Sylvia F. Goldfischer (Nee: Herz)
Feb. 1, 1934 – Dec. 30, 2020

The family of Sylvia Goldfischer of Brooklyn/Melville/Penfield, NY is saddened to announce her passing on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at the age of 86 years.

Sylvia was predeceased by her parents Sydney and Fay Herz (Rosenbloom); her loving and devoted husband of 56 years, Nathan (Nat); her youngest daughter Flori (Castellani, Young); her sister Rosalie Herz; her brother Jack and sister-in-law Sandy Herz; her brother Bernie Herz, her aunt Ida Geshlider; and her cousin Norman Geshlider.

Sylvia will be missed dearly by her son Marc (Debbi) Goldfischer; her daughter Randy (John) McDermott; her son-in-law Gordon Young; her grandchildren Madison (Rebecca) Goldfischer; Charlie (Liz) McDermott; Taylor (Aaron) Warner; Amanda Goldfischer (and fiance Wes O’Connor); Kerry McDermott (and fiance Ben Campanaro); Jessica Castellani (and her beau Rob); her great grandchildren Beth Warner and Elliot Goldfischer; niece Marilyn Ferraiuolo; her longtime childhood friends Renee (Stan) Goodman and Selma Puccini and their families; and longtime friends and neighbors Sandy Donchey, Irene Traina, Sherry Spalter, Pat Kolis, Larry Pero, Gene Conforti, Judi Pelaia (Conforti), Dana Cassell, Carol Geshlider, and their families.

Sylvia started out with her parents and siblings in the Bensonhurst neighborhood in Brooklyn. As a teenager, Sylvia enjoyed playing handball and other sports.

After graduating high school, Sylvia worked at Macy’s famous flagship store on E. 34th St. in Manhattan. She did secretarial work as well as fill-in in the cosmetics department. A real-life Mrs. Maisel!

She was having lunch at Dubrows Cafeteria (Kings Highway and E. 16th St) in Brooklyn when she met Nat, who, at the urging of his mother (Yetta) with whom he was dining, introduced himself to Sylvia.
They married in 1954 and honeymooned at The Nevele Hotel in the Catskills and then on to Niagara Falls. They moved into an apartment on E. 13th St. and Locust Ave. (near Ave. M), the same building where Nat’s parents lived and, consequently, where Marc and Randy were born.

In 1960 they moved to a duplex apartment on E. 63rd St. on a newly developed street in the Mill Basin neighborhood and made many friends.

On June 30, 1965, with a third child on the way, they moved into their own house – their dream house in their dream neighborhood – Marine Park. Not only were they in the Marine Park neighborhood, but the house faced the park. What a front yard for a family to have…with wonderful neighbors, as well!

Flori was born in August, 1965 and was not only a daughter…but also a best friend to Sylvia.
Sylvia was very creative and enjoyed oil painting, drawing with pastels, sketching in charcoal and redecorating the house. She also knitted, crocheted and sewed…making clothes and blankets for her kids and, eventually, grandkids.

Sylvia enjoyed playing Mah Jongg on a regular basis with her friends and also walking around Marine Park daily. Her smile and fun personality were contagious.

Some of Sylvia’s favorite times were family vacations to Pennsylvania Dutch country in Lancaster, PA as well as various hotels in the Catskill Mountains. Her and Nat often organized multi-family vacations with their friends joining in the fun. From antique and tchotchke shopping in Amish shops to swimming, ice skating, miniature golf and riding snow-bobs, Sylvia enjoyed it all.

In 1983, with the kids grown, Sylvia decided to return to the workforce and worked in the Communication Department at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan. In 1994, Sylvia retired in favor of spending more time with her growing, and growing-in-number, grandkids whom she adored.

In 2004, to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Sylvia and Nat took their 3 kids and their spouses, 6 grandkids and Uncle Jack and Aunt Sandy on a 5 day, 4 night cruise from NYC to Halifax, Nova Scotia. What a blast!

Shortly after the cruise, Sylvia underwent planned surgery for a Cochlear implant to help restore her hearing, most of which she lost over just a short time.

At the end of August 2010, after 45 years on Stuart St., Sylvia and Nat, both of whose health was in decline, sold their house and moved to a beautiful independent senior living community in Melville, Long Island…just 20 minutes from Flori’s house in Centerport.

Unfortunately, Nat passed away a short time after the move. He had been sick for a couple of years with COPD and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Flori and her husband, Gordon, helped Sylvia with her needs on a regular basis, and Randy and John, who traveled from Clifton Park, did so often, as well.

Flori passed away at age 47 in December, 2012 due to cancer that she bravely fought for 5 years.
In early April 2013, Sylvia moved to Webster, NY (a suburb of Rochester), five minutes from where Marc and Debbi live, so they could oversee her care. She lived in several senior communities as her health needs changed.

The staff at the senior communities loved Sylvia for her “funny” Brooklyn accent, her comedic quips, her smiling face and her telling them she loved them. She loved playing Bingo as well as doing arts and crafts and word games. She made friends, which was always easy for her to do. The staff at these senior communities are truly wonderful people who work very, very hard to take care of complete strangers who, very quickly, become like family to them.

The Goldfischer family wishes to send a special thank you to the management and staff at Aaron Manor Nursing Home for their unwavering care, compassion and courage in the face of the COVID-19 virus…a pandemic of epic proportion.

Sylvia’s final resting place will be next to Nat in Mt. Golda Cemetery, Huntington Station, LI, NY.
If you are considering making a charitable donation in Sylvia’s memory, please consider:
Hearing Health Foundation
575 Eighth Avenue #1201
New York, NY 10018
You may make an online donation or print a donation form and mail it to the address above. They also accept direct donations via Paypal. All gifts are deductible and all donors are recognized and acknowledged in the Hearing Health Foundation’s Annual Report.