The oldest Jewish family funeral home serving the Jewish community of greater New Haven with dignity since 1881.
Doris Brill died peacefully in her sleep on February 27, 2023. She leaves three daughters, sons-in-laws, three grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She was an avid tennis player into her 80’s and loved to swim in the ocean and did so on her 103rdbirthday. Doris was a graduate of the Yale School of Music. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Leonard Brill.
Services and interment were held at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, Westville.
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.
Ann P. Lehman – wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, artist, sculptor, teacher, horsewomen, friend to so many… died peacefully at her home in Bethany, Connecticut on December 27, 2022.
She leaves her son Peter Lehman and his wife Ann, her brother Richard Podoloff, and grandchildren Sarah, Rebecca, Eliza, Lucy, Isaac, and Myles.
Founder and first president of the Creative Arts Workshop, Ann taught her metal sculpture class for over 60 years. More about her long life and many accomplishments can be found at creativeartsworkshop.org/annlehman. A fund in her memory to benefit the CAW is at the same address.
died peacefully on November 21, 2022. She was born in New Haven on September 21, 1921 to the late Charles Grannick and Lillian Lyons Grannick. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Charles Grannick, Jr.
Ruth grew up in New Haven. She attended the Worthington Hooker School and James Hillhouse Highschool. She graduated from the Whitney Secretarial School and received her merchandising degree from Connecticut College.
In November 1942 Ruth enlisted in the WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, a division of the U.S. Navy created during World War II. She received her military training at Oklahoma State University (then Oklahoma A & M) in Stillwater, OK, and was stationed in Washington, D.C. There Ruth worked as a decoder, then as swimming and tennis instructor for the WAVES at Mt. Vernon Seminary until her discharge in November 1945.
After the war Ruth was a buyer and bridal consultant at G. Fox & Co. in Hartford, CT. She later worked in New York City as a buyer and bridal consultant at Bonwit Teller and Associated Merchandising Co, and in advertising at Modern Bride Magazine. From 1957 until her retirement in 1979 she was a buyer for the William Van Buren Buying Office on Seventh Avenue.
Ruth was a past board member of the New Haven Symphony Auxiliary, Yale University Women’s Organization, Chair of the Yale University Art Gallery Associates, and volunteer for many New Haven charitable organizations.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ruth B. Grannick and Charles Grannick, Jr. Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven, CT 06511.
Services and interment in Mishkan Israel Cemetery will be private.
Permalink Comments off
Anita Perlman, 94, formerly of Woodbridge, CT passed away peacefully at her home on November 23, 2022. Born in Bridgeport, CT in 1928, Anita graduated from Connecticut College where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She began her career as a social worker, eventually earning her master’s degree in counseling and bringing her love of people and service to her work with the Connecticut Day Care Council and then to her own career change and counseling service – Career Life Alternatives. Love, care and kindness were the core of her being and the closeness of her extended family was the most vivid expression of that. She was preceded in death by the love of her life, Elliott Perlman, DMD to whom she was married for over 45 years until his death in 1999. She was also predeceased by her much-loved brother, Frances Manasevit. She leaves behind daughters Lissa Perlman (Seth Hulkower), Andrea Perlman (Andrew Wolff) and Julie Perlman (Wyndorf) who aspire to the example she set in so many spheres, as well as her beloved grandchildren, Talia, Sasha, Hallie, Elliott and Harry, her best friend and sister, Elaine Friedman and her dear brother-in-law (Robert Friedman) and all of her cherished nieces and nephews.
Music was a constant source of joy in her life and she was both an accomplished pianist and singer. She and Elliott satisfied their shared curiosity and interest in the world through their extensive travels, particularly multiple trips to Mexico where Anita’s near fluency in Spanish helped them navigate easily.
Services will be held on Friday, November 25 at 11 am at Congregation Mishkan Israel, Ridge Road, Hamden CT. Burial will follow at Bikur Cholim Shevett Achim cemetery on Brockett Place, East Haven CT.
Donations may be made in Anita’s name to Leap for Kids online at https://www.leapforkids.org.
It is with a deep sadness that we must announce the passing of our beloved sister/sister-in-law, Paula Joan Brown, of Branford, CT. on 11/10/22. She was 72 years old.
Paula was born on July 3, 1950, in North Branford, CT. The family moved to Woodbridge, CT where Paula graduated Amity High School in 1968. She moved to Boston to attend Northeastern University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social psychology.
In 1979 she began a career with Anheuser-Busch on a task force of special projects that included the introduction of Bud Light. After stints in Saint Louis, MO, Riverside & Stockton, CA. she was tapped to be the first, ever, woman, to become a President/General Manager of any A-B distributorship for their Tulsa, OK branch.
After a successful 25-year career with A-B, she retired to her dream home in Branford, CT. She was active in the Garden club and belonged to the New England Avanti Club and loved to drive around in her red convertible. She loved dogs and throwing parties. We will miss her smile, her friendship and her infectious happiness that everyone caught.
She is predeceased by her parents, Pearl & Oscar Brown, sister Sheila, nephew Matthew and survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Steve (Tina) Brown, nieces Katie (Danny) Blesi, Janelle (Sean) Carroll and many cousins and friends.
There will be a service at Weller Funeral Home, 424 Elm St. New Haven on Thursday, November 17th at 11:00. In lieu of flowers contributions in memory of Paula Joan Brown can be made to CT Hospice of Branford 100 Double Beach Rd. Branford, CT. 06405 or contribute online @ www.hospice.com/donate.
Nancy Raffel passed away September 22, 2022. She was the daughter of the late Harriet and Bill Raffel. She is survived by her brother Richard, and best friends, Rae Kotler, Michele Rennert, Sara Jove, Jill Morrissey, and Betty Adams. She was a University of Miami graduate with a degree in phys ed. She worked at Channel 7 and WPTV.
Nancy will be laid to rest at B’nai Jacob cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut on Friday, September 30, 2022 at 10:00am. Please say a prayer for her.
Permalink Comments off
Ruth Schwartz Gershman, 94 of New Haven died July 18, 2022. She was predeceased by her husband of 71 years Bernard Gershman. She was born in New Haven December 27, 1927 the beloved daughter of the late Benjamin and Rose Kaplan Schwartz and taught school as an assistant teacher in the Celentano School system in New Haven. She leaves a son Ronald Gershman and his wife Pamela of Hamden. Besides her husband she was predeceased by a son Lee Gershman, sisters Helen Greenhouse, Sophie Ryter, Esther Levine and a brother Aaron Schwartz. She also leaves many precious nieces and nephews.
Graveside funeral services will be held at Congregation Sinai Memorial Park, Farwell St. West Haven Friday morning at 10:00. Period of mourning will be private.
Permalink Comments off
Richard was born in New Haven, CT on June 11, 1938, the son of Samuel B. “Pookie” Alderman and Ruth Mednick Alderman. Richard graduated Milford High School in 1956, Colgate University in 1960, and had a varied career that included work as an artistic consultant for the world-famous Paul Taylor Dance Company.
He was a man of intelligence and culture, with an engaging personality and a loving heart.
He is survived and remembered with love by his entire family – his older sister, Barbara (Alderman) Stein, two nephews and a niece and their respective spouses, two great-nephews, and six great-nieces.
A graveside funeral service will be held on Tuesday, May 31 at 2:00 pm at United Israel Cemetery on Fitch Street (near Onyx Street), New Haven, CT.
Paula Joanne Shiff Shemitz was born July 27, 1931 to Phillip and Harriet Shiff in New Haven, Connecticut. She died Friday, May 20, 2022 peacefully surrounded by her family at Yale New Haven Hospital. She was 90 years old.
Paula was a product of New Haven Public Schools and the Day School, from which she graduated in 1948. Thereafter she attended Smith College and graduated in 1952 with a degree in AmericanStudies, which remained an abiding interest throughout her life.
In 1953 she married Sylvan Shemitz, also of New Haven, and moved to Woodbridge, where she continued to live until her death. Raising a family and supporting the growth of the lighting design and manufacturing businesses created by Sylvan was the focus of her life but she also had a successful career. From 1953 to 1956 Paula served as a social worker with the Department of Social Services in New Haven, an occupation that had a profound impact on her. After leaving social work, she participated in numerous volunteer activities, never seeking the spotlight or any leadership position, but working diligently to serve the underserved. One of her favorite projects was the “Art Goes to School” program in the New Haven Public Schools, where she had a chance to bring her love of art and American history to children. While studying for a masters’ degree in Library Science at Southern Connecticut State College, she volunteered as a children’s librarian in the Woodbridge Public Library, where she later became the head librarian.
After leaving that post, Paula joined the New Haven Free Public Library system. She worked as a librarian at different branches around the city for a number of years, finally moving to the Main Library to take a position as head of public relations. In that capacity, she organized many public outreach programs and projects for both adults and children. Most notable of these was the bi-centennial quilt project she organized for the library, bringing volunteer quilters together to learn about quilting and create a community bi-centennial memory in the form of a quilt that still hangs in the Main Library.
Soon after retiring from the library, Paula joined Sylvan’s firm, Sylvan R. Shemitz Designs, as the human resources officer until her retirement in 2006.
Throughout her married life, Paula delighted in sailing with her husband on their sloop, the Light Fantastic, on which they explored the entire Eastern seaboard from Nova Scotia to Bermuda, meeting people and making fast friends along the way.
Paula is survived by her three daughters, Julie Jane Shemitz, of Los Angeles, California, Elizabeth Deane Shemitz-Smith, of Woodbridge, Connecticut, and Allison Kate Schieffelin, of New Haven and Nantucket, Massachusetts, two grandchildren, Charlotte Anna Shemitz-Smith and James “Ace” Evan Smith, of Woodbridge,and her brother, the Honorable Alan H.W. Shiff (ret’d.), of Bethesda, Maryland and Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Funeral services will be held in person on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at 10:30am at the Chapel at Congregation B’nai Jacob, 75 Rimmon Road, Woodbridge, Connecticut 06525. The service will also be live-streamed on the B’nai Jacob website: https://www.bnaijacob.org. Internment will be immediately after at the B’nai Jacob Memorial Park, Wintergreen Avenue, New Haven Connecticut 06515.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to Yale New Haven Hospital, Office of Development, PO Box 1849, New Haven, CT 06508-9979, 203-688-9644; Email: giving@ynhh.org. or the Diaper Bank of Connecticut, 370 State Street, Suite 4, North Haven, CT 06473, Email kim@thediaperbank.org, 203-934-7009 in memory of Paula Shemitz.