New London - Gabriella Pintus "Gaby" Schlesinger, 84, died Feb. 4, 2021.

Gaby was born Dec. 22, 1936, in Haifa, now Israel but then the British Mandate of Palestine. She was the daughter of Else Berl Pintus and Hans Richard Pintus who had fled Germany as refugees during World War II and who later made their way to the United States.

She arrived in Brighton, Mass. at the age of two and always considered herself a child of Boston. She graduated from Girls Latin School and Summa Cum Laude from Radcliffe College. Shortly before graduation she met Ernest Schlesinger, to whom she was married for nearly 50 years until his death in 2008.

Together they moved to Connecticut. While a graduate student at Yale, where she received her Ph.D. in English Literature, she had her two children.

Settling in New London in 1962, she embraced her new community. Her passions were progressive politics, bettering racial relations, improving interfaith relations, and strengthening education; she maintained a deep optimism and belief in the potential of the country she migrated to and adopted.

As well as co-founding the New London School Volunteers, she served on the boards of such organizations as the League of Women Voters, the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, and the Alumnae/i Network for Harvard Women (ANHW), which she helped create.

Whether she was volunteering or teaching, she was most devoted to her cause. Everywhere she taught, latterly at the University of Connecticut-Avery Point Campus, her efforts revolved around the totality of her students, she cared about the details of their lives as though they were family and assisted many who had thought they could never finish to graduate.

In addition to these passions, she loved eating desserts, especially chocolate; visiting family and friends; and celebrating birthdays as if they were major holidays.

She will be greatly missed by her son David and daughter-in-law Rachel; her daughter Eva and partner Dave; and several grand-animals, as well as her Beth El congregation, numerous friends, and others whose lives she touched.

Private funeral services were held with burial in Sharon Memorial Park, Sharon, Mass. Byles Memorial Home, New London is assisting with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to the Alumnae/i Network for Harvard Women, the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, or UNICEF.

Please visit www.Byles.com to sign the guest book or to share memory.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Day on Feb. 7, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for Gabriella Schlesinger

Sponsored by Byles Memorial Home - New London.

26 Entries

Monika Lopez-Anuarbe

March 7, 2021

I have lost a very dear and unconditional friend, colleague and mentor who was there for me during very important times in my life, such as graduating with my PhD, welcoming our children to the world, landing a job at Conn, and earning tenure. I will miss our consistent correspondences, supporting exchanges, coffees and meals.
Rest in power, Beloved Friend!

Philip and Sheila Jordan

February 23, 2021

We knew Gaby Schlesinger when Phil was a colleague of her husband Ernest on the
faculty of Connecticut College. We became good friends with Gaby, a warm, affectionate person, with wide friendships, active as a volunteer for diverse community organizations. After we left Connecticut for Kenyon College in Gambier, we kept in close touch, mourning Ernie’s death, exchanging
personal news. We were deeply saddened by Gaby’s death on February
4 of this year. We had not known about
her academic achievements, her advanced degrees! So modest. We send
condolences to her family, friends and
community.

Irene Schienberg

February 14, 2021

So deeply saddened to read of Gabby's passing. I first met Gabby and Ernie on a memorable trip to Israel and so many other joyful times at many and different community events. May her memory forever be a blessing for a life so meaningfully and so well lived. My heartfelt condolences to David, Eva and family. I will deeply miss Gabby and the warmth I felt whenever we met.

Elaine & Peter Bono

February 13, 2021

Eva & David, Please accept my husband Peter's and my condolences on the passing of your mother. For many years, when we lived in SE CT (until 2005), Gaby and I enjoyed our times in the League. I also connected with her as a GLS alumna and Peter as a Harvard alumnus. We now live on Cape Cod.

Peter Mullin

February 12, 2021

Gaby and my mother, Anne, were lifelong friends, truly inseparable. I loved hearing all the stories about their adventures growing up and about Gaby's family later in life. May her memory be for a blessing!

Peter Mullin, Leslie Delserone, with Connor and Liam Mullin and for the rest of the Mullin family.

CHARLES MULLIN

February 12, 2021

In loving spiritual memory from her dear friend, Annesy - they shared so much for so long. Peace: Mullin Family

Susan Ouellette

February 11, 2021

Gabby was a kind and thoughtful neighbor to my parents, Joyce and Keith Christianson on Grenada Terrace . She and Ernie were especially helpful when my mom died. I read Joan Didion's book ,The Year of Magical Thinking, at her suggestion ; and it helped. When my dad moved to Atria, Gabby kept in touch. She was a good person and will be missed. -- Susie Christianson Ouellette

Pamela Bedore

February 8, 2021

Gaby was a wonderful colleague and friend at UConn-Avery Point. She generously welcomed me to the campus when I arrived in CT in 2005, and was always excited to talk about books we'd both read. She was a beloved professor to many of our students, who also remember her fondly.

I always appreciated Gaby's big smile and warm personality. She will be sorely missed.

Astrea Hupfel

February 8, 2021

I have such fond and admiring memories of Gaby. The last time we were together was on a bus ride to the Women’s March in Boston. We shared our horror at Trump’s election! Please accept my sympathy for your loss and know that her community misses her too. Sincerely, Astrea Hupfel

Katherine Howe

February 8, 2021

I was one of the fortunate students at Connecticut College that Gaby asked to babysit her children in the mid-'60s. Gaby showed me, by example, how to be a wonderful, outgoing, loving mother and friend while working on a PhD. She was a light-hearted woman of steel. She took me under her wing and taught me so many things about the world, about raising kids, and about supporting worthwhile humanitarian causes. We corresponded for over 50 years, and she will forever be in my heart.

Julia Pavone

February 8, 2021

I will miss Gaby very much, whom I so admired for her strong convictions, her intelligence and her giving and caring actions to all who knew her. Working with her over the years at Avery Point and then knowing her as a friend, was a joy. She was always so supportive of her students and colleagues, with enduring optimism. I am so gateful she got to witness the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I'm sure it gave her some peace.
I feel fortunate to have know her.
Julia Pavone

Liz Salsburg

February 7, 2021

We will miss Gaby's optimistic spirit and generosity. She never missed wishing all of us a happy birthday or anniversary, and always with stupendous adjectives, a political comment and mention of dessert! Our hearts go out to Eva, Dave, David and Rachel.- Liz, Jon, Rebecca and Zach