Estelle A. Rosenfield

Estelle A. Rosenfield (nee Rybier) died peacefully in her home September first, surrounded by family and her aides.

Estelle was born November 21st, 1923, in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Sadie and Harry Rybier. The family was completed by the birth of her sister Barbara Evelyn, when she was 6 years old. Though, as a child, Barbara loved to tease her older sister, the two lived nearby each other throughout their long lives and were the closest of friends.

A significant trauma of Estelle and Barbara’s young lives was the death of their opera-loving, tender-hearted, tailor father, Harry. He died after walking home through a snowstorm at the young age of 49. His early death of course changed the family's life. Resourcefully, her mother Sadie found work selling shoes at a department store on Saturdays, and later married a wonderful man, Max Newfield.

From the first, Estelle was an avid student, excelling in her studies at Jeremiah Burke High School and, subsequently, at Hickox Secretarial School, both in Boston. Her curiosity and love of learning followed her throughout her life. Following training at Hickox, she worked for the US Government.

Her life changed forever when she wrote a letter to a serviceman, George Rosenfield, during the early years of WW2. On a streetcar ride home from work, George's outgoing sister Gertie gave George's photo and address to Estelle's friend, urging her to write to her brother, then in cadet school, in training to become a second lieutenant. On leaving the streetcar, her friend said "I don't want to write to this guy", and moved to throw the address in the trash. But Estelle said "I'll write to him." She did. George replied "after a steak supper" and a 9 month correspondence was begun. When George returned home to Boston on leave, he finally met Estelle in person. On their first date, he told Estelle he loved her and, on their second, asked her to marry him. Estelle said "Let's wait and see how things are after the war" but George, a terrific salesman from the get-go, got her to change her mind. Her parents didn't approve of wartime marriages, but her mother convinced her father to OK Estelle’s marriage to George. Soon she was on a train from Boston to Avon Park, Florida, to meet up with her future husband. "What am I doing?" she asked herself. “I don't really know this guy!" But they were in love and were wed on an army base in Florida. Soon after, George returned to active duty in the army air corps where he was a bombardier, flying 35 missions over Germany, dropping bombs "in der Fuhrer's face." Surviving these dangerous missions, he returned to Boston where he and Estelle lived with her parents for the first years of their marriage. They finally moved out and resided first in Brighton, MA. Their first child, Howard, was born in 1946, followed some four years later by the birth of their daughter, Sheryl.

A fierce snowstorm in the winter of 1951 convinced Estelle that the Northeast was not for her. After some consideration, the young family moved to Miami, FL. Barbara's family, their mother and step-father soon followed, the family group living close to each other from that point on.

George's optics business often took him overseas. After the first year staying home while her husband travelled, Estelle decided to accompany him on his trips, which she did for over 25 years. Their travels brought them to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, England, Germany, France and other countries. Estelle, ever curious and eager to learn, studied Japanese and made close friends, often lasting decades, from Japan and other countries of their trips. A favorite destination of Estelle's was Hawaii: "I always ran for the suitcases when George told me we were headed there," she said. On trips to Cologne, Germany, Estelle and George made yearly drives across Northern Europe to Lille, France, visiting Howard and Jane. Howard began his medical studies in Lille.

Throughout their lives, Estelle and George were proud philanthropists, gifting to local charities. They established the Estelle and George Rosenfield Center for Digestive Health at the University of Miami and the Estelle and George G. Rosenfield Imaging and Macula Center at Bascom Palmer.

Estelle worked in the Quality Assurance Department at Tasco. She loved fine-crafts, crocheting many an afghan, crafting beaded flowers and ceramics. She loved trying new recipes from the Thursday Miami Herald, making sure to use the exact correct pan cited in the newspaper. She had a kitchen tool for every situation. She loved the card game Spite and Malice, and taught it to many a friend. She was known to beat her children and great-grandchildren at Rummy and Scrabble. And she never missed a birthday or an anniversary!

Estelle’s love of learning and reading continued into her 101st year. Her love of word puzzles kept her mind active. Her short and long term memory continued to astound her family.

She loved her family dearly and recently said: "I've lived this long to be able to enjoy my great-grandkids."

A funny story: Once, early in their marriage and when traveling abroad in Germany, George and Estelle were inadvertently separated on their train's platform. The train began to move with George on the train and Estelle remaining on the platform. Not one to be easily daunted, Estelle quickly located the mayor of this small town and explained her predicament to him. He helpfully enlisted a friend to drive Estelle to the train's next stop, where she was happily reunited with her perplexed husband.

Estelle is survived by her son Howard Rosenfield (Mary Jane) and daughter Sheryl, her grandchildren Annick Sjobakken (Scott), Johanna Kremberg (Tyler) and Susannah Rosenfield (Alex Girard), her great-grandchildren Lila, Reuben, Audrey and Elliott, her sister Barbara and many nieces and nephews. Her family is especially grateful to her aides, Cynthia, Sherry and Joyce, who helped her these last several years.

Private family service will be held in Miami Florida.

In lieu of flowers, please give any desired donations, in the memory of Estelle Rosenfield, to the charity of your choice.

Heritage Funeral Care, David and Steven Gross Directors and Riverside-Gordon Memorial Chapel at Mt. Nebo Kendall are serving the family.