Renee Drazner

Renee (Fisher) Drazner passed away peacefully on January 29, 2026. Renee was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jean and Abraham Fisher, and grew up in Brooklyn with her older brother, Harold Fisher. Renee attended P.S. 186 and Brooklyn College and became a teacher.

At a dance, she met her date's classmate, Ira Stanley Drazner, who was immediately taken with her and later called to ask her on a date. It took a few tries before she said "yes." He took her to dinner, and they quickly fell in love. They were married in 1957 and have been a team forever since. They left for their honeymoon-a road trip to Texas for Ira's military training-the day of their wedding and got two separate flat tires and almost got struck by lightning, but they were happy because they were together.

After their time in Texas, the couple relocated to Fort Knox, Kentucky for Ira's military assignment and they welcomed their first child, Ellen. They settled in New York, where they grew their family by welcoming their second daughter, Michelle, and their son, Mark.

Renee worked as a teacher, social worker and probation officer. She played tennis and introduced Ira to the game, and they then taught all three of their children to play. The family would go cross-country skiing on vacation, often to the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont.

In 1999, Renee and Ira moved to Woodbridge, Connecticut. There she spent time with family, read, played tennis and golf, and travelled with Ira.

Renee was not only a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, but was also very social and had many long and meaningful friendships. When someone shared something with Renee, she would inevitably have follow-up questions because she wanted to know more about the people she cared about, no matter how minor the subject. This made Renee a fierce ally often being a better advocate for her family and friends than they were for themselves. She was a gravitational force that drew people in and made their lives fuller and brighter than they had been before knowing her.

Renee is survived by her husband of 68 years, Dr. Ira Drazner; her daughter Dr. Ellen Drazner and son-in-law Dr. Michael Saffir; her daughter Dr. Michelle Lipshultz and son-in-law Dr. Richard Lipshultz; her son Dr. Mark Drazner and daughter-in-law Laurie Drazner; her seven grandchildren Jennifer Lipshultz, Jaclyn Saffir, Douglas Saffir, Dr. Jeffrey Lipshultz, Alyssa Lipshultz, Clayton Drazner and Dr. Rachel Drazner; and her great-grandchildren Henry, Elijah, Sophie, Jonah and Ezra.

The family extends its heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Yale New Haven Hospital, Saint Raphael Campus, and to all her personal caregivers, especially her long-term caregiver Viviene, for her unwavering kindness, compassion, and exceptional care.