Lucy Saltzman

Lucy Saltzman, 90, of Ithaca and formerly of Vestal, NY, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at the Cayuga Medical Center. She was born in Havana, Cuba, daughter of the late Frank and Molly Bicovno Gochin and was the widow of Emanuel Saltzman who died in 2007.

Lucy immigrated with her parents to the United States from Cuba as a teenager. Settling first in Philadelphia she worked as a seamstress and then volunteered as a nurse's aide during World War II. She and Emanuel were married in 1947 following his service with the United States Army. They lived briefly in Brooklyn and Queens before making their home in Vestal in the mid 1960's. She was an eternal student. Languages, music and literature delighted her. After leaving Cuba, she got her GED and eventually took college courses at SUNY Binghamton. While in Vestal Lucy worked for the Johnson City School District as an aide in the ELS Program and was a longtime member of Temple Israel. She remained in Vestal for a brief time following Emanuel's death before moving to Ithaca to be near her daughter. While in Ithaca she was an active member of the Longview Community. While living at Longview, the independent community, Lucy, formed deep friendships with many people. She had a regular table each evening where she dined and laughed. Her antics as a member of the kazoo band kept performances lively and insured that when they sang songs in different languages all members spoke accurately. She was learning to use an Ipad and to play the ukulele. On Friday nights, she had a group to celebrate Shabbat with. Her family will be eternally grateful that the Longview Community gave her remaining years a sense of belonging and joy. Her friendships there were numerous. Lucy was also active at Temple Beth-El. All of Lucy's family were together with her earlier this month to celebrate her 90th birthday.

Lucy is survived by her children, Dorothea (Gregory) Mortensen, Cynthia Sue (Gary) Roberson, Gloria Anne (Hans) Kolbe-Saltzman, Jeffrey M. (Barbara) Saltzman and Rebecca E. (David) Schwed; her grandchildren, Gabriela, Melissa (John), Madeline (Kenton), Zena, Efrem, Nathan, Jeremy, Ethan and Audrey Rose and her great grandsons, Ryan, Noah and Logan. She is also survived by her brother, Moishe Gochin; her sisters, Clara Menduke and Esther Gochin and nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, Lucy was also predeceased by her daughter, Audrey Lee Saltzman.

Graveside services will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Sharon Gardens Cemetery, Valhalla, NY with Rabbi Aaron Brusso officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lucy's memory may be made to Temple Israel, 4737 Deerfield Pl., Vestal, NY 13850, Temple Beth-El, 402 N. Tioga St., Ithaca, NY 14850 or to Longview, Attn: Development, 1 Bella Vista Dr., Ithaca, NY 14850. Bangs Funeral Home is assisting the family. Bangsfuneralhome.com.