Obituary of Laurie Simon Goldstein

Funeral services were held on Thursday March 27th, for Laurie Goldstein who passed away peacefully with her loving family at her bedside at Dominican Hospital on March 25th. She was 69 years old. Laurie was born in Oakland, California and graduated from UCLA with a degree in English. She earned her master's degree from Michigan State University in Reading, and had a rewarding career as a teacher which spanned over 30 years. For the last 20 years, Laurie made numerous friends, and was respected by her colleagues throughout Santa Cruz County; most recently at Cabrillo College where she taught reading classes. Before moving to Santa Cruz in 1989, Laurie was a proud military wife, and resided in many places with her husband Jerry and family, including Germany, Hawaii, Washington State, and Colorado. She was a dedicated member of Temple Beth El Jewish Community in Aptos. Her family will cherish many memories of her love for all things Disney and finding joy in the small things in life. As well as being an accomplished traveler, Laurie enjoyed spending time with her beloved family and friends, cooking, playing mahjong, reading and knitting. Her devotion to family was a guiding force for her. She leaves behind a strong moral legacy for her children and grandchildren and many wonderful memories for all that knew her. She is survived by her devoted husband of 46 years, Jerry Goldstein of Soquel, her daughter, Jodi Goldstein of San Francisco, her son Peter Goldstein and his son Gabriel of Santa Cruz, and her daughter and son-in-law, Marni and Brian Zweig of Potomac, MD, and their children, Nathan and Jillian. Laurie also leaves her brother, Rabbi James Simon, of Miami, FL and her sister Wendy Simon of Oakland. The funeral ceremony was conducted by Rabbi Richard Litvak of Temple Beth El in Aptos. . A private burial followed at Home of Eternity Jewish Cemetery in Oakland. The family requests that donations be made in Laurie's memory to Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Library (P.O. Box 8472, Santa Cruz, CA 95061) or to Temple Beth El Jewish Community in lieu of flowers.