Charlotte Sandra Ellman

Charlotte (Popovits) Ellman, 88, died peacefully in hospice on Friday, October 2, 2026. She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Jesse Ellman, and her grandson, Evan Garfinkel, and is survived by her children and their spouses, Laurie and Matthew Garfinkel, David and Yanette Ellman, Linda and David Schwartz, Lisa and Scott Grunther, Robin and Jeffrey Zink, her grandchildren, Amanda and Andrew Garfinkel, Zachary and Lauren Ellman, Tyler Ellman and Kyle Kern, Alexander Ellman, Owen and Betsy Schwartz, and Amy and Benjamin Grunther, her great-grandchildren, Samantha and Halle Ellman, her sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Greg Gibbard, her partner, Michael Miller, and many close friends.

Born and raised in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, she met her husband Jesse while the two were working as summer camp counselors at Camp Leonard-Leonore. Charlotte graduated from Hunter College and became a teacher before raising her family in New City, NY. She worked in volunteer counseling for many years prior to helping run Jesse’s medical practice when her children got older.

She loved spending time in the Berkshires and Florida, enjoyed classical music at Tanglewood in the summers, and was passionate about family and friends. In her spare time, she enjoyed playing bridge, knitting blankets for her loved ones, taking classes on current affairs and politics, and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, and more recently looked forward to her daily FaceTime calls with her great-granddaughters.

She will be greatly missed by the many people whose lives she touched. Memorial contributions may be made to BSO | Days in the Arts (DARTS), a program at Tanglewood that introduces children to the power of music and the arts through a tuition-free camp program. Please use this link to make a donation and indicate it is in memory of Charlotte Ellman: http://give.bso.org/memorial

Funeral Service will be held at Temple Sholom of West Essex, 760 Pompton Ave, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009, on October 5, 2026, at 10:30 AM. Interment will follow at Beth El Cemetery, 735 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Hellman Memorial Chapels, 15 State Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977 (8455)356-8600 Jewish Funeral Directors.