Harlan Gordon Feinberg

Harlan G. (Harley) Feinberg of West Hartford passed away at home surrounded by family, on Thursday, April 11 after a short illness. Born in Springfield, MA on June 2, 1930, he was the son of Benjamin and Rose (Burger) Feinberg. He lived in South Glens Fall, N.Y. before moving to Hartford to finish high school at Hartford Public H.S. After a few years at the University of Miami, Harley entered the Marine Corps during the Korean War. While he was stationed in Pensacola attending photography school, he met his future wife, Leona (Lee) Russell, a pretty WAVE classmate. They soon married and journeyed across the country back to Hartford where they settled and raised their family, moving to East Hartford, and finally to West Hartford. Harley worked a variety of jobs to take care of his family - weekend wedding photographer, Boston baked bean vending machine supplier, aircraft painter, and door-to-door insurance sales for Prudential - before joining Youngs Rubber Company as a salesman. He spent years on the road in drugstore sales before working his way up to district and then regional sales manager for Youngs Drug Corp. of Piscataway, NJ, where he made many lasting friendships. Harley was known for his great personality, charm, storytelling ability, wit, and especially, his love and support of his family and friends. We will always remember legendary stories of being about four years old and seeing a workman eat a raw onion like it was an apple, being sent to school a year early so his mother could go back to work, how his mother dressed him all in white as a child, fixing up his older sister Eleanore with her future husband Saul, boxing in Golden Gloves tournaments, and of his trip to Cuba in 1957 with his friend Don Riberdy and their surefire "system" to win big at the blackjack tables. There were many great sales trips with his Youngs Drug Corp. brothers, and trips with family to Crescent Beach in Niantic, and to the Caribbean, Seattle, Tucson, Pebble Beach, Colorado, and Hawaii. He loved to golf but was an even better golf instructor to his best friend, Howell Aarons. He loved music and would break into his Al Jolson or Louis Armstrong impressions with very little prompting, was well into six figures in online (free) poker, could pick a winning horse over the phone from a call from his daughter at the track just by getting a few facts culled from the Racing Form, grew tomatoes in his little home garden, made pizza from scratch, and his favorite movie was Red River. Harley followed all sports, but especially the Red Sox and UConn basketball. After the passing of Lee in 2005, Harley found a second love a few years later with Rita Pachla, thanks to matchmaking neighbor Jaimy. They had five wonderful years together before his passing. Rita's daughters and sons-in-law Jill Pachla and Rob Leclerc with baby Samantha, and Joy and Ben Braddock welcomed him into their family. They spent many holidays together. Harley loved his home in West Hartford and his special neighbors who all look out for each other, especially Jaimy, Erik, Matt and Trevor, Elvia and Mike, Jack and Annette, and Joe. Special thanks to Robin, Carol, and Paula of Vitas, who helped so much in the last days of his illness. Harley leaves behind his daughter Barbara Russell of Fort Worth, TX, son Richard Feinberg and daughter-in-law Karen Friedland of West Roxbury, MA, son Michael Feinberg, daughter-in-law Meg Feinberg, and grandson Steven Feinberg of Simsbury, CT, nephews Loren, Bruce and wife Beth, and Brian Lomasky, many wonderful friends, family, and Harley's special companion and buddy, Panther. Semper Fi, Dad. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Connecticut Humane Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or the charity of your choice. The memorial service will be private. Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home has care of arrangements. For online condolences please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com

Harlan Gordon Feinberg

June 2, 1930 - April 11, 2013