After a two year battle with cancer, my mother, Joan Yaverbaum Leopold, passed away Friday morning. I was blessed to be with her on Thursday and to have grown up in her long shadow. Here is her obituary:
Joan Y. LeopoldJoan Y. Leopold, 65, of Harrisburg, died early Friday morning in her home in Susquehanna Township. She was the daughter of Irving and Esther (Landis) Yaverbaum. Joan is survived by her husband, Marx S. (Sandy) Leopold; five children and twelve grandchildren. The children are, Ann Leopold Kaplan (Larry) of North Bethesda, Maryland, Matthew Leopold (Cathy) of West Chester, Pennsylvania, John Leopold (Teresa) of Santa Cruz, California, David Leopold (Laura) of Bedminster, Pennsylvania, and Debbie Leopold Stern (Jonathan) of Paoli, Pennsylvania. She leaves sisters, Judy Goldberg of Harrisburg and Jeri Greenberg of Washington, D.C. Another sister, Jane Batt, predeceased her.
Joanie was a graduate of William Penn High School and Dickinson College. She taught at the David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy of Harrisburg, where she had been a student for her first six grades. Later she became President of the PTO and the President of the school's Board of Directors.
For nearly 30 years, Joan was the director of patient education at the Harrisburg State Hospital. There, she also was a founder of the HSH Historical Committee. She was instrumental in the founding and operation of the Dorothea Dix Museum on the hospital grounds. Joanie became active in and life member of the Pennsylvania Association for Adult and Continuing Education (PAACE). She was the president of PAACE and received its award for being the Outstanding Adult Educator. For the last twenty-five years, she has been the Executive Director of PAACE.
She was on the Board of the Dauphin County Library System for two non-consecutive periods of eight years ending in 2005. She also was a member the Mayor's Commission on Literacy since its creation and a docent at the Governor's Residence.
Joan was actively involved in religious life. She was Life Member of the National Council of Jewish Women and Hadassah and until her illness made it impossible, she was a faithful daily attendee at the morning minyan at Beth El Synagogue. However, she considered the most significant part of her religious work was as a member of the Chevra Kadisha, the Holy Society that prepares the dead for burial. For the work on behalf of Conservative Judaism, her synagogue, the Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva of Harrisburg, and her community, in 1995 Joanie received the Second Century Award from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In addition, last April, the local Jewish Community honored her as a Community Mitzvah Hero.
For the last five years, all the immediate family got together in August for a weekend. At the end of the weekend, the seven oldest grandchildren stayed for a week of "Grandma Camp". During the ensuing week the days were filled with amusement parks, swimming, museums, shows and factory tours. The true purpose of the camp was to make sure that the cousins got to really know each other.
Funeral services were held Monday, with Rabbi Eric Cytryn officiating, my borther John, sister Ann, Aunt Jery and my mom's friend Pat Taksen delivering moving eulogies. Rabby Jeffry Wohlberg spoke beautifully of her as well.
Contributions may be made to the Rabbi David L. Silver, Yeshiva Academy or the Dauphin County Library System, Attn: Joan Y. Leopold, Endowment Fund, 101 Walnut Street Harrisburg, PA 17101.
Published in the Patriot-News on 2/4/2006.
My brother david put together the following:
JOAN LEOPOLD 1941 – 2006 Joan Leopold, who for more than four decades was a force in mental health in Pennsylvania, a tireless advocate for literacy, and a significant member of the Harrisburg Jewish community, died in her sleep Friday morning, according to her husband, Sandy Leopold, the result of complications from genetic lung cancer. She was diagnosed in March 2004.
Leopold worked as a teacher and administrator for more than thirty years at the Harrisburg State Hospital, where she instituted a wide range of programs covering everything from patient voting to a daycare center for the children of hospital employees.
Leopold was a pioneer in the use of newspapers in the classroom, and was named to Newspaper in Education Hall of Fame. She helped save thousands of artifacts from destruction that told the history of the more than century old hospital, once a self-contained “city on the hill.” Leopold and the newly formed Historical Committee went on to found the award winning Dorthea Dix Museum on the grounds of the hospital. The Dix Museum used the history of the Harrisburg State Hospital to tell the story of mental health in Pennsylvania. With the Hospital’s closing at the end of 2005, the objects in the collection were integrated into the State Museum’s holdings.
Leopold, a life long resident of Dauphin County, served on the board of the County’s Library for two decades, as well as on the board of the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, and the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE). For PAACE, she was an executive director and past president, and had lead the planning and hosting of the state wide organization’s annual midwinter conference for more than 25 years. The organization’s board voted in December to change the name of the PAACE Service Award to the Joan Y. Leopold Award for Service to PAACE. Through an endowment begun by Leopold’s family, the Dauphin County Library has announced that their annual Children’s Book Week will be renamed in Joan Leopold’s honor. “A tireless advocate for both child and adult literacy, Joan believed that reading opens a world of education and imagination,” said a Library spokesperson. “It lives on in her family, students, and all those she touched through her efforts."
A life long member of the Harrisburg Jewish community, she attended the Yeshiva Academy, a Jewish day school her father, Irving Yaverbaum helped found, and would eventually teach there. She sent her five children there, and eventually became board president. She sat on the board of Temple Beth El where she was a member for five decades, and served in different capacities for Saturday services. “She lived her Judaism,” said her son John. Leopold attended morning minyan nearly everyday for more than 25 years, prepared the temple’s confirmation class each year for their ceremony, and joined the Chevra Kadisha that prepares bodies for Jewish burial. “She said that she wanted to do this,” said John, “as her way of showing final respect for the community members that supported her throughout her life.”
Born in Harrisburg on January 25, 1941 to Irving and Esther Yaverbaum, Joan Leopold was the third of four daughters. A graduate of Harrisburg High School, she was part of a radio show called Teen Town Talk, started by her older sister, Judy, which featured events at the local schools. She met her future husband, Marx S. Leopold from Elkins Park, at 15 on a blind date. At 20, she graduated Dickinson College in only three years in order to get married. She had five children by the age of 26. As a young mother, she found time to be part of the National Council of Jewish Women, dedicated to preventing discrimination. She made numerous appearances at schools presenting “The Green Circle” which memorably illustrated to children the ideas of acceptance and tolerance.
For her 12 grandchildren, Leopold and her husband began a weeklong “Grandma Camp” where they took their charges to pretzel factories, children’s theater, and swimming pools “because she wanted to make sure that her grandchildren enjoyed each other’s company,” explained John, “as much as she enjoyed theirs.”
Joan Y. LeopoldJoan Y. Leopold, 65, of Harrisburg, died early Friday morning in her home in Susquehanna Township. She was the daughter of Irving and Esther (Landis) Yaverbaum. Joan is survived by her husband, Marx S. (Sandy) Leopold; five children and twelve grandchildren. The children are, Ann Leopold Kaplan (Larry) of North Bethesda, Maryland, Matthew Leopold (Cathy) of West Chester, Pennsylvania, John Leopold (Teresa) of Santa Cruz, California, David Leopold (Laura) of Bedminster, Pennsylvania, and Debbie Leopold Stern (Jonathan) of Paoli, Pennsylvania. She leaves sisters, Judy Goldberg of Harrisburg and Jeri Greenberg of Washington, D.C. Another sister, Jane Batt, predeceased her.
Joanie was a graduate of William Penn High School and Dickinson College. She taught at the David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy of Harrisburg, where she had been a student for her first six grades. Later she became President of the PTO and the President of the school's Board of Directors.
For nearly 30 years, Joan was the director of patient education at the Harrisburg State Hospital. There, she also was a founder of the HSH Historical Committee. She was instrumental in the founding and operation of the Dorothea Dix Museum on the hospital grounds. Joanie became active in and life member of the Pennsylvania Association for Adult and Continuing Education (PAACE). She was the president of PAACE and received its award for being the Outstanding Adult Educator. For the last twenty-five years, she has been the Executive Director of PAACE.
She was on the Board of the Dauphin County Library System for two non-consecutive periods of eight years ending in 2005. She also was a member the Mayor's Commission on Literacy since its creation and a docent at the Governor's Residence.
Joan was actively involved in religious life. She was Life Member of the National Council of Jewish Women and Hadassah and until her illness made it impossible, she was a faithful daily attendee at the morning minyan at Beth El Synagogue. However, she considered the most significant part of her religious work was as a member of the Chevra Kadisha, the Holy Society that prepares the dead for burial. For the work on behalf of Conservative Judaism, her synagogue, the Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva of Harrisburg, and her community, in 1995 Joanie received the Second Century Award from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In addition, last April, the local Jewish Community honored her as a Community Mitzvah Hero.
For the last five years, all the immediate family got together in August for a weekend. At the end of the weekend, the seven oldest grandchildren stayed for a week of "Grandma Camp". During the ensuing week the days were filled with amusement parks, swimming, museums, shows and factory tours. The true purpose of the camp was to make sure that the cousins got to really know each other.
Funeral services were held Monday, with Rabbi Eric Cytryn officiating, my borther John, sister Ann, Aunt Jery and my mom's friend Pat Taksen delivering moving eulogies. Rabby Jeffry Wohlberg spoke beautifully of her as well.
Contributions may be made to the Rabbi David L. Silver, Yeshiva Academy or the Dauphin County Library System, Attn: Joan Y. Leopold, Endowment Fund, 101 Walnut Street Harrisburg, PA 17101.
Published in the Patriot-News on 2/4/2006.
My brother david put together the following:
JOAN LEOPOLD 1941 – 2006 Joan Leopold, who for more than four decades was a force in mental health in Pennsylvania, a tireless advocate for literacy, and a significant member of the Harrisburg Jewish community, died in her sleep Friday morning, according to her husband, Sandy Leopold, the result of complications from genetic lung cancer. She was diagnosed in March 2004.
Leopold worked as a teacher and administrator for more than thirty years at the Harrisburg State Hospital, where she instituted a wide range of programs covering everything from patient voting to a daycare center for the children of hospital employees.
Leopold was a pioneer in the use of newspapers in the classroom, and was named to Newspaper in Education Hall of Fame. She helped save thousands of artifacts from destruction that told the history of the more than century old hospital, once a self-contained “city on the hill.” Leopold and the newly formed Historical Committee went on to found the award winning Dorthea Dix Museum on the grounds of the hospital. The Dix Museum used the history of the Harrisburg State Hospital to tell the story of mental health in Pennsylvania. With the Hospital’s closing at the end of 2005, the objects in the collection were integrated into the State Museum’s holdings.
Leopold, a life long resident of Dauphin County, served on the board of the County’s Library for two decades, as well as on the board of the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, and the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE). For PAACE, she was an executive director and past president, and had lead the planning and hosting of the state wide organization’s annual midwinter conference for more than 25 years. The organization’s board voted in December to change the name of the PAACE Service Award to the Joan Y. Leopold Award for Service to PAACE. Through an endowment begun by Leopold’s family, the Dauphin County Library has announced that their annual Children’s Book Week will be renamed in Joan Leopold’s honor. “A tireless advocate for both child and adult literacy, Joan believed that reading opens a world of education and imagination,” said a Library spokesperson. “It lives on in her family, students, and all those she touched through her efforts."
A life long member of the Harrisburg Jewish community, she attended the Yeshiva Academy, a Jewish day school her father, Irving Yaverbaum helped found, and would eventually teach there. She sent her five children there, and eventually became board president. She sat on the board of Temple Beth El where she was a member for five decades, and served in different capacities for Saturday services. “She lived her Judaism,” said her son John. Leopold attended morning minyan nearly everyday for more than 25 years, prepared the temple’s confirmation class each year for their ceremony, and joined the Chevra Kadisha that prepares bodies for Jewish burial. “She said that she wanted to do this,” said John, “as her way of showing final respect for the community members that supported her throughout her life.”
Born in Harrisburg on January 25, 1941 to Irving and Esther Yaverbaum, Joan Leopold was the third of four daughters. A graduate of Harrisburg High School, she was part of a radio show called Teen Town Talk, started by her older sister, Judy, which featured events at the local schools. She met her future husband, Marx S. Leopold from Elkins Park, at 15 on a blind date. At 20, she graduated Dickinson College in only three years in order to get married. She had five children by the age of 26. As a young mother, she found time to be part of the National Council of Jewish Women, dedicated to preventing discrimination. She made numerous appearances at schools presenting “The Green Circle” which memorably illustrated to children the ideas of acceptance and tolerance.
For her 12 grandchildren, Leopold and her husband began a weeklong “Grandma Camp” where they took their charges to pretzel factories, children’s theater, and swimming pools “because she wanted to make sure that her grandchildren enjoyed each other’s company,” explained John, “as much as she enjoyed theirs.”
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