Obituary of Bilha Bender

Bilha Lior Bender passed away on Wednesday, March 10th 2021 in Aliso Viejo, CA from metastatic breast cancer. She is deeply missed by her family and friends. Bilha was born on November 7, 1949 in Tel Aviv and grew up in Ramat Gan, Israel where she got her teaching certificate, served in the Israeli Army, got her B.A. in Educational Counseling, obtained an MA in Criminology, and worked as a school counselor. At the age of 29 she moved to the US where she taught Hebrew while pursuing an M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University. She met and married her husband Mike, settling in Silicon Valley where she dedicated her life to lovingly raising her children. Bilha was a vibrant person who was devoted to her family and cared deeply for her friends. She enjoyed spending time with her family, traveling, and found fulfillment in wellness, spirituality, and mindfulness. All who knew her enjoyed her friendly demeanor, engaging conversations, warm hugs, joyful laughter, enthusiastic singing, and silly humor. Many sought her out for her wisdom, empathy, and advice. Bilha is survived by her husband Michael in Laguna Woods CA, her children: Talia, Donna (and partner Ryan), Ami (and spouse Sarah), Liana (and partner Diego), and grandchildren Kaela, Zoe, and Asher. In addition her sister Ruth and her nephew and nieces Ori, Ortal, Adi, and Diti; as well as many close friends.