Joan Barbara Turits Feldman died on Feb. 6, 2025, at the age of 89, with devoted family by her side.
Joan lived her life with a deep love for her family and friends, and with a passion for fairness, justice, and the gentle treatment of all creatures. Joan was married to Milton R. Feldman for 51 years. Together, they raised three daughters, ran two retail businesses, and made time to travel, enjoy dining, and kvell about their grandchildren. Joan was a New Yorker, through and through, a proud native of the Bronx who loved the arts, music, dance, and current events.
Joan’s professional years were spent at the Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center, where she made lifelong friends and deepened her love for Jewish culture and the state of Israel. Her regular donations to charitable organizations brought her great joy, fulfilling her commitment to tzedakah.
Sadly, Joan was predeceased by Milton (2007); and by their eldest, the indomitable Sharon Julie Rowe (March 2024). Joan is survived by her brother, Allan Turits; two daughters, Ellen Feldman Ornato (Middletown, Conn.) and Heidi Feldman (Vineyard Haven), and their respective husbands, George Ornato and Curtis Friedman; and by Blake Rowe, Sharon’s devoted husband. Joan and Milt’s talented grandchildren, Julian Rowe, Eva Rowe, Carolyn Ornato, and Allison Ornato-Pascale already miss their “Softa.” Their partners were adored by Joan, and everyone received her wisdom and (often unsolicited) advice.
Donations in Joan’s name can be made to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New Haven, Conn., online at bit.ly/ADL_ConnDonate; to the Magen David Adom Israel ambulance corps, online at bit.ly/MDA_Donations; or to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, online at bit.ly/ASPCA_Donations.
