Estelle Winer's Obituary
Estelle Winer, of Springfield and Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Boynton Beach, Florida, and, most recently, Rockville, Maryland, passed away gently and peacefully on March 15, 2021, at the age of 89, after a short period of declining health.
Estelle was born in 1931, the daughter of Abraham Lebowitz and Sarah (Paroshinsky) Lebowitz, who had come to the United States as part of a wave of Jewish immigrants in the early twentieth century. Estelle and her big brother Harold spent their early childhood years living in the tenements of the North End of Springfield, which at the time was a vibrant Jewish community. Abe, a “buyer and seller of all kinds of merchandise,” as he put it, and Sarah, a seamstress, eventually did well enough for the family to move “up the hill” to the Forest Park section of Springfield. Estelle graduated from Springfield Classical High School and Becker Junior College, in Worcester, Massachusetts.
After returning to Springfield, Estelle met Irving Winer, who had left his family’s dairy farm in Three Rivers, Massachusetts to enlist in military service, then attended college on the G.I. bill and settled back in the area. Estelle would tell how she started dating Irving: their mutual friend Joe, and Irving, flipped a coin. (Estelle would sometimes add, in her typical humble fashion, that she wasn’t quite sure whether Irving or Joe had “won” the coin flip.) In any event, it was the start of a beautiful relationship. Estelle and Irving were happily married from 1953 until Irving’s death in 2004.
Estelle and Irving raised three children, Steve, Lisa and Sue, initially living in the Sixteen Acres section of Springfield and later moving to Longmeadow. Estelle primarily was a stay-at-home mom during her children’s early years and provided them unconditional love and support. She and Irving created a warm and welcoming home which often was the place where their children’s friends would gather after school or into the evenings for games and conversation.
Estelle had a knack for making and keeping friends. Throughout her life she loved competitions, whether it was mahjong, bridge, canasta, bowling, golf, gin rummy, or any other type of contest that gave her the excuse to get together and enjoy her companions and the conversation. She was active in the community as a member of the Sisterhood of Temple Beth El and the Springfield Link of the Order of the Golden Chain.
In the 1980’s Estelle and Irving moved to Boynton Beach, Florida, where their home became a wonderful visiting destination for their children and grandchildren. Estelle especially adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and constantly solicited the latest photographs of them to use as part of her “brag book.” And, true to her nature, Estelle developed over the years a lovely group of friends in Florida to share golf outings, theatre (mostly musicals!), and many breakfasts, lunches and dinners out on the town.
Estelle moved in 2020 to the Ring House, a senior independent living building in Rockville, Maryland, where she could be near her daughter Lisa and Lisa’s family. She handled the challenges created by the pandemic with grace and humor, maintaining a positive, loving attitude about life right until the end, with the help of her three wonderful caregivers Carolin, Joanna and Esther. She will be greatly missed.
She leaves behind her children, Sue Winer of New York City, Lisa and Arnie Schoenthaler of Vienna, Virginia, and Steve Winer and Margaret Landsman of Concord, New Hampshire; her grandchildren, Julie Schoenthaler and Zack Snyder, Charlie Schoenthaler and Lucy Blundon Schoenthaler, Hannah and Nathaniel Brewster, Max Winer and Katie Smidt, and Ben Winer and Jennah Maybury; and her great-grandchildren Sage Brewster, Ash Brewster and Annie Winer.
There will be a private graveside ceremony. Those wishing may make donations in Estelle’s memory to Charles E. Smith Life Communities (smithlifecommunities.org), the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (danafarber.org) or the charity of their choice.
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