Selma (Sondik) Squires

Selma Sondik Squires, 97, of Bloomfield, formerly of West Hartford and Palm Beach Gardens, FL, died peacefully on August 23, 2023.

Selma was born in Hartford on November 20, 1925, the youngest child of Dora and Philip Sondik. She graduated from Weaver High School and the University of Vermont.

She married Arnold Squires in 1949, and together they raised their three daughters, Abby, Emily and Lizbeth. She and Arnie maintained a strong bond with her siblings, Leon and Ethel Sondik and Helen and Lew Chernoff. The three families, including eight children, gathered for weekly Sunday night dinners. The extended Sondik family, which now numbers more than 50, continues to gather for simchas, including the annual Sondik Thanksgiving/Hanukkah party. The family enjoys spending time together at the Neptune Park house in New London purchased by Dora and Philip in 1943.

After raising her daughters, Selma returned to school, earning an MPA from the University of Hartford, and became assistant director of ambulatory medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Selma also had a life-long love of art, and was a founder of the Beth El Temple art show in the 1960s. She was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party and was proud to share her progressive views.

She is survived by her children: Abby and Steve Perelman of West Palm Beach, FL and Nantucket, MA, Emily Squires and Ron Levine of Philadelphia, and Lizbeth and Larry Pollack of Farmington. She adored her six grandchildren: Jeremy Perelman (Leslie) of Scarsdale, NY, Jonathan Perelman (Alexandra Lyon) of Los Angeles, Anna Levine (Eytan Kurshan) of Brooklyn, Philip Levine of Los Angeles, Marney Pollack (Timothy Dzialo) of Nashville, and Benjamin Pollack (Caitlin Reeves) of Brooklyn; seven great-grandsons: Jackson, William, Gunner, Archer, and Cooper Perelman, and Kai and Remy Kurshan; and many nieces and nephews. She also maintained a treasured connection with Vergie Canty, an integral member of the Squires family.

Her family wishes to thank the entire staff at Seabury, especially Evette, and the compassionate caregivers from Always There Home Care, including Helen, Lena, and Gifty, who helped make Selma comfortable in her final years.

Contributions may be made to Planned Parenthood and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Graveside services will be held at 9:45 am Sunday, August 27 at Beth El Cemetery, 51 Jackson Street, Avon. Following the burial, family and friends will gather at 38 Indian Hill Road, Farmington. At the same location, shiva will be observed Sunday and Monday from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

Contributions may be made to Planned Parenthood and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Following the burial, family and friends will gather at 38 Indian Hill Road, Farmington. At the same location, shiva will be observed Sunday and Monday from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.