Carol Halpern

Carol Dakelman Halpern, born November 8, 1926, in New Jersey, died in Great Neck, NY on March 20, 2017. Her parents were Louis Dakelman, a pharmacist, and Ida Sholk, a homemaker. In 1947, Carol graduated from the Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy (absorbed by The University of Pennsylvania). She was a pioneer in the field of rehabilitation medicine for physically handicapped children, and the first pediatric OT at the Rusk Institute specializing in treatment of children with limb deficiencies – congenital or traumatic. One patient of whom Carol was most proud was a child born with neither arm and only one leg, for whom Carol designed and fitted two prosthetic arms and one leg. Many years later on a visit to Rusk, Carol had a reunion with that patient who had trained and was working as a certified occupational therapist, to Carol’s gratification and pride.

Carol married Jerry Halpern, an attorney, on August 28, 1955. They have three children, Matthew (wife Perrie Berlin), Jane, and Tom (wife Lucy Wang), and twin granddaughters Catherine and Madeline. Both granddaughters attended Johns Hopkins University; Maddy graduated in 2016 and Catherine will graduate this May.

Her brother was Jay Dakelman; her nieces are Beth Moroney, Rhonda Dakelman, Audrey Aradi, Marjorie Zuckerman, Sue Halpern, and nephews Mitchell Dakelman and Peter Halpern. Longtime friends are June Kerman since kindergarten and Lorna Green since college at the University of Pennsylvania.

Carol and Jerry were world travelers. Among the highlights were their honeymoon in Nantucket, a six-week trip in 1956 through Europe, and East African safari (in which they arrived – and quickly left – just as Idi Amin overthrew the Obote government and began his slaughter of civilians), and trips with close friends in Brazil, Israel, Egypt, Australia and elsewhere.

For many years, they enjoyed sailing on the Barccarolle, the sloop that Carol bought when Jerry couldn’t make up his mind on what kind of boat to buy, and spending time at their second home in East Hampton.

Carol also resolutely pushed Jerry to realize his longtime desire to run for Congress in 1976, an activity he would not have pursued without Carol’s prodding. With her help, he almost won as a Democrat in a solidly Republican district on Long Island.

After leaving Rusk and raising Matt, Jane and Tom, Carol returned to work as an OT in pediatric rehabilitation at the Child Development Center of Nassau County Medical Center for 20 years, retiring just in time to help babysit her twin granddaughters. In 2012, Carol underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer that was fortunately diagnosed early. Carol then had five very good years culminating in a wonderful 90th birthday party last November at the Penn Club in New York where she was a charter member. Shortly thereafter, she suffered a recurrence of cancer and a long period of increasing debilitation and pain until Monday evening, March 20, when Carol died peacefully at home, after enjoying visits from family members and loved ones.

Carol’s life will be celebrated on Thursday, March 23, at noon at the Bernheim Apter Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, NJ 07039. Burial will follow at Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Iselin, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center https://giving.mskcc.org/find-and-donate-giving-page , the ACLU or the New Israel Fund.