Shirley Granoff, beloved sister and aunt and treasured friend, was born almost exactly 92 years ago in New Haven on Dec. 25, 1921.. She was raised by her beloved parents Benjamin and Rose with her sisters Ida and Anne.. She graduated from Commercial High School and over the course of her career worked for several retailers, J. J. Johnson Men’s Clothing that became Kennedy’s and she worked for Savitt Jewelers.

The biggest part of Shirley’s life was her marriage of 68 years to Lenny. What a wonderful devoted couple they were for every one of those years. There are many wonderful memories. Lenny and Shirley did a lot of wonderful traveling, to Israel, Hawaii, and Mexico, to California and Alaska.
They loved going to the beach, loved their cottage at East Haven at Silver Sands and there is a priceless picture of the four brothers standing behind the four wives sitting like queens on beach chairs.

Lenny and Shirley have been devoted members of our shul Temple Beth Sholom and for many years they came every Friday night without fail, no matter the weather or anything else.

They were married 68 years, in joy and sorrow in health and in sickness. During Lenny’s last nine years at the Arden House, and for a long time before that as he was failing at home, Shirley was beyond belief. None of us want to get sick, and none of us want to go through all of the things that Lenny went through. But if you have to go through these kinds of things, I hope you have someone half as kind and good and sensitive and patient as Shirley was to Lenny. She was his world.

On this sad day, we want to remember and thank some of the other members of Lenny and Shirley’s family. She always had wonderful relationships with
Ida and Anne and their children and grandchildren.

Anne has been a great support to Shirley. I remember how when Lenny was at the Arden House, Ida was there visiting every time I turned around.
She lived for the last seven years at the Towers. She was very involved in all the activities, card games, Bingo, movies, and regular attendance at services.
And I have to say that it has been a special pleasure to see Shirley and Anne together at the Towers in these last years, almost like a circle coming round. To see the two sisters together, as close or closer than they had ever been, was a great comfort.

Richard and Vicki and their kids Jamie and Toby. Richard & Vicki Horowitz, not just during Lenny and Shirley’s illnesses, but always, have been as dedicated to Lenny & Shirley as any son or daughter could have been. They were there in good times and bad, but it was in the bad times that they were invaluable beyond words and were a great source of concrete and emotional help. I don’t know how to thank Richard and Vicky except to say that they are very special people. Over the course of these years, it was interesting to hear Shirley talk about them. She would praise them in gratitude with an expression on her face and a tone of voice that I wish I could imitate.

She was a righteous woman. May she rest in peace. Let us say Amen.