Judith Bard

Judith Bard, beloved wife of Gary Bard, passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2023, after a seven-year battle with breast cancer. Born Judith Faye Bronstein on May 25, 1942, Judy grew up in Philadelphia and the Main Line, the second of four children, daughter of Harry and Hendella Bronstein. She graduated from Lower Merion High School and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania. She was a beloved fifth grade teacher for 35 years at Gladwyne Elementary School, teaching generations of students while living nearby with her first husband, Fred Fishman. In 1989 she married Gary and the two spent many happy years living between Society Hill in Philadelphia and the Jersey shore at Margate City, before moving to Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter, Florida. In Jupiter, Judy and Gary shared a full life with many friends who shared their love of good food and bold world travel adventures. Her many friends were by her side until the end.

Judy’s life was not easy, as she developed Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes while in college, at a time when not many understood this disease and treatments were limited. Her mother Hendella and sister Marlene helped establish the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, which grew into the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, paving the way to greatly improved treatments and medications for millions with this challenging disease. Remarkably, she never suffered from the long-term side effects of diabetes, and never let diabetes get in the way of living a full life. She will be remembered as a loyal and trusted friend to many with a vivacious personality and an unforgettable smile.

Her children and grandchildren will miss her relentless cheerleading for their success and happiness. She will be remembered in a similar fashion by her many students who valued Mrs. Bard/Fishman/Bronstein for her support, belief in their potential, and commitment to their learning and growth.

She is loved by many, but especially by her husband Gary, her three siblings and their partners Marlene and Leonard Dubin, Ed and Sophie Bronstein, and Rob Bronstein and Barbara Salkin who all reside in the Philadelphia area; her four children and their partners Andrew and Cathy Fishman (Parkland, FL), Barry Fishman and Teresa McMahon (Ann Arbor, MI), Carrie and Seth Feit (Charlotte, NC), and Susan DePonte (Palm Beach Gardens, FL); and grandchildren Sandy Rosenthal, Morgan and Edward Staryarsky, Claire and Emily Fishman, Alex, Matthew, and Annie Fishman, and Jaclyn, Ethan, and Benjamin Feit.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30am on Sunday, November 26 at Goldsteins’, 310 Second Street Pike, Southampton PA, followed by burial at Roosevelt Memorial Park, 2701 Old Lincoln Hwy, Trevose, PA. (The Livestream of the service may be viewed by clicking this link: https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTcwMDU5OTUwMDI4MjE3MSZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==) 

A Celebration of Life will be held at Temple Judea, 4311 Hood Road, in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, on Wednesday, November 29 at 2pm, followed by a reception at the Admiral’s Cove Main Clubhouse. Shiva will be held at the Bard’s home in Jupiter, FL, on Tuesday, November 28 and Wednesday November 29 from 6:30-9 pm, and on Thursday, November 30 from 1:00-4:00 pm.

May her memory be a blessing.