Today marks one month since the sad passing, late Saturday evening, November 27, 2021, of my beloved wife of 57 years, Violet (Stark) Glickstein, age 79.
In addition to being a special blessing to me as my wife, Violet was also a devoted mother to our three children, Lisa, Rena, and Sara; and a loving grandmother to Lisa's children (Alex, Michela, and Samantha) and Sara's (Isaac and Emerson). Violet was also a great friend to many others.
HOW WE WILL REMEMBER AND HONOR VIOLET
We, as a family, will remember Violet for all the great times we had together. Education was important to her, and she delighted in family events at our children's and grandchildren's elementary and high schools.
Advanced education, at the College and Post-Graduate levels, was particularly significant. Violet and I "kvelled" (Yiddish word meaning "burst with pride") as our children were awarded the degrees they had earned (PhDs for Lisa and Sara, a Masters for Rena, and Bachelors for Lisa's children).
Speaking of degrees, Violet earned her Bachelors in Chemistry in 1963 (not the norm for females in the 1960's). Once our children were out of elementary school, Violet went back to college to earn her Masters in Computer Science (1983), when in her 40's! (With all those advanced degrees flying around in our immediate family, I felt "obligated" to get my Masters and PhD while in my very ripe 50's!)
In addition to delighting in education, Violet loved to travel with me, family members, and friends. At or near the top of her list of favorite places in the world were destinations with "Disney" in their titles: Disneyland (California), Disney World (Florida), and even Shanghai Disney Resort (China). We visited the latter in 2017, when our Grandchild Michaela, a Hospitality Major at Purdue, was doing an internship at a Chinese resort, see The Virtual Philosophy Club: Beyond Communism - the Emergence of a Newly Prosperous and Increasingly Capitalist CHINA! (tvpclub.blogspot.com) and The Virtual Philosophy Club: CHINA - WAY BEYOND COMMUNISM (tvpclub.blogspot.com)
We also travelled to England when our Grandchild Alex was interning at Oxford. We would have visited our third Grandchild Samantha when she was interning, however, she was in Australia, so far off the grid that a visit was not possible.
Other family vacations included our Alaska cruise in 2010, where Violet showed she still had lots of "zip" in her as we flew between trees riding the zipline in Ketchican, see The Virtual Philosophy Club: Plenty of ZIP as We Mature (tvpclub.blogspot.com)
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From left to right sitting around the table: Michaela Hagler, Jerry Hagler, Alex Hagler, David Moyers, Rena Moyers, Lisa Glickstein, Samantha Hagler, Violet Glickstein. I (Ira) am standing in the rear with Lou who lives on the cruise ship. |
In 2014 we took the family on a Baltic cruise that included a brief stop in St. Petersberg, Russia, see: The Virtual Philosophy Club: Our Brief Visit to Russia (tvpclub.blogspot.com)
As we waited in the St. Petersburg park, along with our Grandchild Alex, I noticed the pigeons had an unusual fondness for the famous Russian writer, see photos above. I tested my ability to sound out Cyrillic characters by reading the inscription on the Pushkin statue, "Алекса́ндр Серге́евич ПУШК" [ALEKSANDER SERGEVITCH PUSHKIN].
Our daughter Lisa composed a marvelous obituary that captures the essence of Violet. Violet Glickstein | Obituaries | thevillagesdailysun.com
According to Wikipedia, Shiva (Hebrew: שבעה, literally "seven") is the week-long mourning period for first-degree relatives. The ritual is referred to as "sitting shiva". According to Jewish law, we assume the status of "avel" (Hebrew: אבל; "mourner"). This state lasts for seven days, during which family members traditionally gather and receive visitors.
For reasons I can't defend rationally, I'm very pleased that our daughters Lisa, Rena, and Sara, and Lisa's children, Alex, Michaela, and Samantha attended Hebrew school, learned to read that ancient language, and went through the formal Bat Mitzvah process. I don't think any of them had then or have now any real literal belief, which, in a way, makes it a sort of minor miracle that they did so. (This last sentence brings tears to my eyes as I read it. How about you?)
Looking back, what turned out to be her final week at home (November 16th thru 23rd) was a glorious time!
Vi was warmly greeted by everyone each day that we ate our big meal of the day in the Dining Room, and as we passed through other public areas.
Freedom Pointe has been proactive in the Covid-19 crisis. They scheduled on-site clinics in January and February where both Vi and I were fully vaccinated with
Pfizer shots. They had an on-site clinic in October, where I got my booster
shot. Vi missed that clinic because she was off-site, but, when she was back home on November 18th, I drove her to our Publix pharmacy, and she was boosted.
On Sunday, November 21, one of the last days of that most wonderful week, our good friends Bunny and Bob Adler took us on a tour of the Fenney Springs Nature Trail in The Villages.
Vi sat comfortably in her wheeled transport chair as we pushed her along the paved trail, enjoying the birds, turtles, fish, and a sleepy alligator. Earlier, we had stopped by a fast-food place and picked up the Chicken Sandwich Vi had begged for all through her Hospital/Rehab confinement. We consumed our chicken and fries in the shade of tall trees.
VIOLET'S FINAL DAYS
Violet was interred on December 2, in a private ceremony conducted by Rabbi Zev.
AFTERWORD
Earlier this week, after a pleasant dinner in the Freedom Pointe Pub with good friends, I picked up my mail and got in the elevator to go back up to my apartment. A couple of fellow residents, who I don’t happen to know very well, popped into the elevator just as the doors were about to close. “Sorry for your loss” they said, in a sincere effort to acknowledge Vi’s passing and comfort me.
“This will be my first New Years without her,” I replied. Tears came to my eyes. I had difficulty completing that sentence.
I think of myself as a relatively non-emotional man who treats the difficulties of life and human interaction with the same cold logic and precise engineering I devoted to the solution of System Engineering issues!
Not so!
Vi’s critical illness and relatively sudden departure from this world have been extremely difficult for me. Yes, friends and relatives have come through for me with sincere kindness and have been extremely generous with their time.
Rabbi Zev and leaders and members of Temple Shalom have been wonderful.
The staff and medical professionals at Freedom Pointe Independent Living and Rehab and The Villages Hospital have been warm and gracious.
Our daughter Lisa, sons-in-law Jerry and David, and our triplet grands Alex, Michaela, and Samantha disrupted their very active working lives to come here in person to comfort and help me, and, to clean up the clutter in our apartment. They each continue to support me via cellphone and internet.
CELEBRATING CHANUKAH 2021 FOR VIOLET
Vi's passing coincided with our celebration of Chanukah in the Freedom Pointe lobby. The photo below shows some of our fellow residents, along with visiting family members, kindling the Chanukah lights for the fourth day.
They are (left to right):
[Fellow Residents] Lynn Belford, Roy Belford, Roben Gaftman, Bob Adler, Marty Rothbard, Bunny Adler,
[Family] Samantha Hagler (Grandchild), Jerry Hagler (Son-in-law), Alex Hagler (Grandchild), Michaela Hagler (Grandchild), David Moyers (Son-in-law), Lisa Glickstein (Daughter), and, in the Chanukah-themed "I LATKE, MOVE IT, MOVE IT" shirt, me, Ira Glickstein.
Love to all, and specially elevated kisses and hugs to Violet, from her husband,
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- Wedding and Farm Days
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- Computers R Us (Ira and Vi's careers)
- Retirement in The Villages, FL
- Our 50th Anniversary Baltic Cruise (Air Travel and Shipboard activities)
- Our 50th Anniversary Baltic Cruise (Land-Tours)
50th-0 CELEBRATING OUR 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY (tvpclub.blogspot.com)
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