrengens and in 770, always wearing his signature overalls and button-covered headgear. Despite his untraditional appearance, he was embraced by the Crown Heights community and respected by the Rebbe himself, who would frequently smile upon seeing him. Charlie was known to flash an “L” hand sign, his own gesture of love for the “Lubavitcher Rebbe.”

Charlie was a regular mispallel at Murphy’s Shul, and a staple at neighborhood Sholom Zachors, L’chaims, weddings, and parades, where he uplifted young and old with his ruach and cheerful balloon artistry. In 2011, he was even honored as the Grand Marshal of the Los Angeles Lag BaOmer Parade, delighting children as he waved from atop a convertible.

In recent years, as his health declined, Charlie resided at the Bedford Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Williamsburg, where he continued to charm staff and visitors alike.

Last year, a gathering took place in 770 to celebrate Charlie’s 80th birthday. Attendees shared heartfelt brachos and presented him with a special framed photo of himself receiving a dollar from the Rebbe.

Charlie Buttons is survived by his two sisters. The levaya and shiva information will be announced as it becomes available.

Yehi Zichro Baruch.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)