Elizabeth H. Farquhar

Clarksburg, MD -- Elizabeth Heritage Farquhar, known as Robin, 86, died during a peaceful nap on January 1st, 2026 at Catherine’s House in Clarksburg, MD, after a long struggle with Parkinsons disease.

Born January 17. 1939, she was the daughter of Paul and Mary (Bell) Heritage. Robin was raised with three siblings in the heart of an old Quaker family, on a lane behind the Mullica Hill (NJ) Friends Meeting.

Robin graduated from Glassboro (NJ) High School in 1957, where she played clarinet in the marching band, and from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC in 1961, where she sang in the chorus and studied Greek and Latin.

She later earned a law degree from George Washington University in 1972 and practiced estate and family law with her partner, David Ortman, in Washington, DC.

Faith was central to Robin’s life. She practiced Quakerism before converting to Judaism, which she had said “was her home.”

Robin enjoyed being active in her Jewish community, centered around Temple Sinai in Washington, DC. She applied her considerable intelligence and determination to learning and faithfully keeping Jewish laws and customs, together with her second husband, David, who was a Jew. She learned Hebrew and served as a para-rabbinic, a person qualified to stand in for a Rabbi in leading some rituals.

Robin and David divided their time between Washington DC and their “farm,” land that has since become part of Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, MD. They travelled extensively, making several trips to Israel as well as to China, Europe, and the Arctic. They visited Aruba in January every year.

After David died in 1999, Robin continued to study Hebrew at the Virginia Theological Seminary, where she made new, dear friends among the faculty, and initiated the tradition of an annual Seder, to introduce the seminary students to a bit of Judaism. In recent years, Robin also became a member of Or Chadash in Damascus, MD.

Robin is survived by two siblings: Margaret Perryman (Bill Benton) of Mays Landing, NJ and Jonathan Heritage (Alice Evans) of Eugene, OR. Their brother, Benjamin Heritage, died many years ago, at age 19.

She is also survived by her first husband, Norman Farquhar of New Philadelphia, OH, and son, James Farquhar (Lucy Nichols) of Greenfield, NH and grandson, Benjamin Nichols-Farquhar of Somerville, MA.

Robin is also survived by her stepchildren Jonathan Ortman (Deena) of Merrick, NY, Ethan Ortman (Becky Gramlich) of Columbus, OH, and Amie Rose (Gordon Lee) of Portland, OR and step-grandchildren Jason Ortman of Tarrytown, NY and Jeremy Ortman (Stephen Sosnowski) of South Orange New Jersey and Aaron Hall and Camille Hall of Portland, OR and five step great-grandchildren.

If you would like to honor Robin’s life, she would tell you to “live your best life with whatever hand you’ve been dealt” and “be kind and respectful to others, including those you see as different than you.”

A public service will be held Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 10 am at the Judean Memorial Gardens Chapel in Olney, MD followed by a burial directly afterwards. Congregation Or Chadash of Damascus, MD will host Shiva by Zoom on Wednesday, January 14 at 6 pm.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at https://www.parkinson.org.