Bernice Feinstein Sklar

Bernice Feinstein Sklar of Warwick, Rhode Island, passed away on May 24, 2025 at the Sunny View Nursing home.

On November 25, 1924, she was born to Rose and Louis Feinstein, in Manhattan, NY, the middle child between siblings Cal and Lucille. She attended Theodore Roosevelt High school taking classes in typing, steno, and bookkeeping. When she graduated at 18 years of age, she went to work as a secretary for a series of different firms in NYC for about 10 years until her son, Richard was born and she moved to Pennsylvania. Her daughter, Susan was born in Scranton in 1954.

In 1965, She started taking college classes at the University of Scranton-- one of the few older women who returned to school at that time.  She got an Associate Degree in religious studies and achieved the top honor that major. She went on to get her B.A. in sociology taking 1-2 classes at a time, and graduated in 1976.   

For several years, Berne worked as a teacher at the Scranton Jewish Community Center Nursery School and later at the Keystone School teaching special needs children.  She also worked part-time as a secretary at Temple Hesed for a number of years. When Bernice was 52 years old, with her new college degree in hand, she was hired as a manager at the Jewish Home of Scranton as its executive housekeeper. She supervised 20 women: purchased supplies, helped to create institution-wide systems, and oversaw laundry operations. She retired in 1999 at the age of 75. In addition, she taught religious school classes at Temple Hesed on the weekend for 40 years.   

In 2008, Bernice moved to Rhode Island to live near her daughter, and resided in the Shalom Senior Apartments in Warwick for 15 years.  She was a member of Temple Sinai in Warwick, and attended Torah study there for over a decade. In February of 2023, she moved into the Sunny View Nursing Home in Warwick, Rhode Island, where she passed away peacefully at the age of 100.

Berne is survived by her son, Richard and his wife Therese Sklar; grandson Adam Sklar; grandson Eric Sklar, his wife Breanne Brown and great grandchildren, Fiona and Keira; daughter Susan Sklar and her husband, Rink Dickinson, and granddaughter Savanna Dickinson Sklar. In addition, she is survived by nieces: Lyn Ofrane, Lee Casher, Cali Spohrer, Laurie Malcom, Jodi Malcom, and nephew, Roy Weinberg. 

The funeral will be held Wednesday, May 28th in the Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home, Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore, with services at 11 by Rabbi Daniel Swartz.  Interment to follow in Temple Hesed Cemetery, Dunmore.

Family and friends may pay their respects from 10 a.m. until the time of service in the funeral home.

Contributions may be made to Hope Hospice, 1085 N. Main St., Providence, RI  02906