DeNeal Feldman, 92, passed away on Nov. 26. DeNeal, known as Neal to his friends and family, was born on Feb. 12, 1931. A lifelong resident of Dayton, he attended Dayton Public Schools, graduating from Fairview White. He then attended The Ohio State University, where he met his beloved wife, Esther, and they became loyal Buckeye fans. He began working in the family business, Economy Linen, founded by his father, Harry Feldman, while still in high school and joined full time upon graduation from Ohio State. Together with his brother-in-law, Milton Moscowitz, they grew the business into a thriving company dedicated to its employees and customers. After several years, he was joined by his son, Bruce, and nephews, and ultimately, he had the great joy of welcoming his grandsons, Martin and Jason, into the business. Neal and Esther were blessed with a loving marriage for over 70 years. They were dedicated to their family, daughter, Lynn Foster, and son, Bruce Feldman (Debbie) and nothing made them happier than to spend time with their grandchildren, Erin (Jason), Martin, Amy (Gary), and Jason (Rachel); and great-grandchildren, Ava, Evelyn, Blake, Juliet and Chloe; as well as his nieces and nephews, Irvin (Gayle) Moscowitz, Alan (Myrnie) Moscowitz, Elaine (Marc) Tenzer, Roberta (Marvin) Galler, Ellen (Tom) Drake and their families. Neal was a champion and cheerleader for the City of Dayton. He was known and loved by many and had a kind word and smile for everyone. He truly never knew a stranger. He was active in the Dayton Jewish community and served on numerous committees over the years. He was a leader in the linen industry and served on the Board of Directors of the Textile Rental Service Association. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Sarah Feldman, and sister, Harriet Moscowitz. Interment was at Beth Jacob Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton, care of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton.

Esther Feldman, 90, was born in Rochester, N.Y., on Aug. 27, 1933 and passed away Dec. 13. Esther brought joy and warmth to all who knew her. She will be greatly missed but her legacy of love and strength will forever live in the hearts of her family and friends. She was kind and caring and took a genuine interest in everyone she met. Growing up in Rochester, Esther was part of a loving family. Her parents, Bess and Max Rockoff, and her sister, Sorelie, were an important part of her life. She was an outstanding student, graduating valedictorian of her high school class. The turning point in her life was when she decided to attend The Ohio State University where she met her true love, Neal. At age 19, she married and moved to Dayton where she focused on their home, children, family, and friends. While caring for her family was her priority, she was an active volunteer for many organizations including Hadassah, Jewish Federation, and Covenant House. Fulfilling a lifelong goal, Esther returned to college, attending Wright State University and in 1976 received her degree in social work. Esther and Neal were blessed with a loving marriage for over 70 years. They were dedicated to their family, children, Lynn Foster and Bruce (Debbie) Feldman, and nothing made them happier than to spend time with their grandchildren Erin (Jason) Voegtli, Martin Foster, Amy (Gary) Knopf, and Jason (Rachel) Feldman and great-grandchildren, Ava, Evelyn, Blake, Juliet and Chloe as well as their nieces and nephews, Irvin (Gayle) Moscowitz, Alan (Myrnie) Moscowitz, Elaine (Marc) Tenzer, Roberta (Marvin) Galler, Ellen (Tom) Drake and their families. She was preceded in death by her husband, DeNeal Feldman, parents, Max and Bess Rockoff, and sister, Sorelie Jaffe. Interment was at Beth Jacob Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton, care of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton.

To read the complete January 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.