Mom was a very sweet and kind woman and everyone who knew her acknowledged it and many loved her dearly because she was such a sensitive person. A friend to many, no matter what social class they were from, she was also a role model to all the American and Italian women that lived in Rome during her time. Everyone not only respected but admired her as well.
Mother was a most gracious hostess and, according to what others told me much later, also one of the more elegant American women living in Rome during the 1950’s.
During 1957 and 1958 while Charlton Heston was living in Rome with his family filming the movie Ben Hur, Mom teamed up with him to organize one of the most successful formal receptions and dances at the yearly Overseas School Ball.
My dear mother was also one who knew how to bear sorrow quietly and learned as a young woman how to cry out to God for help even before becoming a born again Christian. Several times I caught her praying privately.
At a very young age she had already experienced persecution at school because of her Jewish dad and she had been going to a synagogue on the Sabbath. Her parents, and I think especially her mom, quickly took care of the problem by instructing her on what to do and she followed that advice without wavering for sixty years!
Nonetheless unrighteousness would happen to her again later in life, although hardly anyone knew about it, but God did. She bore the injustice in a noble fashion with great dignity.
After her death I told many that she was my hero; indeed she still is to this day.
Her example prepared me for my future Christian life.
Mom was one of those few people of which it can be said: “the world was not worthy of them“.