Talma Fenichel's Obituary
Obituary of Talma Fenichel
Born: Jan. 31, 1926, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Died: Oct. 31, 2020, Delray Beach, FL
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Talma “Tommie” F. Fenichel (nee Tonkin) died Saturday morning at the Abbey Delray Health Center. She was 94.
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., she was a Realtor and a pioneer in building condominiums and converting apartment complexes to condominiums in the Hartford, Conn., area. Before donning a pink hardhat to oversee those projects at a time when few women were working in that end of the home sales industry, she worked as a bookkeeper for Lehman Brothers, which eventually became Unilever, and other businesses. In an element of irony, Tommie’s granddaughter-in-law also worked for Unilever.
Tommie had a strong sense of community, working as a member of the Bloomfield (Conn.) Junior Women’s Club. She worked to raise money on a variety of important projects in town, including the construction of a new library. She was involved with other organizations as well and continued her community involvement right up to her time living at Abbey Delray. There, she served as a “wing captain,” representing her neighbors to the management of the continuing care community. She also helped with religious services and volunteered in the community’s Health Center before she fell ill and moved into the Health Center.
She leaves behind two sons, Douglas (wife, Karen) and Matthew, two grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her husband, Norman, and sisters Phyllis and Norma. Contributions can be made to Congregation Shaarei Shalom’s Our Children’s Scholarship Fund.
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