Estelle Kreinik
By her son, Doug Kreinik
A
super mom that is what we lost. An educator, entrepreneur, inventor,
manager, mom, grandmother, friend and a very strong independent woman.
She taught us that you could do anything, be anything, and make a
difference.
She
would ask, "What is the difference between hot water and steam?" The
answer: one degree. If you make life one degree better for the next
person, you will make a difference. She approached her teaching, her
business and her life in that way.
She
was a woman of determination, believed in a diverse environment, and
loved to cook ethnic foods to find out what made the stomachs of the
world happy. She took classes in history, language, bread baking and
knitting. Estelle was fluent in French, studied art and loved textiles.
Born
in New York City to the late Dorothy Friedman Stack and JB Stack 94
years ago, she enjoyed the community of many cousins, aunts and uncles.
She married Jerry Kreinik and loved him for 65 years. They had three
sons: Ted married to Arlene (Connecticut), Douglas married to Myla
(Parkersburg ), and Andrew married to Jacqueline (Baltimore).
Estelle
and Jerry were proud and often amazed at the effect of their business
ideas. Kreinik Mfg, the business created out of desperation because of
lack of work, became the industry leader espousing the use of silk and
metallic threads in embroidery and stitchery. She was always willing to
help friends and associates make their businesses and the industry
better. They won many awards including the much coveted TEN (The
Excellence in Needlework Award) from industry members. Estelle created
the first needlework organizer on the market as a solution for the
problem of her threads being all over the car when traveling. She used
all of her learnings in clothing, language, accounting, customer service
and leadership to make a difference in the family business.
In
her move after Jerry's death, people were amazed that a woman 93 years
old would just up and leave to live in an independent senior village in
Baltimore. But Mom thrived there. She met men and woman whose lives
had made a difference and who were diverse. The residents as well as the
staff loved her.
She
told me in her last days that there were a few things in life that she
regretted. 1. That of not convincing Jerry to move to Broadmead in
Baltimore five years ago where she had spent a wonderful year. 2.
Having missed the big "barn sale" at the senior village were she was
looking forward to getting some good deals, and 3. Not being able to
vote on election day with her lady friends. She felt very strongly
about the right to vote.
She loved life and loved her grandchildren, Julie, Danielle and husband Jon, Charles and Zach.
