Madeleine Sigel, née Madeleine Bartfeld, age 96, died peacefully at her home in Bethesda, MD on May 3, 2020.  She was born on February 16, 1924 in Vienna, Austria, into a family deeply involved in Viennese cultural and theatrical life.  She often described her childhood as a perfect fairy tale.

In 1939, just before her fifteenth birthday, the worsening Nazi threat forced Madeleine and her parents, Melitta and Albert Bartfeld, to flee Austria.  They initially fled to Venice, Italy, where an Italian friend protected them, procured visas to Cuba and then escorted the family to neutral Switzerland.  From there they traveled to Paris, France, where they remained until booking passage to Cuba.  When the ship reached Havana, the family and the other passengers were denied entry to Cuba and subsequently to several Central and South American countries. The refugees were finally accepted on the Pacific coast of Panama.  Mrs. Sigel and her family were quarantined on an American military base for 18 months before the FDR government extended visas to the United States.

They arrived on Ellis Island in 1942 and settled in New York City.  At the age of 17, with no formal education beyond ninth grade, Mrs. Sigel worked to support her family.  At work Mrs. Sigel met her future sister-in-law and was introduced to her future husband, then an officer in the Navy, via pen pal.  She was married to Stanley Jordan Sigel in 1947.  The couple settled in Washington, DC where Mr. Sigel was an economist for the Federal Reserve Board.

Mrs. Sigel participated in many community activities and projects.  She was very active in local Democratic politics and served for almost 50 years as precinct chair of the Montgomery County 7-22.  She also served at various times as president, vice-president and treasurer of the Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club.  In these roles she developed early relationships with, and introduced to broader recognition, many candidates who later became statewide officials, US Congressmen/women and US Senators.

Mrs. Sigel traveled broadly with her husband, including several trips to her native Austria.   The family lived in Paris, France during the 1960's.

Survivors include 2 daughters, Karen Sigel, MD (Harold Perl) and Joan Sigel, grandson Benjamin Schwartz (Whitney Schwartz) and great grandson Sheffield.  Mrs. Sigel was predeceased by her husband.  The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to Bernadette Cole and Sandra Page for their tireless excellent care of, and devotion and kindness to, Madeleine Sigel.  Donations may be made to the Jewish Social Services Agency of Montgomery County, MD.