Naomi Mae Rothstein's Obituary
Naomi Rothstein passed away at home on October 31, 2022. Born in Atlantic City,NJ, in 1931, Naomi will always be remembered as the woman with the beautiful smile and infectious laugh, which she shared with everyone. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 64 years, Arnold, who on the event of her
80th birthday pronounced, “She’s a wow!” Is it any wonder they raised five children?
Naomi, a resident of Palm Beach County for 44 years—in North Palm Beach and, most recently, at La Posada in Palm Beach Gardens—earned a scholarship to attend Radcliffe College from which she received an AB, later earning a M. Ed. from The College of William and Mary. She put her heart and soul into whatever cause, project, or profession she took on. Her gift as an educator led her to careers in homebound, gifted, and special education— including modern dance therapy! She also worked as a coordinator of the Juvenile Justice Monitoring Project for Palm Beach County and as a real estate associate. She gave selflessly of her free time as well. Her volunteer activities included sitting on the boards of child abuse councils, Jewish service organizations and synagogues, the YWCA, and many PTAs. She was an elected delegate in district and regional political party conventions and was a proud member of the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women.
Naomi never slowed down. She and Arnold were lifelong learners, continuing to serve their community and travel the globe (including Antarctica!) throughout retirement. She was elected to La Posada’s board of the Resident Council, was the chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, was a member of their weekly newsletter staff and writers’ group, and it’s quite possible that in her spare time she took every art class La Posada offered. She was an avid reader and a lover of all things linguistic, attending several
book groups and sharing her favorites with friends and family. She also loved word puzzles, was a walking dictionary, and knocked the socks off of her Spelling Bee competition at La Posada. She loved to dance, taking up tap in her senior years and tripping the light fantastic at La Posada’s dinner dances. She was an avid supporter of the ballet and the arts. Until the end she often pondered: I wonder what I’ll do when I
grow up? Fortunately for us, she never did…completely.
Naomi and Arnold loved nothing more than bringing their growing family together. Grandchildren fondly recall boisterous dinners at their ever-expanding table peppered with love, laughter, and Grandpa’s abundant puns, always followed by an expert eyeroll Grandmom had perfected over those 64 years. Naomi loved music and learned to play the violin later in life, earning her the nickname Grandma Violin. One Thanksgiving she orchestrated a family concert in which anyone who could hold a musical instrument was invited to participate. Such was life in the Rothstein household: She was the glue that held so many disparate personalities together, and oh, how we adored her!
Naomi is survived by her daughters Sheri (and Matthew) Brown, Lynn (and James)
Kupferschmid, Emily (and Allan) Bassell, and sons Marcus (and Cindy) Rothstein and Elliot (and Christine) Rothstein; grandchildren Ethan Brown (and Kimberly Seeherman), Adam (and Megan) Rothstein, Rachel (and Laura) Case, Benjamin Rothstein (and Emily Elley), Michaela Brown, Hannah Kupferschmid, Gretchen Kupferschmid, Alexandra Rothstein, and Sascha Rothstein; and great-grandchildren
Dylan Brown and Elia and Ari Case.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Naomi’s memory will be accepted gratefully by Temple
Judea (4311 Hood Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410) and Trustbridge hospice care
(5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407).
What’s your fondest memory of Naomi?
What’s a lesson you learned from Naomi?
Share a story where Naomi's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Naomi you’ll never forget.
How did Naomi make you smile?