Rhoda (Williams) Maislen, 87 years of age, of West Hartford, widow of Dr. Irving Maislen, died Thursday, January 3, 2013. To know her was to love her. An artist as adept in oils as watercolors, in clay or in stone… A pianist who played a dreamy “Deep Purple” or a passionate Rachmaninoff prelude… A singer with a Broadway voice… A Scrabble master who loved nothing better than a tough double acrostic… She was all these things and yet they don’t capture her. She had a sharp wit and a wry laugh. And she was a wise mother who talked straight and lived the example she wanted to set. She was married for 63 years to Dr. Irving Maislen; for many years she worked by his side in his orthodontic practice and gave her time generously to many volunteer efforts. People were drawn to her humor, her warmth, and her gentle kindness. But perhaps the best way to understand her is to remember the words she had taped to her bedroom mirror for more than 60 years: There is a destiny that makes us brothers. No one goes his way alone. And that which we send to the lives of others Comes back into our own. She leaves her daughter Andrea, her son Alan and daughter-in-law Rita, granddaughter Alexis Zinkerman and grandson-in-law Robert, grand-dog Sadie and grand-cat Lila. She also leaves an enormous hole in the hearts of everyone who knew her. Please remember her through gifts to the American Cancer Society or any animal welfare organization. Arrangements entrusted to Weinstein Mortuary, Hartford. To sign the guest book for Rhoda, please visit online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com/funerals.cfm