Phyllis Kronick Medvedow

Phyllis Kronick Medvedow, beloved pillar of the New Haven community, died on March 9 at age 93. For over 60 years, her impact was felt across the city and state through her many professional and volunteer positions, her wide range of relationships and constant attention to the people and causes dear to her. These included serving as director of community and government affairs at Yale New Haven Hospital and contributing her time and skills to the New Haven Foundation, PTA, ADL, Jewish Historical Society, American Cancer Society, garden club, Last Tuesday Association, hospital ladies, Urban League, New Haven Board of Education, Arts Council, and the Educational Center for the Arts. As recently as five years ago, she was elected president of the Residents’ Council and launched the first government relations committee at the Whitney Center where she moved in 2017.

She was the wife of Leon A. Medvedow (deceased 2012) for 59 years, marrying in 1952, after Phyllis graduated UConn the previous year. Together they ran political campaigns and Congress Printers, building friendships and relationships across the city. Everyone knew that Phyllis had the energy, determination and ability to advance their shared aspirations. There were no greater champions of New Haven, though the UConn women’s basketball team was a close second.

Phyllis and Leon also shared a love of the beach community of Woodmont, an extended family that summered together for over 50 years.

Born to Louis B. and Anna (Skolnick) Kronick, immigrants from Vilna and Minsk, Phyllis was the fourth of five daughters. Her sisters, Estelle Leventhal, Irma Evans, Eleanor Greenberg, and Sondra Traurig, all predeceased her.

If you spent any time at all with Phyllis, you would quickly learn that she was the mother of Jill Medvedow (husband Richard Kazis) and Lissy Medvedow (husband Clifford Cohen), the grandmother of Noah Kazis, Olivia Susman, Sophie Kazis and Charlotte Cohen, and the great-grandmother of Eliza Kazis, and Sawyer, Ashton and Summer Susman. There was no limit to the pride she took in her family, including her many nieces and nephews.

She was a loving and much loved matriarch and friend: Phyllis to her friends, Grandma, Aunt Phyl and Ujie to the generations. Her love, care, humor and strength will be greatly missed by all.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 11, at 11 a.m. at the Whitney Center, 200 Leeder Hill Drive, Hamden, CT, with Shiva to follow there from 1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Contributions in her memory may be sent to the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven or Donate Life Connecticut. Funeral Arrangements in care of Robert E Shure & Son Funeral Home, New Haven