Jolanthe Szynkarski, 95

CRANSTON, R.I. – Jolanthe Szynkarski passed away peacefully on July 29, 2022, at her home in Cranston with her loving children by her side. She was the beloved wife of the late Henry Szynkarski for 45 years before his passing in 1993. Born in Berlin, she was the daughter of the late Gustav and Mathilde (Eczy) Kischke. She spent her teenage years watching the horrors of the Holocaust. She witnessed the mistreatment of her friends and community and felt the impact of the war. When the war was coming to an end, she found a way to convert to Judaism and met the love of her life, Henry, who was a survivor. She and Henry moved from Germany to Providence in 1951. It was here that they found the safety they needed to begin their family and lives together. She and her husband moved to Cranston in 1961.

Jolanthe was a dedicated mother to three incredible children; her profession was in a manufacturing office, but her passions lay with raising her children. She was a caring woman who worked incredibly hard to provide a happy and healthy home to her children. She was a perpetual optimist who only saw the good in individuals. According to her family, she provided the perfect Ozzie and Harriet immigrant household; she and Henry exemplified a happy and healthy marriage to their children.

She was thrifty and spotless; she always extended her love and kindness to everyone; her generosity was truly without condition. Jolanthe was the mother every child deserves, and we are eternally lucky to have been raised with her unwavering love, support and kindness. Her kindness was fueled by the memories of those who were taken too soon; she was a dedicated Jewish woman who kept the values of Judaism at the forefront of her practice. She taught her family to respect and embrace the lessons taught by the rabbis and cantors of Temple Torat Yisrael and beyond.

She was the devoted mother of Monika Szynkarski, of North Kingstown; Jeffrey Szynkarski, of Cranston; and Michael and his wife Marcie Szynkarski, of Houston, Texas. She was the treasured aunt to five endearing nieces and nephews, Arlene, Donna, Barbara and the two Jacks. She was the loving grandmother of Ross, David and Claudia. She was the cherished great-grandmother of Chase, Steven Henry, Erin and Elias.

Aside from her parents and husband, Jolanthe was predeceased by her brother Frank Kischke and her sister Jutta Erhart.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.