02.18.23
Anita Doff Wallerstein
Anita Doff Wallerstein, 96, slipped quietly from this world on February 8, 2023, after a day of upbeat conversations with the people she loved and surrounded by those who cared for her. She looked forward to reuniting with her beloved husband M.L. “Buddy” Wallerstein, her dog Sammi, and the close family of parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles she grew up with and who predeceased her. She often joked that she’d “put her deposit on a penthouse condo known for it’s Golden Arches, and I don’t mean McDonalds’, and although she was ready to meet those who went before her, she will be very missed.
Born November 17th, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents from Russia, Anita was raised in New Haven, CT. At 18 she went off to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and met her true love. She always said Bud was the most brilliant, talented, creative man she’d ever met, and within a year they were married and moved back to Connecticut where they raised their family of artists. After retirement they moved from Norwalk Ct. to Estero, Florida, and in 2007 to Portland, Maine.
A trailblazer in the workplace, she was an editor at the New Haven Register for over 30 years and in 1962 was selected as New England Newspaper Woman of the year. Quick-witted with a wonderful sense of humor, Anita was on top of current events, voted in every election, and shattered the glass ceiling in publishing, winning a 12 year sex bias lawsuit for equal pay in the workplace.
She was an artist, a foodie, an advocate for womens’ rights and always the first to go out of her way to help someone in need. To her very last day, she was surrounded by art supplies and was working on beautiful painted rocks to give to all her caretakers and constantly creating and collaging flowers and punny cards for her family.
“Neeti” is survived by her children, Nancy (John), Martin (Grace), and Steven (Susan) Wallerstein, and her grandchildren, Sara Fabricant (David), Ben Wallerstein (Sarah), Aaron Price (Tina), and Eva Platt (Rory). She also adored her great grandchildren, Sam, Katie, and Charlie Fabricant, Elle and Ford Wallerstein, Ellery Price, and Tasman and Ani Platt. She cherished her memories of large family gatherings, delicious food, and generations of stories, and, while she assured us she was ready to join those who went before her, she leaves behind many who love her dearly and she will be very missed.
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