December 21, 2020
1198
MIDDLEBURY Mrs. Renee Lee Gilbert, age 92, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, at Waterbury Hospital. She was the loving wife for 57 years of Dr. Ira Daniel Gilbert, who predeceased her in 2007.
Renee was born in Maple Shade, N.J., on May 30, 1928. She was the daughter of the late Mary and Leonard Greenblatt of Philadelphia. Her father owned a general store in town. She had one younger brother, Dale. She commuted from her little town to the big city to attend Temple University in Philadelphia, where she met her future husband.
She spent most of her adult life in Holyoke, Mass., where Ira practiced orthodontics. Renee was an avid antique collector, traveling far and wide to attend auctions and estate sales. She filled her home, and later her son’s, with beautiful pieces from around the world. She owned an antique store named Serendipity, and loved interior decorating. She designed and built a wonderful house where she lived for 70 years. She was both a