Sylvia Rothberger's Obituary
Sylvia Rothberger. 103, a resident of Delray Beach, FL, passed away peacefully at home on August 11, 2023. Sylvia was born on December 20, 1919, in Ropczyce, Poland. She immigrated to New York City in 1927 with her mother Sophie Wilner. Her father, Hirschel Wilner arrived in NYC in 1920. She grew up in New York during the Great Depression and lived in a walkup apartment on Rivington Street. She met her husband Bernard and were married in 1947 for 52 years until the time of his death in 1999. Sylvia and Bernard have two children, Richard, and Phyllis, raised in Flushing, NY, whom she adored.
Sylvia was the executive secretary to the principals of Public School 22 in Flushing NY for many years until she retired in 1979 and relocated to Delray Beach. She stayed active in volunteer leadership roles at Pioneer Women and Hadassah.
For Sylvia, her family always came first. She loved life and had so many friends over the years. She was an engaging woman, who was truly interested in the people she met, and brought out the best in them.
Sylvia was always a fashionable dresser. She enjoyed live theater, dining out and entertaining friends. She was also a voracious reader, expert mahjong player and could brighten up any room with her infectious smile.
Sylvia was a devoted mother to her two children and their spouses, Richard and Joy Rothberger from San Diego, CA and Phyllis and Dr. Philip Gross from Delray Beach, and a loving sister to Dr’s Warren and Grace Wilner of Brooklyn NY.
She’s always interested in the lives of her 5 loving grandchildren and their partners, Heather Gross Ernandez (Emile Ernandez), Eric Rothberger (Alyssa Jackson), Cory Gross (Alex Gross), Kyle Gross (Sedrick Scott), and Brett Rothberger (Abby Semmler). Sylvia has 4 great grandchildren, Zachary and Mirabelle Ernandez from Boca Raton, and Ava and Dylan Gross from Denver Colorado, that always kept her young.
Sylvia and her family are appreciative for the friendship, caring and love of her long term aide Marie Victorin of Delray Beach, FL who helped keep her forever young and healthy for so many years.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, August 14, 2023, at 11:00 am at Beth Israel Memorial Chapel, 5808 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach FL. Burial will follow at Eternal Light Memorial Garden, 11520 State Road 7, Boynton Beach, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Jewish National Fund by planting a tree in her memory at https://www.nationaljewishmemorialwall.com
Sylvia was a President of Na'amat for many years, a Jewish Organization for women and children of Israel, so contribution can also be sent to this organization .https://naamat.org/
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Describe a day with Sylvia you’ll never forget.
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