Joyce Willner, 93

WESTERLY, R.I. – Joyce Chedva (Kleinman) Willner passed away peacefully in her sleep on Dec. 30, 2018. Born in Nizhni Veretsky, Czechoslovakia (now the Ukraine), Joyce was a Holocaust survivor and, though she developed Alzheimer’s in her later years, had many periods of lucidity right up to her death. Throughout her long and eventful life, Joyce exemplified the essence of Judaism as espoused by Rabbi Akiva, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Despite the fact that she experienced the worst humanity has to offer — starved to a weight of 60 pounds and poisoned to the brink of death in Bergen Belsen, where Anne Frank perished — Joyce’s loving and forgiving nature was especially impressive… as was her survival instinct.

Her younger sister, Reisi Greenbaum, currently residing in Haifa, also had a powerful will to live. She survived Auschwitz, and then a 3-week death march to Bergen Belsen. She didn’t know Joyce was there. When the camp was liberated, Reisi was transported to a displaced person’s camp. There she felt compelled to help a sick and emaciated stranger. When the stranger became well enough to speak, Reisi fainted. When those who revived her asked what happened, Reisi pointed to the stranger and said, “That’s my sister.” Reisi nursed Joyce to health and they both emigrated, though not without extreme challenges, to what is now Israel.

Joyce married, bore two children, and immigrated to Barrington in 1958. She worked in the costume jewelry industry for many years and retired to her lakefront home in Wakefield, where she lived for over 30 years until her passing. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Kurt, daughter, Yaffa, son, Michael, and grandchildren, Zachary and Madeleine.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Holocaust Fund administered by The Jewish Federations of North America: jewishfederations.org/helping-holocaust-survivors.