Madeline Dinoffer

Madeline Dinoffer was the oldest of two children born to Samuel and Esther Dratch in the Bronx, New York. As a child during the Great Depression, she would share stories from that time in history. Just one example was her mother inviting the homeless to meals at their table, although they had little for themselves. This helped lay the foundation for the generous and charitable person that she became. At 18, she met her lifelong husband-to-be Harold Dinoffer, with whom she was destined to share more than 70 years of her life until his passing in 2014. During World War II, "Matty" was an Air Raid Warden and also performed secretarial work for the military effort both in New York and in Georgia where her husband was stationed. After the war, they returned to settle in New York and had their first daughter Barbara in 1945, their second daughter Miriam in 1949, and their son Joseph in 1953. Always very active and energetic, Matty worked as a legal secretary when the children went to school and was also the president of the local chapter of the American Cancer Society in White Plains. During all this time, she was a pet lover, became passionate about playing tennis, and over years of competitive bridge became an International Life Master. On the political front, she was far from neutral. She was active in the 1960's with the Women's Strike for Peace and marched on Washington in 1969 to protest the war in Vietnam. She also supported her husband's luggage stores in New York City by learning Italian to assist with the import branch of his business. Later, Harold and Matty moved to Savannah, Georgia where they opened two luggage stores and Matty initially managed the handbag section of both shops. Simultaneously, she volunteered to manage the gift shop in the oldest synagogue in the United States in Savannah where she lived and worshipped for more than two decades. Matty also had a thirst for travel and a passion to experience the world. Together she and her husband traveled extensively to China, Japan, Scandinavia, Israel, throughout Europe, and much more. The lifelong couple retired to Sarasota in 2005. To say Matty Dinoffer led a full life would be an understatement. She had a genuine appetite for learning and experiencing the world around her. She was dearly loved and will be missed by many. Matty is survived by her three children, Barbara, Miriam, and Joseph; four grandchildren, John, Ellen, Michelle, and Kalindi; and 2 great grandchildren, Cory and Samantha.

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Madeline Dinoffer

July 16, 1922 - March 29, 2016