Obituary of Roslyn Benezra

Roslyn Saltiel Benezra was born in the Bronx , New York on February 13,1927. She was the last of 3 children with two older brothers. She grew up in NYC amongst many extended family members. She met her husband, Joseph Benezra, after the war in New York City in 1945. In 1946 Roslyn’s family moved to Los Angeles escaping memories from the death of both her older brother in WWII. Joe’s family followed them out to LA. Roz and Joe were married in 1947 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. After Joe graduated from UCLA and they had their first child, Robin, he found a teaching job in Redwood City in 1949. They reluctantly moved up north, far from their families. They settled in Palo Alto buying a small Eichler home. Roz had two more children, Lisa and David, while there. Roz was a full time homemaker as was common in the 1950’s and 60’s, raising and nurturing her family. In 1963 the family moved back to Los Angeles and settled in Cheviot Hills and Joe started teaching at Morningside High School in Inglewood. When the kids got older, Roz wanted to do something more stimulating. Thanks to a good friend, she found a job working as a teacher’s aide in the Santa Monica school district. She was so excited to be doing something to benefit kids with learning disabilities and she loved the comradery of her co-workers. Even after 2 hip replacements she kept working after Joe’s retirement and into her 70’s. Later she and Joe became very involved in the Los Angeles Sephardic Home for the Aged spending many hours planning programs and raising funds for the elderly there. Moving to a condo complex in Marina del Rey in early 2000, Roz enjoyed being involved in activities with the Active Seniors group there and the local Senior Citizens Center taking classes. Active and busy until the last year of her life Roz would not let her handicaps deter her. However, in March of 2019 she suffered a major stroke that took away her mobility but not her smile and grace. She died on February 21, 2020 in her sleep at home. She had just turned 93.