Selma Paitchel, longtime resident of Livingston, passed peacefully on Monday, March 25, surrounded by family. Born April 1, 1927, Selma was the beloved daughter of the late Max D. Rosenthal and Ada Radel Rosenthal, the wife of the late Howard Paitchel and cherished sister of the late Harry Rosenthal and the late Jesse Rosenthal. She is survived by her children, Roni Denholtz (Jeff), Robert Paitchel (Amy), and Debra Paitchel (Josh Klein). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Amy Denholtz Lewandowski (Jason), Joshua Denholtz (Carlee), Conner Klein, Arielle Klein, and Natalie Paitchel, and a great granddaughter, Melody.
Selma grew up in Manhattan, NY. She graduated from Washington High School at 16-years old before graduating Brooklyn College with a major in education. After marrying Howard, she moved to Boston for a short time, then back to Manhattan, Schenectady, NY, and Great Neck, NY, before settling in Livingston, NJ. Selma and Howard celebrated over 50 years of marriage and traveled throughout the United States and around the world together.
As a modern woman of her time, her career began at Saks 5th Avenue when she was a teenager. A skilled mathematician, Selma also worked as a statistical analyst at Chubb Insurance Corporation through the mid-80s. She was an involved congregant and a religious and Hebrew school teacher at Temple Emanu-El for many years, also teaching Hebrew at other synagogues, and a lifelong supporter of Israel.
Selma loved her family, including her grandchildren and great granddaughter, nieces and nephews, and cousins, as well as her many friends and (especially) her dogs. She was a serious mahjong and bridge player, and an avid New York Times crossword puzzle solver.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ (https://www.jfedgmw.org/) or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) (https://www.aspca.org/).
