Selma (Brown) Starr

Selma R. Starr, 96, of West Hartford, formerly of Bridgeport and Del Ray Beach, Fla, died peacefully on December 22, 2023. Selma was born in Ansonia, CT on April 18, 1927, the youngest child of Meyer and Ida Brown. After high school, she attended Bryant College for 2 years. She met her husband of 71 years, Joseph Starr on a blind date. Their December 1948 wedding was an adventure as it occurred in a blizzard and their honeymoon trip to Florida made it only as far as Stamford. After her marriage, she and Joe lived first in Bridgeport and then in Fairfield as she was concerned that her 5-year-old son was venturing out in traffic and wanted a more idyllic place to live. She was a stay-at-home mom, who had her hands full with sons Gary and Martin. She made friends easily and spent many good times with them. She and Joe travelled extensively once the boys were out of the house, going to Europe, Israel, the Caribbean, and Turkey as well as the west coast. She and Joe were snowbirds for many years, playing golf and tennis in Del Ray Beach, before moving there when Joe retired. Their life in Florida was very active as many of their close circle of friends from Connecticut retired in the same area. They also made many new friends so that they had a very active social life. After Joe’s 100th birthday party at which they danced and celebrated with friends and relatives from near and far, they moved to Summerwood in West Hartford. Following Joe’s death in June 2019, she appreciated living among the Summerwood community. The family would like to thank the team at Summerwood and the great attention she received from her aides from Care at Home by JFS Jennifer Robinson, Delva Brown, and Deneise Cole. She lived a full life and had a great smile to the very end. She is survived by her sons Gary Starr (Leigh Newman) and Martin Starr (Sandra), her grandchildren Joshua, Jessica (Alexi) Praskin, and Alexander Starr, and her great-grandsons Noah Robert Praskin and Asher Joseph Praskin.

Donations in her memory can be given to the Jewish Association for Community Living, 34 Jerome Ave, Bloomfield, CT, Jewish Family Services, 333 Bloomfield Ave, West Hartford, CT, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

The funeral service will be held at Weinstein’s Mortuary, 640 Farmington Ave, Hartford on December 26th at 1 pm with burial at the Beth El Cemetery, 51 Jackson Street, Avon, CT. For a zoom link for the funeral, please contact Weinstein Mortuary. A reception will follow at Beth El Temple West Hartford following internment through evening minyan at 5:30. The family will also be at Beth El Wednesday at 4:30 through the evening minyan.

Donations in her memory can be given to the Jewish Association for Community Living, 34 Jerome Ave, Bloomfield, CT, Jewish Family Services, 333 Bloomfield Ave, West Hartford, CT, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

A reception will follow at Beth El Temple West Hartford following internment through evening minyan at 5:30. The family will also be at Beth El Wednesday at 4:30 through the evening minyan.