WILMINGTON — Frances “Fran” Weiss, 103 years young, passed away Tuesday, May 15, 2018. She was born in Newark, New Jersey and attended Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development from her children at age 40, her Master’s Degree in Life Studies at age 80 from her three grandchildren and a Doctorate in Living Well at age 100 from her great-grandchildren.
Fran was preceded in death by her husband, Sidney Weiss, in 2002. Sid and Fran were married for 59 years and lived in both West Orange, New Jersey, and Boca-Delray, Delray Beach, Florida.
Fran was also preceded in death by her parents, Max and Celia Brown Simon; and brother, Albert Simon of Livingston, New Jersey, and Delray Beach, Florida.
Fran is survived by her daughter, Lyne, and her husband, Steve Glaser, of Wilmington; and son, Barry, and his wife, Pam, of Wilmington; as well as three grandchildren, Lisa Goodkin, and her husband, Alan, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, Melanie Harris, and her husband, Rob Fraiman, of New York City and Mount Kisco, New York, and Brian Trachtenberg of Houston, Texas; and two step-grandies, Adam, and his wife, Sonda, of Charlotte, North Carolina, Stacie, and her husband, Louis, of Portland, Oregon. Fran enjoyed every minute spent with her family which also included her five great-grandchildren, Julia, Jack, Miles, Clara and Ruby; and five step-great-grandchildren; Samson, Alexander, Benjamin, Zoe and Tova.
Fran Weiss was known far and wide for her zest for life, her love of family and her commitment to Judaism. Her extended family, aunts,uncles and cousins, were a tight-knit group to the end. She embraced her husband’s family of three brothers and one, sister as though they were her own. Fran was active in organizations such as ORT, the world’s largest Jewish Education and Vocational Training organization. She was the first president of a branch of Hadassah in Hillside, New Jersey, and continued her philanthropic work until age 91. Fran had a lengthy career in the retail industry, ending with 25 years at Saks Fifth Avenue in Millburn, New Jersey.
She was a master bridge player, participating in tournaments throughout New Jersey and Florida. An avid reader, swimmer, dancer and crossword aficionado, Fran had a full and joyous life. She knew how to live and live well. She had a contagious smile and a gift of making others feel like they were the only ones in the room. She developed strong relationships with her grandchildren and great-grandies, far beyond the typical role. Probably her greatest asset was the ability to reinvent her life, over and again. She moved frequently in later years from New Jersey to Florida to North Carolina and established friends and roots wherever she landed, no matter her age. Fran Weiss will be missed by the many whose lives she touched.
A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m., Friday, May 18, at the B’nai Israel Synagogue, 2601 Chestnut St., Wilmington. Rabbi Julie Kozlow will officiate services. Interment will follow in the B’nai Israel Hebrew Cemetery, 307 N. 18th St., Wilmington. A light supper will follow the interment at B’nai Israel Synagogue.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations made to the B’nai Israel Cemetery Fund would be greatly appreciated.
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