Matilda Hersh

I've been thinking a lot about my grandma tonight, who died one month ago. I had a lot of half-worked sentences about her floating through my head in the days after her death, but my dad got words on paper before I did, and did a beautiful job, too. I'm going to post what he wrote here.

I want to put this in Oliver's baby book too. I think one of the saddest things about losing her is that Oliver will never get a chance to make his own memories of his Bubbe. I am so glad, though, that they were able to meet each other.

Maltida was born in 1912 to Russian immigrant parents. Gifted and precocious, she graduated high school at the age of 15. She had great potential for advanced education, but agreed, instead, to help the family by entering the workplace. This sense of unselfish responsibility and service toward others – especially the family - was a trait that would define the whole of her life.

Matilda was also a talented dancer and a beautiful young woman who was proud of winning the “Miss Brooklyn Avenue” pageant. Part of a lively group, she met Rudolph Hersh, was energetically courted, fell in love, and began a marriage that lasted more than 60 years. This was not just a union that survived; it remained fresh and devoted, full of spontaneous affection and intense loyalty.

When her three children were older, Matilda pursued a career as executive secretary, administrative assistant, and, eventually, corporate officer; she took great pleasure in exercising her intellectual and organizational skills and helping advance both business and charitable enterprises.

The foundation of her life, however, and her greatest source of joy, remained her family: her husband, Rudolph, her beloved mother, Eva, her father, Samuel, her sisters Dottie, Bernice, and Phairal and brothers Jack and Jimmy, her cousins, and, above all else, her children Mona, Sunny and Howard, and her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Blessed with an uncanny youthfulness, she will be remembered for the happy visits to her home, where she would take her grandchildren by their hands and dance around the kitchen, and finish by bringing out the coffee cakes to which the young people always looked forward.

Until her last day, she remained generous and charming to others and continued to seek the right word or simple touch that would engage and bring happiness to those around her.

Matilda faced the challenges of life with determination and sacrifice. She sought love, gave love, and received it in return. Those who survive her will continue to be nourished and enriched by that love, and will serve her memory by passing it along to new generations.