Stella K. Suberman

1922 - 2017

Stella K. Suberman

February 7, 1922 - October 6, 2017

Chapel Hill

Stella was born in Union City, Tennessee to Morris and Rebecca Kaufman. She was the youngest of four children. The Kaufman family ran a dry goods store in Union City for a number of years before moving to New York City and subsequently to Miami Beach, Florida. Stella's teen age years in Miami Beach were most memorable in being a class member of Al Capone's son who always accompanied by body guards, seeing the ill fated St. Louis languishing off the beach with unwanted Jewish refugees waving for help, and her tennis game. She played often with Doris Hart, the future multiple grand slam champion, and reached a top ten ranking in the South herself. Just after the outbreak of WWII she married her sweetheart, Jack, a marriage that lasted two months shy of 75 years when Jack died in November, 2016. Their only child, Rick, was born in Arizona while Jack was stationed there learning the intricacies of the secret B29. After several more military moves, Stella and Jack ended up in Gainesville, Florida to finish his degree work.

They moved to Chapel Hill in 1948 for Jack to complete his PhD work in English. Stella became the administrator (secretary) of the two movie theaters in town--the Carolina and Varsity theaters. She then moved over to Swain Hall to run the ticket office for the Carolina Playmakers. After Jack received his degree, the family moved to Raleigh. Stella then began her first real career, the press secretary of the North Carolina Art Museum. During her time in Raleigh, Stella was often the Raleigh Women's Tennis Singles Champion. She and Jack began their many journeys to Europe while living in Raleigh.

In the mid 1960's Stella and Jack moved to Boca Raton, Florida, where Jack was Dean of Humanities at Florida Atlantic University. Stella became a public relations volunteer at the University of Miami Art Museum. She continued to play tennis regularly.

It was in the 1990's, in her mid-seventies, when Stella really found her calling. She began to write memoirs. Her first, The Jew Store, was published in 1998 by Algonquin Press. The story was of the Kaufman's family "adventures" in Union City. Rave reviews in the New York Times, Washington Post and other major newspapers followed the publication. Subsequently the movie rights were purchased by Dolly Parton. A stage production by Jay Kholos, based on Stella's memoir is now being performed around the country with hopes of a Broadway stint. A second memoir, When It Was Our War, recounts her view of living slightly before, during, and after World War II. Her last memoir, The GI Bill Boys, about the post World War II personal impact of the GI bill on Jack and his contemporaries was published when she was 90 years old.

Another side of Stella should be of no surprise, as her memoirs attest, she loved her family and friends. And they loved her. She is survived by her son, Rick and his wife Karen who live in Chapel Hill. Rick's children: Abbie Chen (Jonathan and children Maddie and Atlas) living in Seattle, Tom Suberman (Scott Campbell) in West Hollywood, and Sophie Suberman in Chapel Hll; Karen's children: Karen Nowell in Raleigh, Gwynn Nowell (Bee and son Gwynn IV) in Raleigh, and Lauren Nowell in New York City. Her slightly extended family of nieces and nephews and their children were very much a part of her daily phone calling. Jack's brother, Irwin, and his sister, Sheila and their families she also leaves behind. The family wishes to thank Janell Riggsbee for her loving assistance for the last several years. Niece Steffi Hoffman has been a wonderful visitor and companion particularly since Jack's death. The family also wants to thank Drs. Pat Guiteras and Paula Miller for their thoughtful and caring attention.

Stella was predeceased by Jack, parents Rebecca and Morris, and her three siblings, Will, Mina, and Ruth.

She died instantly and without pain from a long standing but asymptomatic heart condition. We should all be so lucky. No flowers please but a contribution in her name to the charity or organization of your choice would be appreciated.