Obituary of Ronnie Silverstone

Ronnie Silverstone, a bubbly, loving and dedicated wife, mother, and Bubbie, died peacefully in her home on February 7, 2023 after a brave and fierce battle with cancer. Born in Chicago, IL on June 11, 1942 to Dennis and Frances Gordon, Ronnie is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Steven Silverstone, her daughters, Cheryl Silverstone Niekamp and Debra Joy Heirshberg, son-in-laws, Jim Niekamp and Greg Heirshberg, and five grandchildren who loved and adored their Bubbie: Bradley, Jason, and Matthew Niekamp, and Sophia and Mark Heirshberg. Growing up in Akron, Ohio as the oldest sister to her late brother Michael Gordon (Ruzena), Bill Gordon (Adele), and sister Peg Fishman (Ron), Ronnie was the family glue; she was a loving presence in the lives of cousins, nieces and nephews - a hug from Aunt Ronnie bringing an instant smile and sense of comfort. Ronnie was a California girl. In the summer of 1960? Ronnie’s family of six drove across country to California when her father, an Accounting Professor at University of Akron was invited to teach at USC. Ronnie fell in love with Los Angeles and a local boy, named Steve. She soon transferred to UCLA , to earn her BA in Education. On August 4, 1963, she married Steve and raised her daughters by the ocean. For over 36 years, Ronnie was dedicated to her career as a kindergarten and preschool teacher, where she bonded deeply with her students and filled her classrooms with joyful music. Music was a big part of Ronnie’s life and would often be spotted dancing and singing along with her students. She leaves behind a legacy of ingraining the soothing power of music with countless children and their families. She expanded her musical gift beyond the walls of the classroom by connecting with popular artists to produce children's concerts, and even created Bubble Rock Productions, an organization dedicated to spreading joy through the development of music concerts and summer concert series throughout Southern California. A truly selfless giver. Anything she made from Bubble Rock was promptly deposited to her grandchildren’s college fund. She ran this organization for over 20 years and many of the participating artists became her cherished friends. Ronnie was passionate and a perpetually smiling “Energizer bunny”. She loved bubbles and designed a bubble class, where she taught children the magic and wonder of bubble blowing. She was a woman of many talents - she loved making Bubbie cookies with her grandchildren, knitting scarves for women’s shelters, digging in the dirt, playing mahjong, hiking, spearheading the Catholic-Jewish coalition, and starting the “Knit-Wits”. Beyond all, she was dedicated to her family, her students, the Jewish community and Congregation Ner Tamid. Ronnie always found time to give unconditional love and support and lived her life to the fullest with humility and humor. She will be immensely missed. To honor her memory, donations can be made to Congregation Ner Tamid preschool and the American Cancer Society.