Waterford — Barbara Annette Jacobs Gottesdiener, of Waterford, passed peacefully at her home Oct. 21, 2018. The daughter of Fannie and James Jacobs, she was born in Hartford, Nov.
2, 1930. Barbara was a warm-hearted, compassionate and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, a trustworthy and caring friend and relative. This is for what, we believe, she would want to be remembered.
She completed two years at the University of Connecticut when her studies were suspended, somewhat fortuitously, for us – her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren – by an encounter with a handsome young man, Martin Gottesdiener, on the boardwalk of Ocean Beach Park in the summer of 1952. They were married March 21, 1953, an enduring and committed relationship of 63 years. Barbara was an extremely intelligent woman, and an avid and enthusiastic reader, which in part fueled her curiosity for, and desire to, travel.
Barbara and Marty were fortunate to share adventures in England, Spain, Italy, Japan, Israel, Turkey, and finally in Iceland, their last trip. She also visited her son, Bart, while he was studying in France. Barbara was always interested in nutrition and was an early champion of natural gourmet cooking and healthy eating.
She was physically active, always walking, lifting weights, and spending countless hours relaxing, inverted on her slant board. Barbara also survived breast cancer and lived another 38 years. She enjoyed culture and the arts.
Barbara and Marty would go to New York together, to the theatre, museums, and the movies, and if Marty was not available, she would go alone. She completed her education by obtaining a degree at Mohegan Community College in 1977. Barbara possessed a sharp wit, sometimes a self-deprecating sense of humor, and always attempted to uplift the people around her.
Barbara was proud of her husband and her family – but we were more proud of her. Barbara is predeceased by her husband, Marty, and is survived by her children, Keith, Bart, Larry, and Amy; her daughters-in-law, Beth and Robyn; her grandchildren, Andrew, Benjamin, Laura, Matthew, Jesse, and Asher; and her great-grandchildren, Aaron and Nora. Barbara was predeceased by her brother, Ronald.
She is survived by her brother, Leonard; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Ruth and Sharon Jacobs, Emanuel, Shirley, and Ray; and was predeceased by her brother-in-law, Nathan Gottesdiener. She will be sadly and greatly missed. Funeral services to be held at 12 p.m., Tuesday, Oct.
23, 2018, at Neilan Funeral Home, 12 Ocean Avenue, New London. Following the service there will be a procession to the Beth El Cemetery, Lestertown Road. , Groton.
A Shiva in Barbara’s memory will be held thereafter, at her home, 11 Oswegatchie Road, Waterford, CT. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Hadassah (www. Haddassah.org) or Breast Cancer Research Foundation (www.
bcrf.org).
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