Dr. Herbert Felsenfeld

Herbert Felsenfeld, M.D., Ph.D. of Stamford, CT, formerly of West Hartford, CT, passed away peacefully in the early hours of January 19, 2025, a few months shy of age 95.  He was born in The Bronx, NY to Joseph and May (Klein) Felsenfeld.  He graduated from Bronx High School of Science and then enrolled at Columbia University College of Pharmacy where he earned his B.S.  He continued at Columbia University earning his M.S. in Microbiology.  From Columbia, he moved to New Haven, CT where he earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology at Yale University.  After earning his Ph.D., Herbert joined the Commissioned Officer Corps of the Public Health Service of the U.S. Navy.  He served as a Lt. Commander at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, doing research at the National Institute of Arthritis & Metabolic Diseases.  He returned to Yale University where he earned his M.D.  He remained at Yale where he taught Pharmacology & Toxicology before joining the founding faculty at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology.  He left UConn to do a residency in Pediatrics at both St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, CT and at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, ultimately serving as Chief Resident in the Department of Pediatrics at UConn.  He was in private practice for 2 years as a pediatrician before joining The Travelers Insurance Company, first as the Associate Medical Director and then as Medical Director.  Throughout his medical career he continued to work as a physician in the Emergency Department at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.  He was a lifelong Yankees fan, having attended his first game when Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio were on the roster.  He was an avid philatelist, loved a good New York deli, enjoyed the opera and had a great sense of humor (although he was a man of few words). He was also a long time member of Congregation Tikvoh Chadoshoh.  Despite his many educational and professional accomplishments, Herbert was most proud of his family.  He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 40 years Rita Ackerman Felsenfeld.  He is survived by his devoted family, his daughter Marguerite Felsenfeld, her husband Steven and their children, his daughter Sally Potter, her husband Jonathan and their children.  He is also survived by his brother Irving Felsenfeld, his wife Pearl and their children and grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Ursula Marx. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Congregation Beth El, 109 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT, The Conservative Synagogue, 30 Hillspoint Road, Westport, CT, the Rita Felsenfeld Scholarship Fund at Solomon Schechter Day School, 26 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford, or the Rita Felsenfeld Fund for Basic Needs of the Jewish Children’s Service Organization (JCSO), P.O. Box 370386, Bishops Corner Branch, West Hartford, CT 06137-0386.

A funeral service is Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 11:00am at Weinstein Mortuary, 640 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT followed by burial at Beth El Temple Cemetery, Jackson Road, Avon, CT.

For anyone who is unable to attend, please visit this Zoom link to watch services: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/88248020153?pwd=ZOnfbIRWrrOdBaHrH1Kbg2GANkCB6L.1