Devora Beatrice Kappel

Devora Beatrice Kappel passed away peacefully in Brewster, MA on January 1, 2026, at the age of 97, where she lived close to her daughter, Mindy Wright. She was born May 12, 1928 in Brooklyn, NY, the daughter of Morris Fox and Celia Zimmerman Fox.

Devora treated everyone with kindness and loved to spend time with family and friends. She was active and social, enjoying restaurants, art, Mahjong, and RV camping. When at home she enjoyed word games and mystery novels.

She had a full life enjoying a marriage of nearly 50 years with her beloved husband, Jerome Kappel, and raised three children, Robert Kappel, Mindy Wright and Cary Kappel, to whom she was devoted, and they to her. After attending Cooper Union college in Manhattan, NY in her early years, she continued her college education by attending night classes for more than 10 years and earned a B.A. degree from Queens College of the City University of New York in l972, with a major in Early Childhood Education and minor in Fine Art. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Education in 1976, also at Queens College.

During these years she raised her three children, was an active volunteer giving her time and talent to the Sisterhood at the Little Neck Jewish Center in Little Neck, NY, and taught Jewish history in Sunday school. She also enjoyed being a Den Mother to the local Cub Scout pack in Little Neck where she used her artistic talent to involve her cubs in creating interesting crafts projects. She later served as Director of the Nursery School at Temple Beth El in Great Neck, NY.

After her husband Jerome retired, Devora worked as a travel agent where she discovered her love for traveling. The family began with camping in a pop-up trailer, graduating to an RV motor home where she and Jerome traveled across the country many times on their own and for years as part of the Rolling JACS, a group of friends who also enjoyed to travel. She also visited many countries including China and other countries in Asia, and Costa Rica, and often said her favorite country was Bali.

During this time she was also an accomplished painter known for large abstract acrylic paintings, though she also worked in other media including oil paint, water color, fabric and wood cuts. Wherever she lived she filled her home with her colorful and interesting artwork. She passed on her love of art to her daughter Mindy.

She and her husband, and later by herself, were snowbirds living in the NY towns of Manorville, Oceanside and New Paltz during the warmer months and then escaping to the Florida towns of Fort Lauderdale and Delray Beach during the winter months.

She is survived by her three children, grandchildren Drew Wright and Matthew Wright, and nephews on her sister's side of Mitchell Allen and Dov Allen, and on her husband's side her nephew Martin Levine and niece Sandy O'Boyle. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Jerome, and earlier by her sister, Rhoda Allen, to whom she was close and was dearly missed.

Devora was very close to her grandchildren, Drew and Matthew, and often expressed how much she loved them, and how proud she was of them. It was a joy for her when they visited or called her, and she was always avidly interested in all they were doing.

A service to celebrate her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at Nickerson Funeral Home, 77 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans, MA. There was a private burial at New Montefiore Cemetery in NY.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to a charity of your choice.