Born in Dublin, Ireland, Elizabeth Guidiline Cohen on June 10th, 1937, or so her birth certificate says so. She came into this world cloaked with surprise and left it in much the same fashion. Over time she became known as Gwenie or Gwen. When she was an adult, she changed her name to Gwendolyn Elizabeth. It made more sense to her; not understanding why a first name never used should be her first name. She also changed her name to Gwen Goldman, and she died as Gwen Fehringer, loving wife and soul mate to John Fehringer. Her name mattered little and yet it mattered much. She was grateful that for her four children she was always “Mom.” She loved being “Mom.” “If only you lived closer.” “When am I going to have all my family in the same place at the same time?,” she would ask rhetorically. Well, you finally did it Mom. After much sacrifice, you have all of us in the same place at the same time with you.
Gwen spent her life quietly and unassumingly accomplishing all that she wanted. She was so bright, talented, and capable. The standard obituary, a sort of resume of the person’s accomplishments, does little to explain the essence of who Gwen Fehringer was. Perhaps most importantly, she was a very kind, caring, and loving member of her family which also included numerous cats, foxes, squirrels, and other creatures that she took upon herself to guide through life. These are the successes she cared most about; faithful, loyal, loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and animal whisperer.
What isn’t so well known are her other accomplishments, perhaps less known because she did not publicize them whatsoever. She spent almost a year in a hospital with her brother Sydney in Dublin in the 1940s and had to relearn how to walk after contracting every known communicable disease. Her mother died when she was 12 and uprooted her existence. She and Sydney were sent to England to unknown relatives. They were converted to Judiasm. Gwen found purpose and meaning in Habonim, a Jewish socialist youth movement. On October 31st, 1957 she and Sydney immigrated to America in steerage on the Queen Elizabeth. There was a storm at sea for the entire voyage. Sydney didn’t quite get enough of the experience and he repeats the voyage with some regularity much to Gwen’s dismay.
Her father taught her to read in Dublin. Beyond that education, she knew almost nothing of school. While bearing four kids in five years and raising those children, she obtained an HSED, a two-year college degree graduating summa cum laude, a four-year degree from George Mason University, graduating cum laude, a real estate license, an accounting degree, and helped her first husband’s business by performing all of the payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. She also taught herself how to invest in the stock market and became an independent investor eventually amassing her own small fortune which she managed daily from her faithful laptop.
Thankfully, she gave to each of her children the ability to quietly succeed with their life dreams without boasting. The boasting, if any she would surmise, came from their father Milt. The only boasting Gwen took part in involved cribbage. And, she played it enthusiastically. She sent all of her children to Habonim Camp Moshava in America and visited her grandchildren at Camp Tavor in Michigan. She treasured Habonim experiences and delighted in the way the movement shaped her, her children, and her grandchildren.
Gwen is survived by her husband John Fehringer, who was the love of her life, her never ending party, and her best friend; her four children Karen (Adam) Young of Kensington, Maryland; Joel; David (Bev) Goldman of Gardena, California, Lisa (Bruce) Goldman of Madison, Wisconsin; her grandchildren Taylor, Spencer, Hannah, Naomi, Katrina, Abby; her brothers Sydney (Ann) Roberts and Noel Cooney, her cats Newman and Thumper, her step-grandchildren Dylan and Tony and numerous relatives some known, some unknown. She is predeceased in death by her parents Isaac and Mary (née Fahy) Cohen, her brother Miney Cooney, her step-daughter Alexis Fehringer, and her grandson Riley Goldman. We presumed she is also predeceased by her biological father whom she impishly referred to as “Jack Fish.” With her pixie spirit she lived her life on her terms. With her unassuming disposition she died before her time, cloaked once more with surprise.
Gwen died while undergoing breast cancer treatment. Thankfully, she did not suffer like her mother did from the same disease 70 years earlier. A memorial service will be held at Hines Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, Maryland 20904, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 20, 2019. Burial will be held at Judean Memorial Gardens, 16225 Batchellors Forest Rd., Olney, Maryland 20832 beginning around 12:30 p.m. and immediately following the memorial service. At 2 pm there will be a “Gwen Fehringer Memorial Gathering” and a shiva minyan at 6 pm, both at Leisure World, 15101 Interlochen Drive, Ground Floor Party Room, Silver Spring, MD 20906. Gwen would have loved for you to celebrate her life by hugging your loved ones, feeding stray animals, laughing at anything really, and winning the lottery.
“Whiskey and soda for this lady by your side
One of these days you’ll make me your bride
It isn’t my fault that I turn a man’s head
All I’ve ever wanted was a good man to wed.”
From Rebel Lady, gwen e penny (a/k/a Gwen Fehringer), 2010.
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