Sylvia Goodman

Sylvia (Block) Goodman, 102, of Westborough and formerly of Boston and Newton, passed away peacefully in her home on January 27.
Sylvia was born in New York City on February 18, 1917. She was the oldest of three children born to Benjamin and Esther (Levy) Block. As a child, her father took her to join the witnesses to Sacco and Vanzetti‘s funeral. She never forgot it, and carried a deep commitment t o civil liberties and social justice with her for all her life.
She attended Hunter College during the Great Depression. As part of her work study, she translated German texts; this job took her into the social circle of Albert Einstein, and she remembered well his piano playing and the “twinkle in his eye for young girls.”
From New York she moved to Boston and worked as a lab technician at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. While in Boston she was a member of several modern dance groups. More importantly however, she met and married the love of her life, Nathan Goodman, a recent graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
Sylvia and Nathan moved to Newton, where they raised two daughters, Sheila and Harriet, and where Sylvia finished her studies, getting a masters degree at Boston University. She then went on to teach life sciences at Lasell University (at the time, Lasell Junior College), where she became a professor and also served as Science Department chair.
She loved world travel, visiting most of Europe and central Asia with friends, and later traveled extensively in the Far East and Australia on her own. She celebrated her 70th birthday on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Throughout her life Sylvia was a strong supporter of liberal causes, education and the arts. After retirement, Sylvia served for many years as a volunteer, and later docent, at the Boston Museum of Science. She enjoyed playing golf, bridge and visiting with her friends, and particularly looked forward to her yearly visits with her many friends in Florida. Most of all, she took joy in helping raise her granddaughters and, later, the great-grandchildren who played such a large part in her life and who were a constant source of joy and pride. Their love and frequent visits to her were a tonic in her later years, and were a never-ending source of happiness.
Sylvia was predeceased by her husband Nathan, and by her sister, Mildred Ragin. She is survived by her daughter Sheila Karp and Sheila’s husband Michael, by her daughter Harriet Richman, by her brother Arnold, and by four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A service in Westborough for family and close friends will celebrate her life.
Sylvia is remembered as strong, independent, and ahead of her time. She remained active to the end. “I want to be like her when I grow up,” people said.
Final arrangements by Mercadante Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Sylvia’s name may be made to the Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002.