Lorraine Claire Mednik Stiffelman, beloved daughter of Della and Maury Mednik, Lorraine passed peacefully at 103.
Born Lorraine Claire Mednik in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 5, 1921, she attended Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans, Louisiana, and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. She lived in Kansas City after her marriage to Lester Stiffelman, her devoted husband.
Everybody loved Lorraine. Growing up a shy girl, she overcame her shyness to hold so many positions of service in the community. Her long, rich life made for a long resumé. Even a partial list is encyclopedic — they included:
Past president of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah (the first woman to hold that position); former president of Temple Sisterhood; former vice president of National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods (now called Women of Reform Judaism); past vice-president of District #20 National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods; former member of the Board of Trustees of the Union of American Congregations; member of North American Board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism; member of Women’s Division Board of Jewish Federation and Yad b’Yad Committee; former vice president of Women’s Division; founding chairman of Jewish Family Commission; former member of Federation Board of Trustees.
Additionally, she served on Advisory Boards of the National Conference of Community and Justice and the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee; and was a past board member of Jewish Vocational Services, Jewish Education Council and Hadassah. She also served as a former member of the board of National Council of Jewish Women and producer and director of its “Entertainmobile” for 15 years, performing at nursing homes throughout the area.
She was also a former member of the board of Family and Children’s Services of Greater Kansas City and chairman of its Plays for Living program; former board member and secretary of the Museum Without Walls; recipient of awards from Voluntary Action Center and the Whitney M. Young Urban League Guild; docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and member of the Society of Fellows of the Nelson Gallery.
She is survived by her three children: Neal and his wife, Ellen Modell; Gary Scott Stiffelman and his wife, Carmen Stiffelman; and Susan Stiffelman and her husband, Paul Stanton; and by her grandchildren: Naomi Stiffelman and her husband, Ivan Schneider; Bess Stiffelman; and Oscar Stiffelman and his wife, Kamila Dmowska, and their son, Henri; Ethan Stiffelman; Lyssa Stiffelman and her husband, Hadar Berkman; and Ari Andersen and his wife, Annie Steele.
Lester passed away in 1993. She moved to Los Angeles in 2013.
