Joyce Lorraine Diamant Rudnick, 90, a former resident of Port Washington, NY for over half a century, and more recently of Portland, Maine, passed away peacefully at The Cedars assisted living facility on March 3, 2025.
Joyce was born in Bronx, NY, the daughter of Elizabeth “Liz” (nee Horowitz) and Joe Siegler, and the older sister to Bob Siegler. After her mother divorced and remarried Murray Diamant, when Joyce was a teenager, Joyce changed her last name to Diamant.
Joyce spent much of her childhood in the Catskills – Ellenville and Kerhonkson, NY, where she graduated from Ellenville High School in 1950 at the age of just 15, having skipped two grades. She worked summers at the Fallsview hotel, which was owned by friends of her Aunt Joan Kersner with whom she was very close.
Joyce earned her BA in English from SUNY Albany Teacher College and became an English Teacher in Great Neck, NY. She married Howard Rudnick in 1956 and they settled in Great Neck before moving to Port Washington in 1962 where they bought the first house to resell on Soundview Drive, in the new Soundview development.
Joyce was a voracious reader, valued learning and education, had an unparalleled work and volunteering ethic, and adored time with her family, and many close friends in Port. She also loved the arts and theater, often enjoying Broadway shows with her cousin Phyllis or best friend Harriet even into her 80s.
While not growing up in a religious household, after moving to Port she became a fixture at The Community Synagogue (Port Washington, NY) – where she was a congregant and active volunteer for over 50 years.
Joyce was also a passionate champion of Israel and was deeply involved with ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America), making over 20 trips to Israel. She also spent countless hours volunteering for Cancer Care. Her mother passed away from cancer when Joyce was just 32.
After Joyce and Howard separated 1978 and Michael and David headed off to college, she returned to the workforce as the Assistant Director for Development at American Technion Society, which funds research, education, and innovation for Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology. When Joyce was 60, and after 15 years of commuting into the city, she returned to her writing roots, and joined a Jewish newspaper in Great Neck. And when it was time to slow down a bit, in her mid-70s, Joyce worked part-time for Shastone Memorials, also in Great Neck, until she was 82.
After retiring, and realizing she should no longer be driving, Joyce moved to Maine to be closer to two of her three grandchildren, and settled at The Cedars in Portland.
Joyce is survived by her two sons, Michael (Janet Grapengeter) of Darien, CT; and David (Laura Thurston) of Falmouth, ME, and three grandchildren: Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick, Ben Rudnick and Elle Rudnick. She was predeceased by her brother, Bob Siegler and her former husband, Howard, with whom she remained close until his passing in 2013.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Community Synagogue (Port Washington, NY).