A tribute to community members we lost

A Tribute to Community Members We Lost

Harriette Ellis-Her Legacy Shines Brightly

Sharon Kenigsberg, MA | Friend and Former Colleague

Smart, caring, supportive, larger than life, one-of-a kind, intelligent, respected, compassionate activist, mentor, friend, a beacon of light to all who knew and adored her, wise, lovely smile...these are just a few of the loving adjectives that poured out of friends paying tribute to Harriette, who passed away a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Jewish Long Beach Board member Linda Waltzman remarked, “Harriette has been the undeniable expert keeper of the history of Jewish Long Beach for many decades”. Others remarked that her kindness was ever present and her impact on our community was so long lasting.

Harriette served our community as both a journalistic professional and a community volunteer. An awardwinning writer, editor, and graphic artist, Harriette served as the editor of the Jewish Community Chronicle and its earlier version the Jewish Federation News for many years. Her dedication and professionalism- all done with a smile- served as an inspiration for all who worked with her. Harriette appears in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Women. She served on many boards and committees both inside and outside of the Jewish community. Harriette received numerous awards and was honored by Temple Israel in 2012 as a Woman of Vision for the Jewish Long Beach Women’s Philanthropy Arlene Solomon Visions event.

“This grand friend of mine has died.” Sharon Amster Brown, Director of Education & Congregational Engagement for Temple Israel of Long Beach expressed. “Ours was the perfect example of how friendship knows no age. Fifty years apart and yet as close as could be. I am so very grateful for our time spent together and for the many lessons she taught me. And I am also so sad. Special appreciation to her family for allowing me to be part of their extended family. My Dear Harriette, you will be forever missed and remembered”.

Harriette, a loving mother and grandmother, will be missed by her family and all of us, but her life lessons and warmth will live on. I cherish the friendship I had with this amazing woman and as Linda said, “I can hear her voice and laughter even now”. May her memory be a blessing.

Dr. James Licht

Judi Lentzner | Friend

The Long Beach community is profoundly saddened by the death of Dr. Jim Licht who died Friday, January 19th after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s. Jim was a loving father to daughter Jaime (Jess) Field and son David (Amber) Licht and a devoted grandpa to Anna, (Anne’s namesake), and Rachel Field and Jordan, James, (Jim’s namesake) and Jakey Licht and brother Doug Licht and husband David Ezra. Jim was also the widower to Anne Licht who preceded him in death in 2008.

Born and raised in The City, a lifetime Giants, 49er and CAL fan who taught his kids and everyone around him to be the same. Jim was a gentle giant, easygoing man, that brought calm to those around him both in his social circle and medical practice. The handsome lefty with a full heart and easy to laugh, loved all things athletic-playing numerous sports throughout his life including biking, tennis and golf. His love for watching his kids and grandkids on the field was unmatched. Jim was an avid reader and history buff, a well-rounded scholar and beloved by his friends, colleagues and patients whom he loved in return.

Dr. James Licht attended the University of California at Berkeley for his undergrad

degree and then received his M.D. from the University of Cincinnati. His postdoctorate training was at both Davis and Irvine. Dr. Licht was board certified in both cardiology and internal medicine. He was Co-Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and for 15 years was Director of UC Irvine’s Fellowship Training Program at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

Dr. Adrian Shandling, his partner at Cardiovascular Care in Los Alamitos since the early 2000’s, first met Jim in July of 1985 when Dr. Shandling was a new cardiology fellow at UCI. Jim immediately made Adrian feel welcomed and put him at ease in his role as Fellowship Director and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCI. Jim was well-trained at UC Davis and was an expert in the mechanisms of cardiac disease. He was also excellent in the cath. lab, doing a

procedure called a mitral valvotomy, done by only a handful of people in the country at that time. Dr. Shandling said, “he was privileged to share an office with my mentor and “pick his brain” until Jim’s recent retirement. On a personal level, he and Anne were the first double date when I began dating my current wife. I trusted Jim’s judgment personally, medically, and not the least for his golfing expertise. He was a good friend, a true mensch, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

A heartfelt thank you to his friends and neighbors who accompanied Jim on walks, visited with him regularly and fed his soul with love and wonderful home cooked meals.

May his memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved this amazing man!

Lewis Rosenberg was a true gentleman, always there to help anyone

Article written by Rich Archibold of the Press Telegram

To his grandchildren and family, Lewis Rosenberg was their lovable “Grumps.”

To his patients, the Lakewood resident was a brilliant ophthamologist — an eye doctor who saved their sight. To law enforcement officers, he was a valuable volunteer for decades, always available to help in disasters. To his hundreds of friends and acquaintances, he was simply soft-spoken and modest Lewis, a mensch — a Yiddish word for someone of integrity and honor — and a true gentleman.

To his wife of 61 years, Jill, he was literally a lifesaver, whether on a mountain or on river rapids.

“Lewis gave and gave and gave to help wherever he could,” Jill said. “He was a kind and loving man, a true southern gentleman. He has left a hole in my heart.”

Besides his wife Jill, Lewis is survived by their children Craig (Amely Wurmbrand) and Paige (David Hirschkop); grandchildren Emma, Ethan, Halle, Brandon and Ryan; his sister, Rosalie Samuelson; brother-in-law and sisterin-law Jack and Diane Schuster; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jill said she was overwhelmed with the outpouring of love from people whose lives Lewis touched in his 86 years on Earth. Gordon Lentzner, next-door neighbor to the Rosenbergs, said Lewis was his best friend and “one of the best men in the world.” Lentzner praised Lewis’ skill as an eye surgeon, saying he had the ability to handle complicated and delicate procedures “where he couldn’t slip a fraction of a fraction.” But, Lentzner said, Lewis was not so good at assembling things.

“One time, he came over with pieces of a hand vacuum and asked me to put it together for him,” Lentzner said with a grin. “It was such an anomaly. He could handle difficult eye surgeries but asked for my help in putting mechanical things together.”

Dr. Jim Linden, another longtime friend, said Lewis “always had a great twinkle in his eye and a great smile. He was a curious guy, a great reader with a thirst for knowledge. He was a world traveler with Jill.”

Dr. Robert Kaplan said Lewis loved tennis and they played together a lot.

“We would play awhile and then he’d say, ‘Let’s go visit the angels,’ meaning it was time to take a nap,” Kaplan said. “He always took his naps.”

The week Lewis died, Paige said, the family was able to tell him about how much they loved their patriarch — and how “heartbreaking” it would be to lose him.

“We will miss him more than words can express,” Paige said.

Lewis died on Jan. 16.

He left this life to visit the angels.

To read the full obituary, please visit Rich Archbold: Lewis Rosenberg was a true gentleman, always there to help anyone –Press Telegram