March 29, 2024

Diane Terman Felenstein, 79, Dies; Financial Guru to Women

The book included anecdotal accounts of what could go wrong for women who don’t take financial control. Many of those were drawn from the real-life experiences of the women whom Ms. Terman Felenstein knew, her daughter said.

“Ignoring your financial safety can lead to disaster,” Ms. Terman Felenstein told The New York Times in 1997. “Learn the language. Assess what you have. Don’t sign papers unless you know what they are.”

She was born Diana Terman on Oct. 23, 1940, in Manhattan to Joseph and Pearl (Scharfman) Terman. Her mother was a real-estate broker, and her father worked in the garment industry.

Dropping out of New York University after one semester because of family financial pressures, Ms. Terman Felenstein worked a series of odd jobs before landing a position as a public relations representative for Audio Fidelity Records. She later set out on her own, founding Diane Terman Public Relations and running it for more than four decades.

The firm handled an eclectic range of clients, including the artist Salvador Dalí, the weight-loss guru Dr. Robert C. Atkins and the company SlimFast, as well as charities like United Cerebral Palsy and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, for which she helped organize telethons and fund-raising events.

In addition to her husband of 49 years and her daughter, who joined her mother’s company, Ms. Terman Felenstein is survived by a stepson, Brad Felenstein; a stepdaughter, Joy Pierson; a twin brother, David Terman; and four grandchildren. Her first marriage, to Robert Smiley, ended in divorce.

Personal finance remained a passion for her, and she built on the success of her book with other ventures like “Women and Wills,” a free lecture series she helped start for women over 50; and a financial guidance group, Grandparents for Grandparents.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/26/business/diane-terman-felenstein-dead.html?emc=rss&partner=rss

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