Dr. Sheldon Irwin Feldman Obituary (1933 - 2023)

Dr. Sheldon Irwin Feldman passed away on Sunday, June 11th, after a short illness. He was 90 years old. Born on April 11th, 1933, he was the son of Sarah and Albert Feldman. He grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from North Minneapolis High School. He attended the University of Minnesota, Rochester College, and then went on to pursue his graduate degree from the Illinois College of Optometry. He received his Minnesota Board of Optometry License in 1957. He married the love of his life, Gerry Oretzki, on December 10th, 1968 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was love at first sight as they had met just 9 months prior on a blind date. Together, they raised their family in St. Louis Park. He was a loving and adoring husband and father to his four children. With his wife and business partner Gerry, Sheldon owned and operated several west metro optometry practices. Even after selling their business, he continued to work daily, practicing until he was 87 years old. He holds the longest running optometry license in Minnesota state history. He was passionate, hardworking, and dedicated to his work - serving tens of thousands of Twin Cities patients. Due to the global pandemic in 2020, Sheldon officially retired, eye chart in hand, after 63 years. Sheldon’s favorite thing in the world was spending time with his family. He was always in attendance at his grandchildren’s many events and major milestones. Later in life, he passionately doted on his great-grandchildren. Some of his other preferred pastimes included spending evenings with his wife at Orchestra Hall, annual vacations to Hawaii with dear friends, and enrolling in various weekly classes to satisfy his thirst for continuous education. Sheldon was a member of Temple Israel Synagogue and his Jewish faith played an integral role in his life. He was a present and proud husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He will be missed dearly. He is preceded in death by his parents, Sarah and Albert Feldman, and his granddaughter Sarah Feldman. He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Gerry; his children, Elaine (Michael) Johnson, Howard (Julie) Feldman, Jeffrey (Nadara) Feldman, and Marcia Chalmers; 12 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. A graveside service will be held at the Minneapolis Jewish Cemetery (7032 Penn Avenue South) on Wednesday June 14, 2023 at 2:00pm. Shiva will be held on Wednesday at 7:00pm at Temple Israel, 2323 Fremont Ave S., Mpls. Both services available on zoom at www.hodroffs.com/SheldonFeldman In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Ronald McDonald House.