Constance Leigh, age 92, passed away on November 6, 2024. Connie was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 12, 1931, to Harry Cohen and Mae Miskoff Miller.
Connie was a true aesthete who parlayed her love of art and culture into a lengthy career as a lecturer in English literature and women’s studies. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in English literature from the University of Miami, where she attended while raising her two children as a single parent. In her late 30s, she pulled up roots from Miami to tour and study in Europe, including undertaking advanced studies at Oxford University. She ultimately settled in Boston, where she lived until her passing. Over the course of her career, Connie taught at Miami Dade Junior College, New York University, Middlesex Community College, and Northeastern University.
Connie was predeceased by her son, Todd Fleischer. In Todd’s honor, she volunteered for decades at Tufts Medical Center’s “hold-a-baby” program, supporting infants without a family caregiver readily available. She is survived by her daughter, Jill Hochberg, her grandchildren Janine (Peter) Faben and Evan (Lindsay) Hochberg, and two great-grandchildren.
Connie’s wicked sense of humor, deployed in a Golden Age Transatlantic accent, made her the light of classrooms and dinner parties alike. She could not resist strolling a museum or garden, sharing good wine with friends, tackling haute cuisine cooking challenges in a tiny kitchen, or engaging in a spot of retail or window-shopping therapy. Her family recommends indulging in any (or all!) of these activities as a tribute in her honor. In the alternative, donations may be directed to Beacon Hill Village or the Alzheimer’s Association. A private celebration of life will be held in a few months.