Obituary

Stephanie Winston, native of Charleston, West Virginia, and New Yorker to her core, died on Monday, November 11, 2024. She was the daughter of Harry and Miriam Winston.

After graduating from Barnard College in 1960 with a B.A. in Government, Stephanie worked for a year at the United Nations, briefly as a secretary, then went on to do editing and translating at Crown Publishers. After working there for several years, she decided to go out on her own, convinced that if she could organize a manuscript, she could organize anything. She immediately got four organizing jobs, including organizing a kitchen and a library. Then no jobs except for office temporaries. She sent an article about her organizing business to The Village Voice which attracted the notice of writer Enid Nemy at The New York Times. Nemy wrote an article about Stephanie that brought in an avalanche of business and led to her forming The Organizing Principle. Stephanie became an organizing pioneer, helping establish a new kind of professional organizer, and became one of the most highly respected consultants in the field of professional organizing.

Stephanie authored Getting Organized that was on The New York Times bestseller list for 5 months. It was followed by The Organized Executive, also a publishing classic, and more books, audiobooks and newsletters. Stephanie was interviewed by many national magazines and newspapers, including Vanity Fair and The Wall Street Journal, appeared on The Today Show and Good Morning America, and was featured on hundreds of radio and TV programs, speaking and giving seminars throughout the U.S., as well as a set of workshops in South Korea.

As important and illustrious as Stephanie’s organizing career was, family and friends were her bedrock. Stephanie was the anchor for her family, the magnet who kept disparate family members together. If a niece, a sister, a cousin moved to New York she would take that relative under her wing. If a friend had a long-term illness, she would visit every week. If a sister was torn by grief she would call every day. No-one was more loyal than Stephanie.

In her late 70s, Stephanie developed dementia. Even as it progressed, she never stopped enjoying life. She still loved opera and Elvis Presley. At 83, she met 102-year-old Don who became and remained her companion to the end. Stephanie never stopped being Stephanie. As her friend and social worker said, “Stephanie was unlike anyone I’ve ever met and probably ever will.”

Stephanie is survived by her sister and her husband Dinah and Fred Lovitch, niece Beth Dougherty (Kevin), great-nephew Matthew Dougherty, nephew Michael Lovitch (Stacey), great-niece Piper Lovitch, sister Terry Pickett and niece Rachel Pickett.

We can never thank enough Stephanie’s individual caregivers, social workers, and the staff at Amsterdam House for their wonderful care and support of Stephanie over the last four years. Or MJHS whose hospice care made the last few months of Stephanie’s life a time of surprising comfort.

Her graveside funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 15, 2024, at B’nai Jacob Eternal Home Cemetery in South Charleston, West Virginia.

Donations in her memory can be made to B’nai Jacob Synagogue at 1599 Virginia Street E., Charleston, WV 25311.

Condolences to Stephanie’s family can be provided at www.barlowbonsall.com .

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.