Lea Chaile Bramnick

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Educator, fundraiser, author, marketer, and entrepreneur, Lea Chaile Bramnick (nee Shapiro) died on Saturday, June 29th, 2024, at 85.

Beloved grandmother and mother, Ms. Bramnick is survived by her son Michael and daughter-in-law, Susan Weintraub, grandchildren Sophie Bramnick and Eli Bramnick, and son Gary Bramnick. 

Ms. Bramnick had most recently been the Executive Director of the Macula Vision Research Foundation where she was responsible for management and operations, strategy, programming, fundraising, and finance. Upon her retirement, she returned as a volunteer, to the Scheie Eye Institute where she had previously been Director of Marketing and Development for more than a decade.

A lifelong resident of the Greater Philadelphia area, Ms. Bramnick was born and raised in the Wynnefield neighborhood of Philadelphia. She lived in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, the Rittenhouse section of Philadelphia, and for the past year, she lived at the Horsham Center for Jewish Life in North Wales, PA. 

A graduate of Overbrook Highschool, she began her career as an educator, earning both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education from Temple University and teaching Elementary School in the Philadelphia Public School system. After teaching, she was recruited to join Research for Better Schools, a federally funded learning laboratory. She then became Project Manager at McGraw-Hill, designing educational materials and coordinating their use in school districts. 

Along with two close friends, she eventually began her own firm, called “The Lobster Factory,” an educational program and product company that designed materials for parents and children to use together. The name sprang from the idea of having a friend fly in live Maine lobsters to sell for seed money. The lobsters never flew in, but the name stuck. One of the first programs The Lobster Factory launched was their “Cooking for Kids” series – the nationally-recognized children's cooking program organized in 40 states. 

She became a staple on television across the country, encouraging parents to use cooking as a way to engage their children. She appeared (often with her children) on Good Morning America, The Today Show, AM Chicago with Oprah Winfrey, and had regular segments on Philadelphia’s PM Magazine, and AM Philadelphia with Dave Roberts. 

She is the co-author of The Parent Solution Book: Your Child from 5-12, published by Putnam; the four volume set, The Kids Kitchen Encyclopedia; as well as the Children’s Cookery volume for The Great Cook’s Guide series by James Beard, Milton Glazer & Burt Wolf. 

Ms. Bramnick’s volunteer activities included serving as Associate Chairman Philadelphia Antique Show, the boards of the Montgomery County Community College, The Lower Merion Township Libraries, the Gladwin Montessori School, Security on Campus, and the Jeffrey Berger Research Scholarship Fund of Scheie Eye Institute. She also served as a mentor in the Philadelphia Futures program and had been president of the Yassky Chapter of Hadassah, and Secretary for Hadassah’s Philadelphia Chapter.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to Montgomery County Community College Foundation. www.mc3.edu/for-our-community/foundation

Funeral Services will be held 12:30pm Tuesday, July 2nd at Levine’s Funeral Home (2811 West Chester Pike, Broomall, PA, 19008). Interment to follow at Ohev Shalom Cemetery (Brookhaven, PA). Shiva will begin at 5-8:30pm with a service at 7pm at 1900 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

Shiva will continue as follows:

Wednesday, July 3rd at 6pm—8:30pm - service at 7pm at 1900 JFK Blvd

Thursday, July 4th at 6:30pm - service at 7pm. Shiva will be ZOOM ONLY on Thursday

https://us02web.zoom.us/w/89190406733#success Or this Meeting ID#891 9040 6733 –

Password: BZBI

Gary Bramnick will continue Shiva as follows:

Friday, July 5 th – 2-5pm at 1900 JFK Blvd

Sunday, July 7 th – 4-8pm - service at 7pm at 1900 JFK Blvd