Sheila Feigen, who survived Pearl Harbor, passed away Dec. 27, 2014, in Denver. She was 96. Rafi Metz officiated at services at Golden Hill Cemetery, followed by a memorial at Kohelet. Shalom Funeral Service made the arrangements.
Family and friends describe Mrs. Feigen as larger than life, full of energy, curiosity and great optimism, even after she had a severe stroke last August.
She was born in Brooklyn on March 22, 1917. Mrs. Feigen, who had a dynamic singing voice, performed Big Band tunes in shows and on the radio in the 1930s.
She met her husband, Dr. Gerald Feigen, during a wedding at New Yorks Plaza Hotel. Later that evening he heard her singing on the radio and sent her a romantic telegram. They were married in 1939.
Inducted in the US Army, Dr. Feigen was transferred to Hawaii, where he and Mrs. Feigen lived on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. As the bombs fell, Dr. Feigen had to report to duty.
Mrs. Feigen rolled bandages in the hospital before being ordered into a cramped tunnel with more than 300 women and children. She eventually made it back to San Francisco and waited for Dr. Feigens return several months later.
The IJN interviewed Mrs. Feigen about those harrowing days in the Feb. 22, 2002, LChaim magazine.
The couple settled in San Francisco after the war and raised their three daughters. Following their divorce in 1961, Mrs. Feigen traveled through Europe and the Middle East and participated in archeological digs in Israel and Greece.
She traveled to China at the age of 84, arriving on Sept. 11, 2001.
Mrs. Feigen moved to Denver in the early 1990s. A prolific reader, she had a vast library.
Her memory was extraordinary. Until her last day, she could describe intricate details of her life.
She enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren and attending services at Kohelet.
Mrs. Feigen is survived by her children Io Loechell of Denver, Kevin Feigen of Seattle and Suzanne Diaz of Pomona; grandchildren Jarred and Rebecca Ramo, Ernesto, Joe and Martha Diaz and Veronica (Dennis) McKelvey; and two great-grandchildren.
Contributions may be made to plant trees in Israel in her memory.
Copyright © 2014 by the Intermountain Jewish News
