Elizabeth "Beth" Blumenfeld

The world’s light dimmed on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, when Elizabeth Walker Blumenfeld took her light on a different path following a short illness. She was born on April 21, 1959, in Bedford, IN to Alan and Donnera Phillips Walker, where she grew up on Fifth Street. After her studies at Indiana University, she married David Blumenfeld of Spartanburg, SC on June 20, 1982, and he survives. Also surviving are her adult children, Mrs. Will (Lura Blumenfeld) Van Gelderen of Atlanta, GA, Jacob and Leiha Blumenfeld, both of Landrum, SC. Her sister, Mrs. Chester (Gloria Walker) Kasnowski of Bloomington, IN. Cousins; Ann Gunn, Ken and Jim Gates of Evansville, IN., Linda Kay Tobler of Hurst, TX., Terry, Gary and Richard Phillips all of Texas. Also surviving are her extended family, Phyllis Woollen, Daniel Blumenfeld and Deborah Blumenfeld all of NC.

As a member of Temple B’nai Israel, Beth sang in the choir at first, then chose to volunteer in event planning and support. She is a life member of Hadassah and when her children were young, she was a Sunday School principal at the Temple.

Beth and David participated in the Irish Children’s Program for Peace for Catholic and Protestant children of Belfast, Northern Ireland, for several years and Beth considered those youth her extended family, too. She was a graduate of Bedford North Lawrence class of 1977, and Indiana University’s School of Education. She taught students at Spartanburg District 7, helping many to see positive choices in their lives and retired in May 2024.

As a mother, Beth sought to ingrain a sense of social responsibility within her children, volunteering with her family at the soup kitchen in Spartanburg. She also loved gardening with her children helping her set up a garden center and small orchard. She adored hosting events at home—especially Passover and Thanksgiving. Future holidays will be different without her stories and laughter.

She loved teaching people to play euchre and 7-Up card games, two of her parents’ favorites. They gave her a love for mountains, history and travel. She and David enjoyed several cruises and traveling out west. Two recent cruises took them to Alaska to see the receding glaciers and the other to see the Northeast Canadian coastline sea life.

A memorial service will be held at 11am Sunday, December 8, 2024, at Temple B’nai Israel, 146 Heywood Ave., Spartanburg, SC 29302 conducted by Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Liver Foundation, PO Box 299, West Orange, NJ 07052, and the family suggests that people once more consider organ donations as a response to an ongoing need.

Floyd’s North Church Street Chapel