Blanche Lichtmann was born Bianca Antoinette Ciminieri in Hamden, CT., over 100 years ago.  A first generation American, she was one of eight children born to immigrant parents from Ortona, Italy.

Her husband, Joseph H. Lichtmann, predeceased her by twelve years.

The only one of her family to finish high school, Blanche went on to business school, fashion art design and foreign language studies at Columbia University.  Fluent in four languages, she initiated the library at Middlebush Elementary School, where her two children attended, and where she volunteered as the school's first librarian.  She was president of the PTA and was active in promoting student art work in the community.

Blanche is survived by her children, Claudia Rydel and her husband, Richard and Dean Lichtmann and his wife, Jenny; her grandchildren, Michael Rydel, Jennifer Ponds and her husband, Jonathan, Joseph A. Lichtmann and his wife, Tina, Zachary Lichtmann and his wife, Joann and her great grandchildren, Caleb Ponds, Joseph A. A. Lichtmann and Ethan Ponds.