Obituary of Beatrice Raab Greenberg
Beatrice Raab Greenberg, 95, of Albany, NY, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 28th, 2019. She was the daughter of the late Harry and Ida Belle Bittman Raab. She was predeceased by her beloved brother, Sylvan Raab and adored sister, Rita Raab Berger, and her beloved husband Sol, after a marriage of 72 years. She leaves behind her daughter, Elizabeth (Greenberg) Friedland, of Cambridge, MA, son Harry Greenberg and daughter-in-law, Linda, of Schenectady, NY, along with her 3 grandchildren, Caroline Friedland, of Cambridge, and David Greenberg, of Westfield, MA, and Ellen Greenberg, of Albany, NY. She is survived by nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews and dear friends. She was outstandingly kind and a most loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, and grandmother.
A native Albanian, Bea graduated from Milne High School and went on to study classical piano at Ithaca College. She returned to Albany after the sudden passing of her father, and worked for a short time at the Detroit Supply Company, which he co-founded. When she was 16, she met Sol Greenberg with whom she studied Hebrew in preparation for her Confirmation from Congregation Beth Emeth. They were married in 1945.
During the war years, she volunteered for The Red Cross, developing a passion for nursing. While her children were in elementary school, she went to Hudson Valley Community College to become a registered nurse and was in the first graduating class of registered nurses. Through the years, she kept up her love of classical piano, dazzling us with her dexterity when playing her favorites - Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu in C and Debussy’s Clair de Lune - for her family and friends.
Always modest, Bea was a women of many talents. In addition to being a pianist and a compassionate nurse, she was a masterful baker, creating and perfecting family recipes, with numerous submissions to the Pillsbury bake-off competitions in the 1960s. She knitted exquisitely and we will always cherish her beautiful sweaters. She enjoyed writing poems for dear friends and family on special occasions. Friends and neighbors admired her beautiful plantings that graced the front yard. She was also a lifelong member of Hadassah and Congregation Beth Emeth.
Bea was beautiful inside and out. The most gentle soul, she was always loving, giving, accepting, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She was unwavering in her love of family.
Services were held at Congregation Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Road, Albany, Sunday March 3rd . Interment will follow at the Congregation Beth Emeth Cemetery in Loudonville. Those wishing to remember Bea in a special way may make a memorial contribution to a charity of their choice.
