Barbara Epstein Obituary

Barbara Ann Fievish Epstein, 91, Barbara was known as Barb, Barbara Ann, Barbie, Mom, and Mom Mom.
She is survived by her daughter, Betsy Grady, son, Eric Epstein, and her grandchildren Gabriela Rodriguez Epstein, Luke Grady, and Nick Grady, and her caregiver, Grace Katayi.
Relatives who have preceded her in death include: her parents Emanuel and Edith Fievish, her brother Eugene, her aunts from Market Street: Ann Lane Pearlman, Rebecca Kramer and Sarah Lane, as well as her Aunt Margaret and Uncle Harry Lane, Cousin Jerry Pearlman, and Cousin Sean Pearlman.
Barbara was also preceded by both of her husbands: Sheldon Epstein and Albert Hursh.
Of course, the friends who went before her are too numerous to list.
About her life: Barbara graduated from William Penn High School in 1951, and she attended Rider College.
She met her first husband, Sheldon Epstein, at a Jewish fraternity party in college. Barbara married Sheldon and they lived on North Fifth Street with her brother, father, and son.
She went on to work for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a secretary, followed later by a long stint as a saleswoman for Lemoyne Sleeper Company beginning in the 1970s until the mid-1990s.
On top of that, Barbara ran the family home on North Fifth Street in Harrisburg from 1957 to 1965, and the new house on 3930 Dora Drive in Lower Paxton Township from 1965-2022. The homestead included her brother, father, husbands, and children. Her brother, Uncle Gene, owned and operated A. Lane Furniture which was founded in 1926.
Albert Hursh, her second husband, was a welcomed late arrival to her life. He was a wonderful, caring, and gentle human being. They enjoyed each other's company immensely.
Barbara is hard to describe and she explained, "I was self-educated in cultural awareness." She was bold, disarming, impetuous, loving, non-judgmental, off-the-cuff, and unique.
She was an avid bridge and mahjong player, enjoyed bus trips, loved the Pops in the summer, had season tickets to the symphony, and was comfortable and happy in the theater, thrift stores, traveling, and just going out for daily explorations and excursions.
Barbara was a staple of the Jewish community here in Harrisburg: she was a member Chisuk Emuna and the Havara Group at Beth El Synagogue. She volunteered at the Aurora Club and the Jewish Home, and visited countless members of the community who were ill or in need. She wrote inumerable anniversary, bar and bat mitzvah, birthday, get well, memorial, and thank you cards. She reached out to folks who were in need, and was generous to friends and strangers alike.
Barbara was a member of a Twelve Step Program as well as several spiritual and support groups. She adored the Sunshine Girls, her card playing groups, her religious friends, her fellow spiritual travelers, and her vacation buddies.
Though her most cherished and long-lasting friendship was with her brother, Gene; they were a unique brother-sister team.
She lived with him her entire life. The relationship will likely not be duplicated, and is testament to love unbroken for 82 years.
Barbara and her unique energy will be sorely missed in the community and beyond.
The pallbearers will be Alan Cohen, Bernie Epstein, Jimmy Guberman, Marty Isaacman, Bobby Tintner, and Mitchell Yoffee.
Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 3 P.M. at Kesher Israel Cemetery Chapel with Rabbi Ron Muroff officiating. Burial will follow in the cemetery.
Shiva will be observed at Chisuk Emuna Congregation. Services will be held on Wednesday 4-6 P.M., Thursday 3-6 P.M., Friday 11 A.M.-1 P.M., and Sunday and Monday from 3-6 P.M.
Donations can be made to Hadassah, 40 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, #800-928-0685 or a spiritual community of your choice. Or, keep the money, and buy something you don't need at a thrift shop- just like Barbara would do.