Esteruth Rumpler

She was born in Boston on July 25, 1937, the daughter of the late Abraham and Shirley (Epstein) Feldman. A graduate of Brookline High School, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1959. An accomplished weaver and painter, Esteruth continued her creative journey and went on to earn a second Bachelor’s degree from RISD in 1984, this time in Architecture. For more than thirty years she designed kitchens, working at Builders Kitchen Cabinets in Cranston, Barrington Kitchens, Coastal Kitchens in Bristol, and Kite Palmer architects in Providence. She also designed through her own business, In Your Space. A long-time resident of Barrington, she and Lenny were founding members of Temple Habonim in Barrington; it was their congregation for nearly sixty years.

Family was at the center of Esteruth’s life. As a child, she loved spending summers with her parents and brother at Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunkport, Maine. Later, she brought her own children there almost every year, and then her grandchildren. She was a keen traveler and the grand organizer of countless family holidays and celebrations. In quiet times, she was an avid bridge and spades player, Scrabble competitor, word puzzler, knitter, museum goer, and a voracious reader.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by four children: Leslie Feldman-Rumpler Gabbé and her husband David, of Brookline, MA; Katharine Gitlin and her husband Martin, of Westport, CT; John Rumpler and his wife Carol, of Brookline, MA; and Andrew Rumpler, of Brooklyn, NY. In addition, she is survived by her brother, Michael Feldman and his wife, Mary Beth, of Bowdoin, ME: and five grandchildren: Serena Rumpler, Hannah Gabbe, and Shira, Kayla, and Emily Gitlin, as well as a niece, Sarah Feldman, and two nephews, Daniel and Samuel Feldman. She was the mother of the late David Rumpler and the aunt of the late Rachel Feldman.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington, Rhode Island. Burial will follow at Sharon Memorial Park, Sharon, MA. Relatives and friends are invited and those unable to attend may join via livestream at https://youtube.com/live/3T6dbwTfkmY

Shiva will be observed at the Rumpler Residence in Barrington on Wednesday, May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and Thursday, May 2 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

Most recently, Esteruth was involved in designing a new kitchen for Temple Habonim. Donations to the Temple Habonim Kitchen Project, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington, RI 02806, can be made in her memory.