Thais L. Ashkenas

     Thais L. Ashkenas, a resident of the area for most of her life, died Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at Glen Arden in Goshen, NY. She was 95 years of age.

    The daughter of the late Isaac and Shima Levberg, she was born on October 14, 1922 in Batumi, Russia.

    Both parents were physicians in the Russian army where her father contracted typhus and died before she was born. Her mother brought her to the US when she was 1 ½ and they lived with her sisters in Brooklyn.  Her mother soon settled in Monticello, NY where she practiced medicine.  She met and married Solomon Berkowsky in November of 1933 and the 3 moved to Middletown where Thais spent the rest of her life.

     Thais graduated from Middletown High School in 1940 and received a BS in nursing from the University of Rochester in 1945. She continued her education over the course of many years at Teachers College, Columbia University. She received her MA in 1962 in Teaching and Administration of Associate Degree Programs in Nursing. In 1969 she earned her Ed.M in Administration and Teaching in Higher Education Programs in Nursing  and  finally the Ed.D  in 1972.

     She was a lifelong member of Temple Sinai, and past president of their Sisterhood who honored her as Woman of the Year in 1994-95. Thais was a life member and board member of Hadassah, and past president of the Women’s University Club.

After various nursing positions, she became a professor of nursing at SUNY Orange in 1958 where she taught for 26 years.  Among her professional accomplishments, she was a past president of the American Nurses Association, and an accreditation visitor for the National League of Nursing. Thais was also a test writer and evaluator for the Regents External Degree of Nursing.  She wrote the feasibility study for the establishment of the nursing program at SUNY New Paltz which was approved, opened, and later closed. 

Thais was a member of the Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society and the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society in Education.

     After retirement, she and her late husband Manny, whom she married in 1947, spent their winters in Scottsdale, Arizona.  There she enjoyed playing mahjong, bridge, rummykub , and scrabble, and was a formidable opponent.  She and Manny travelled extensively from Europe to Asia, Australia to Africa, and throughout the United States and parts of South America.

Thais was an avid reader and participated in several book clubs.  She decorated her home and others’ with her meticulous needlepoint pillows, benches, and pictures.  She could not be interrupted any weeknight, between 7-7:30, when she would be watching Jeopardy on television to test her knowledge.

     Thais is predeceased by her husband Manny (2007) and survived by 2 daughters, Nada Adler of Sandy Hook, CT and Hedda Maleh (Edward Maleh) of Millburn, NJ. Four grandchildren, Leah Adler (Stu Epstein), Fred Adler (Fe), Simeon Maleh, and Jordan Maleh(Barb Steffen), and 2 great grandchildren.

    Thais enjoyed her years at Glen Arden and participated in many of the activities and cherished the friends she made there.

     Graveside services will be held 1 PM Thursday, October 26th at Temple Sinai Cemetery, Route 302, Circleville, NY. Rabbi Marcus Rubenstein will officiate.

    Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Sinai, 75 Highland Ave., Middletown, NY or to the Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinsons.org

     Arrangements have been entrusted to the Cornelius, Dodd & Connell Funeral Home, Middletown, NY. 

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