We’re here today to mourn the passing but also to honor the life of Dori Stern, beloved wife, sister, mother and cherished friend. We are sad beyond words that we are here. But we want to say goodbye to Dori and appreciate and cherish her life.

Dori was born on May 15,1955 in Bridgeport to her parents Harold & Sylvia Dvorchik. She grew up with her brothers Robert and Bruce. If I can say to them: To lose your mother and your sister within a couple of months is beyond painful. Your mother passed away at a very advance age, but Dori should have had as long a life. Our sincere condolences go to you at this sad time.

We mourn today with Robert and Irene and Bruce and Sharon.

She was close to her aunts: Anne, Naomi and Estelle. We remember Anne today and offer our condolences to Naomi and Estelle.

She loved her whole family, including her nephews and nieces: Samuel and Jiffy, Blake, Pollo and Becca, Eli, and Ben and her great-nephews Jacob and Noah. 

On Dave’s side, there is Eric and Mary, who have been very close, and their family, Josh and Evelyn, Michael and Katie, and Stephanie, and now there’s Owen. 

Dori went to Trumbull and then UConn.  She worked as a Customer service representative at Circuitwise for over 10 year.

For 15 years, she has been very active in Dimolay. She became a registrar for Conclave and then many other events, including the golf tournament. In fact, she became the registrar for so many events that there is software based on her model that she developed. She always knew all the names of the Dimolay boys. She became the Welcome Wagon of the Lodge. She made everyone, the men, their wives and their children welcome. 

She was active with voting and I saw her many times at polling places working in registration for voters. 

She bought a clarinet in middle school and she still had the same one. She wasn’t so happy in marching band in high school but she joined the UConn marching band and had the time of her life. She was even the band librarian. Later she was in the Southern Ct Community Wind ensemble and in the Stratford community ensemble.

She was a great Israel dancer. She ran Israel Dancing of New Haven. They had a performing group Shalhevet that provided entertainment for meetings, dinners and festivals.

Until she got too sick, she worked out at HealthTracks all the time and made a lot of friends there.

For Ben, as a mother, she was always there. How can you even put this into words? Ben showed me a License plate, Tuba Taxi. Ben played the tuba and she was always schlepping him and his tuba and his friends and their trombones and trumpets. She was the tuba taxi and the band schlepper. I think this exemplifies her as a mother, doing everything she could for Ben. She loved him with all her heart.

Our hearts go to Ben, who loves his mother so much and thanks her for being such a caring and resourceful mother.

The day before she passed away, she had a great day. She was laughing and eating lots of chocolate. Dave was asking, “What do you want that’s chocolate?” and she drank Ensure and ate insomnia cookies. The Yale ICU was beyond great, but her medical problems were too severe and her body could not take it anymore.

Dave has been a wonderful husband, caring and devoted. They were married on March 6, 1983. He was supportive and patient. There was nothing that he did not do for her. Every minute of every day changes for Dave because of Dori’s passing. None of us have wisdom for Dave except to say what sounds like a cliché but is very true: One day at a time.

A year ago, we were on an Israel trip, Dori and Dave and Ben and Eric and Mary. We will always remember that trip. It just goes to show: If you’re thinking about doing something, do it now.

To Dave and Ben and Robert and Brice and the whole family, we offer our sincere condolences at this sad time. She was a righteous woman. May she rest in peace. Let us say Amen.