Obituaries

Gertrude ‘Trudi’ Vogel

October 25, 1933 - March 2, 2025

First, foremost, and forever Trudi Vogel was an artist. The story goes that neighbors came to Trudi’s mother because Trudi was drawing naked people on the sidewalk with chalk when she was 8 years old. Very anatomically accurate naked people. When they asked young Trudi where she saw naked people, she replied, “At the movie theater.” She had to prove it to them by taking her mother to the theater where Trudi pointed to the beautiful renaissance-style painted ceilings where there were, indeed, the naked people that Trudi had replicated in chalk. She won a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago, but chose marriage instead. Trudi was married three times, to Eddie Farmilant, Nat Hentoff, and Irving ‘Speed’ Vogel. Trudi had other significant relationships, most notably her partner of thirteen years, Joel Spiegelman, and the man she considered her soul mate, David Chasman. All these men preceded her in death as did her siblings, Bob Bernstein and Betsy Gehman, and one nephew, Charlie Gehman. She is survived by her four children, Jessica and Miranda Hentoff and Julie and Matthew Vogel, (daughter-in-law, Abigail Koplik Vogel,) six grandchildren Elliana, Keaton, and Kellin Hentoff-Killian, (Elliana’s partner Wyndham Ferris, Keaton’s partner, Caroline Kane, Kellin’s partner, Danielle Saulnier,) Ruby Hentoff, and Maxwell and Antonia Vogel, nieces and nephews, Pleasant, Meghan, and Eddie Gehman and Jill, Kevin, and Heidi Bernstein, two stepchildren, Karen and Peter Vogel, two step-grandchildren, Terry and Mary Killian, and some dear friends including Edie Bato, Joan Pine, Villette Gebhart, and Barbara Rodell.

In addition to being an artist whose main medium was oil paintings, Trudi also worked in pen and ink, collages, jewelry, fabric, decoupage, and mixed mediums. Family portraits she was commissioned to paint for others adorn living room walls across the country. The detail in her work was amazing. Trudi was a passionate woman and an outspoken feminist. She was a spiritual seeker who followed Gurdjieff, Muktananda, and others. She was famous for speaking her mind and for her legendary complaints in restaurants, stores, and other public places. Trudi was a writer and has diaries with her writings and drawings that span back to her teenage years. She also self-published her autobiography. Born in Chicago to Charles and Pauline Bernstein, she lived in New York City for over 50 years, and ended up in Los Angeles for the later years of her life. In her final days, she was with her eldest daughter, Jessica, and eldest granddaughter, Elliana, in St. Louis where she passed peacefully with them by her side..

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In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting donations towards a memorial statue grave marker. These can be sent to Jessica Hentoff at 4120 Parker Rd. Florissant, MO 63033.