Obituary: Doris Caplan

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Doris Kurzman Caplan, 92, beloved wife of the late Stanley Caplan (June 11, 2011), mother of Adam and Elizabeth Caplan, grandmother of Joseph Caplan and mother in law of Lizzy Moore, passed away on Friday, May 15 at her residence in Greenwich, CT.

Doris was born to Belle and Joseph Kurzman in Queens, NY on Feb. 18,1928. Doris was anchored and inspired by the life of the mind. Her life spanned nearly a century during which time Jewish life and the role of women in it had evolved more than in the 500 years prior. Her sublime intellect and curiosity informed her life choices. After earning her High School diploma from John Adams High School in Ozone Park, she went on to earn her degree in Journalism from Queens College in 1948. Doris began her career as a news writer and producer for NBC at the beginning of the Television era. She landed her dream job with Young and Rubicam at the height of the Ad age. There she developed friendships with other creatives that lasted a lifetime. In 1953 Doris met and married her soul mate, Stanley Caplan. After moving to Greenwich in 1957 they became members of Temple Sholom and maintained their membership for the remainder of their lives.

Doris’ ideas of service to others were expansive and inclusive. In the 1970’s she became a volunteer Braille Transcriptionist for the Library of Congress. She encouraged her mother to become a volunteer reader for the National Recording for the Blind. For more than three decades she sponsored children through Save the Children International and developed meaningful connections with everyone she sponsored. As a gifted and prolific writer, Doris published hundreds of articles on a variety of topics. Her most heartfelt writings centered on the generational dreams of Jews striving to make the world a better place. These writings were infused with the teachings of the great Hasidic masters as interpreted by Martin Buber. In her final months she demonstrated just how deeply she understood these teachings. By allowing her children to provide all of her physical and emotional care as a demonstration of their love they came to understand the meaning of the words by which she lived: “if I am I because you are you and you are you because I am I, then I am not I and you are not you.”

A small graveside service was held on Sunday, May 17.

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