Edith Lank died Jan. 1. She was born Edith Handleman on Feb. 27, 1926 in Chelsea, Mass., and graduated from Penn Yan Academy and Syracuse University, Phi Beta Kappa. In 1948, she wed Norman Lank, a loving partnership that lasted until his death in 2011. Having worked for newspapers since her high school years, she created an advice column on real estate in the 1970s that eventually was distributed to more than 100 newspapers, including the Democrat and Chronicle. She wrote her last column in 2019. Edith also taught at St. John Fisher College and lectured on real estate nationally, appearing frequently on television and radio including WXXI. She wrote real estate licensing textbooks for New York and New Jersey. She was a founder of the Rochester chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America and served on the organization’s national board, as well as being an avid bird watcher and certified scuba diver.

She is survived by her sons, Avrum (Dannette) of Milwaukee and Dov (Constance Smith) of Port Moody, BC, Canada; a daughter Anna (Michael Mortenson) of Manhattan; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The family thanks the staff of the Jewish Home of Rochester, especially those in Wolk Manor and Green House Cottage No. 3 for their loving care of Edith in her final days.

A service will be held,  at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at Temple Beth El CLICK HERE to view livestream of the funeral services from Temple Beth El. Memorial donations may be made to the Jewish Community Center of Rochester, earmarked for the Edith Lank/Bridget Handleman Scholarship at Camp Seneca Lake, or the Jane Austen Society of North America, earmarked for the Edith Lank Fund. The family will receive friends at Temple Beth El Tuesday following the burial until 6 pm and Wednesday, January, 4, from 5-8 pm.