Obituary of Vivian Leah Judkowitz

VIVIAN LEAH JUDKOWITZ 1923-2010 Vivian Leah Judkowitz, nee Shakowitz, died on Thursday evening September 9, 2010 at the Hospice Inn at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, NY. She was born July 4, 1923 in Kremenchuk, Ukraine to Isidore and Bessie (nee Podulsky) Shakowitz. When she was 2 weeks old, she left Kremenchuk on a 3 month journey that took her to Latvia and Liverpool and via the Gold Star line to Halifax, Nova Scotia and arriving in Philadelphia on October 15, 1923 to join her grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. She was raised in both Philadelphia and Brooklyn and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School at the age of 16. She attended Rhodes and Hunter College before marrying her beloved Meyer (Milton) on March 14, 1942 and moving to Albany. When Meyer was drafted later in 1942, she moved to Miami, Florida until he was sent to the Philippines, when she moved back to her parents in Philadelphia for the duration of the war. They then moved to Brooklyn and then to Elmont where they raised their 3 children, Harvey, Rona and Marc, her "greatest achievement." In December, 1970, she and Meyer moved back to Albany to be near her daughter and son-in-law. Vivian had many jobs during her life, including a nursery school, Sunday school teacher and camp counselor at the Elmont Jewish Center and a tax examiner for New York State Corporation Tax in Mineola, New York and for the Department of Motor Vehicle's Sales Tax division in Carle Place, New York. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Shirley Shakowitz. Her magnificent husband of nearly 58 years, Milton (Meyer) Judkowitz, predeceased her on December 7, 1999. She is survived by her children, Harvey (Judy) of Miami, Florida, Rona (Louis-Jack) Pozner of Albany, New York and Marc of North Haledon, New Jersey; her eight grandchildren, Dr. Samantha Pozner (Andrew Hickman), Penny (James) Bolt, Dr. Jo-Ellen Zeitlin (Dr. Benjamin Zeitlin), Zachary (Dera-Jill) Pozner, Meredith Witt, Jay Judkowitz, Alyson Judkowitz and Eric Judkowitz; and her ten great-grandchildren, Tabatha, Miller, Simon, Alex, Jessica, Taylor, Rebecca, Jacob, Ethan and Corina. At the time of her death, Vivian was a member of Temple Israel and a life member of Hadassah. A graveside service will be held on Sunday, September 12th at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York. Shiva will be at the home of Rona and Louis-Jack Pozner on Monday through Thursday. The family thanks Vivian's favorite doctors, Dr. Rocarrio, Dr. Hedderman and Dr. Waldman; the nurses and Dr. Wasserman at the Daughters of Sarah Rehab/Green Ward; and especially the doctors and nurses of Albany Medical Center Hospital's CCU and its cardiologists, pulmonologists and nephrologists for their exception care. Lastly we wish to thank the nurses, doctors and volunteers of St. Peter's Hospice who insured Vivian a beautiful and peaceful rest. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York's Endowment Fund, Temple Israel's Tzedaka Fund, the Hebrew Academy's Judkowitz Fund, Daughters of Sarah, Hadassah or St. Peter's Hospice.