Harriet Olinsky

Harriet was born on June 16, 1931, in Brooklyn, NY, and was the daughter of the late David and Fannie - also known as “Fay” - (Tanditnick) Aronstein.

She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and married Bernard (Bernie) Jack Olinsky, also of Brooklyn, NY on October 7, 1950.

They lived in East New York and had three children - Hope, Russell and Bruce - during the 1950s. Harriet was an avid Brooklyn Dodger fan but never forgave Walter O’Malley for moving the team to Los Angeles and became a NY Yankees fan instead.

They had a summer home in the Catskills and would often go to the “country” with friends Danny and Shirley Basevin. One evening, Harriet and Shirley heard banging on the roof and thought it was a bear. They went to investigate only to discover that apples had fallen on the roof from a nearby tree.

The family moved from Brooklyn to Richmond Hill, Queens, NY in 1960.

Harriet was primarily a homemaker, devoted to her family and loved sharing laughs with neighbors and friends, including Gloria Doddato and Theresa (“Tessie”) Castelli. Harriet was an avid bingo player, mah-jongg enthusiast and won several trophies for her proficient bowling.

She brought her three children to the NY World’s Fair in 1964 and 1965 multiple times, ensuring they would remember it for the rest of their lives.

She voluntarily hosted the first known racially integrated cub scout group as “den mother” in Richmond Hill, NY.

She loved animals and her home included, at various times, dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, fish, turtles, lizards, and even an injured seagull kept overnight and delivered safely to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

She made time to assist Bernie as receptionist in his TV/radio repair business in Kew Gardens, NY during the 1960s and 1970s. She also worked at the Bank of NY in downtown Manhattan during the 1980s.

After Bernie passed away on March 13, 2001, Harriet moved to Concord, NH to be closer to her son Bruce and his wife Janet.

She taught herself how to knit and made heirloom-quality afghans and sweaters for her children and daughter-in-law and cheerfully offered to teach others.

She moved to Horseshoe Pond Place in Concord, NH April 2003, her last residence. Harriet had acquired a massive collection of DVD movies, invited her neighbors over to watch, and shared her DVDs with the community for group viewings.

Most importantly, Harriet was a loving and giving soul who would always put others before herself and reach out to total strangers with acts of random kindness. She donated generously to various charities, especially those involving animals. She was well known and loved by her neighbors.

Surviving family members include brother Manuel Aronstein of Las Vegas, NV, daughter Hope Olinsky of Rocky Point, and sons Russell B. Olinsky of Scottsdale, AZ and Bruce Olinsky and his wife Janet of Pembroke, NH, Janet’s sister Cynthia and her husband Robert Carollo of Spring Hill, FL, nephews Marvin Malasky and his wife Lynne of Granbury, TX, and Bruce Malasky and his wife Kathy of Kailua-Kona, HI, Howard and Marc Aronstein and his wife Susan of Plainfield, IL, and nieces Amy (Aronstein) Niedert of Las Vegas, NV and Beth (Aronstein) Marotta of Las Vegas, NV.

Predeceased relatives include brother-in-law Sol Malasky and his wife Miriam (Olinsky) Malasky of Long Beach, CA and sister-in-law Gertrude Aronstein and nephew Joel Aronstein of Las Vegas, NV.

Surviving former neighbors include the extremely supportive Cheryl Correlus (an “angel”) of Concord, NH and dearest friend Noriel Waterman of Boscawen, NH.

Funeral arrangements were made by Bennett Funeral Home and burial at Blossom Hill Cemetery in Concord, NH. Graveside gatherings will be private.

The family wishes to thank the various staff members of both the Merrimack County Nursing Home and Granite VNA Hospice Service for their kind and thoughtful support.

A celebration of life ceremony was scheduled November 16, 2025 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST in Horseshoe Pond Place at 28 Commercial St in Concord, NH.

Please consider donations in Harriet’s memory to the New Hampshire SPCA, Granite VNA, or charity of your choice.