Hannah Lacob Malkin, 99, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2020, at her home for the past nine years in Lantana, Fla. She was born on Nov. 17, 1920, in Fayetteville, N.C., to Myer and Sarah Lacob.
Hannah graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a B.S. in sociology in 1941, and it was here that she met Moses Montefiore Malkin, whom she would marry and celebrate 66 happy years together. Hannah later earned an M.S.W. from Columbia University in 1948.
She worked passionately for many years in various organizations assisting minorities and refugees from war-torn Europe, including the YMCA, National Refugee Service, Jewish Community Service of Queens-Nassau, and the Federation for Jewish Philanthropies of N.Y.C. Upon moving to Milford, Conn., and later Woodbridge, she worked tirelessly for Jewish Family Services of New Haven. Later, she volunteered numerous hours to Milford Family Counseling and Milford Mental Health Clinic (both now known as Bridges Healthcare), New Haven Mental Health Association, Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Federation of New Haven, Conn.
Hannah and her late husband Moses also enjoyed their summer home in Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard for nearly 50 years, where they developed a close circle of friends. Here, Hannah was very active, and held the position of president of the Gay Head Taxpayers’ Association in the 1970s and 1980s. She was instrumental in negotiating a settlement of the Indian land claim suit against the town of Gay Head by the Wampanoag Tribal Council through a long, 13-year ordeal which included appearing before congressional committees in Washington, D.C., on many occasions. In 2018, Hannah donated a parcel of land on Lighthouse Road to the town of Aquinnah to be enjoyed by all, as a respite and overlook for the expansive views of Menemsha Sound.
Hannah enjoyed extensive travel all over the world, and was well-known for her knowledge of world affairs, politics, theater, and the arts. Her philanthropy spanned these interests, as well as her interests in education, civil rights, mental health, wildlife, and ecology.
Hannah is survived by her many nieces, nephews, cousins, and their families, as well as countless friends, caregivers, and associates.
Services are at Levine Chapels, 470 Harvard St., Brookline, on Thursday, March 5, at 12 noon. Burial will follow in the Beth Shalom of Cambridge Cemetery, 232 Fuller St., Everett.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in Hannah’s name to Bridges Healthcare, Inc., 949 Bridgeport Ave., Milford, CT 06460, or Caridad Center and Clinic, 8645 West Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach, FL 33472.
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