Debra (Varble) Goldstein

Debra Kay Goldstein, 68 of West Hartford, passed away on Wednesday, January 27, 2021. Born in Madison, IN, she was the daughter of the late Duard and Cecile Varble. She is predeceased by brother William Varble. She leaves a husband, Richard H. Goldstein; two daughters, Katie and Sarah Goldstein; son-in-law, Patrick O’Leary and future son-in-law, Leon Averbukh; a sister, Betty Konkle; and numerous friends. Debra graduated from University of Hartford with a degree in Psychology, and from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with her MBA. Debra went on to work for nearly all of the insurance companies in the Hartford area, rising to be a Project Management Ebusiness Manager, overseeing numerous technology initiatives at CIGNA. She retired from her 40-year career in the insurance industry in 2020, after being diagnosed with cancer in 2018. Although cancer changed her trajectory, Debra never let cancer hold her back and continued to participate in all the activities that she loved: yoga at the JCC, her cherished book club (even if she didn’t always like the book they were reading), spending time with her close friends, going on walks, basking in the sun on the boat, reminding her husband he needed to water her vegetable garden, and spending as much time as possible with family. Debra made everyone around her feel special. She lit up any room she entered and loved talking to anyone. She made friends with perfect strangers and left them feeling light and happy. Her smile was gorgeous and contagious. She was an amazing wife and mom, always pushing her husband and daughters to be the best version of themselves, to carry themselves through life with grace, independence and strength. Throughout her life, Debra epitomized strength, courage, compassion and understanding. She also possessed a superior sense of self-control when it came to candy, baffling her family by eating only one peanut M&M per day. Family was the most important, but she also cultivated an amazing career, an army of friends, numerous hobbies and a rosemary plant that just won’t quit growing. Her legacy set a high bar, but one that we will strive to achieve. We will continue to make her proud and live as she wanted us to – to the fullest each day, not taking anything for granted. We were so lucky to have her and will always be so grateful for the time we shared with her.

Funeral services were held in the Beth El Temple Cemetery, Avon on Sunday, January 31. Rabbi James Rosen officiated. Memorial contributions may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/Debra_K_Goldstein. For further information, or to share memories of Debra with her family, please visit her family online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/Debra_K_Goldstein.