Mrs. Esther 'Sandy' Dell
Active with cancer charities
Mrs. Esther 'Sandy' Dell, 87 years young, of Southbury CT, passed away peacefully on Thursday July 4, 2013 at Waterbury hospital.
Mrs. Dell was born on December 18, 1925 in Warsaw, Poland, and her family immigrated to Brooklyn New York when she was 9 months old. She was the youngest of three children born to Jonas and Eva Levner. She was predeceased by her older brother Seymour and her older sister Muriel with whom she was very close. She grew up and graduated high school in Bensonhurst, in Brooklyn. Sandy always loved music and singing and even sang alongside professional singers Vic Damone and Alan Dale. She continued to sing for many years for her family.
As a young woman she worked various jobs. After meeting her husband Oscar Dell following his return from service in WWII, they married and began a family. She raised her young family - children, Fern and Jeff - in Brooklyn and worked for many years as administrative staff at Brooklyn College.
In 1975, Sandy and husband Oscar, moved to Southbury CT, where Oscar's flooring business helped build Heritage Village. Sandy and her husband were well-travelled and spent their winters enjoying the beaches of Florida, and later spending time with their four grandchildren.
A long-time cancer survivor, she became very active in a variety of philanthropic causes, including most notably the American Cancer Society, Reach for Recovery, and Hospice Care. Her compassionate volunteer work and dedication to these many causes even resulted in her being honored by the Governor of Connecticut.
In her personal life she enjoyed exploring many aspects of culture, including the arts and theater, and was known as an avid reader. As a devoted mother and grandmother, she filled her life with family, friends, volunteer work, and travel, setting an example for her everyone who knew her on how to live an active and fulfilling life, always with a positive attitude.
She is survived by her daughter Fern Schwortz of Plainview, NY and her family - husband Jerry, and their two sons, Steven and Eric - as well as her son Jeff Dell of Danbury, CT and his family, wife Ellen, and his two daughters, Shari and Jennifer. She remained close with her former daughter-in-law Leslie Eskenazi and her husband Steve. She is also survived by her niece Barbara Afriat and her family in Israel.
Funeral services will be held at Noon on Friday July 5 at the Southbury Funeral Home of Munson-Lovetere 235 Main St. North. Burial will be in Wellwood Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY.

Memorials: Donations in memory of Sandy Dell can be made to the American Cancer Society, 825 Brook St., 1-91 Tech Center, Rocky Hill, CT 06067-3405.

Cemetery: Cemetery Not Applicable

Location: Munson-Lovetere Southbury

Services: A funeral service will be held Friday July 5th at noon at the Southbury Funeral Home of Munson-Lovetere, 235 Main St. North.