Obituary - MARTHA J. "MARTY" WOLKIND

Martha (Gigi) Wolkind passed away peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at Orlando Regional Medical Center, with her daughter by her side. She was 97 years old.

Mrs. Wolkind was born in the Lower East Side of New York City on Oct. 2, 1916, the daughter of the late Isadore and Freida Kessler Jacobs. She married her late husband Benjamin Wolkind in 1940 and they moved to the Orlando area in 1959. They were married for nearly 59 years when he passed away in 1999.

Mrs. Wolkind was a longtime member of Congregation of Reform Judaism and a lifelong member of Hadassah. Gigi, as she was known to her grandchildren, volunteered as a candy striper at Winter Park Hospital in the 1960s. Later, in the 1990s, she loved working at the Altamonte Mall taking surveys and making friends along the way. Her love of reading and theatre was passed on to her three daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She kept up with all that was going on in the world and voiced her political opinions to anyone who would listen. She was a woman of strength, character and grace and her smile will be sorely missed.

Mrs. Wolkind is survived by her daughters, Fran Miles of River Ridge, La.; Debbie (Joseph) Kantor of Windermere; and Ellie (Ken) Barrett of St. Augustine; four grandchildren, Heather Barkin, Jonathan Brooks, Jeremy Miles and David Miles; and six great-grandchildren. Graveside funeral services were held at Congregation of Reform Judaism Cemetery in Gotha, with Rabbi Steven Engel and Cantor Jacqueline Rawiszer officiating. The family requests donations in memory of Martha Wolkind to the Denise Cohen Memorial Library Fund at CRJ, 928 Malone Drive, Orlando 32810. Arrangements were entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, Orlando.