Obituary - RHODA SHARON BERNARD WOLF

Rhoda Wolf (Hebrew name Sura Rifka bas Tzvi Hirsch u’Frieda), 90, for more than six decades a resident of Central Florida, passed away on Jan. 11, 2017, in Longwood. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years, Leonard Wolf, by the parents she adored, Harry and Fanny Bernard, by her parents-in-law to whom she was selflessly devoted, Nat and Mollie Wolf, and by the siblings she cherished, Helen Low (Jack) and Leon Bernard (Shirley).

A native New Yorker, Rhoda was a proud graduate of Lafayette High School in Brooklyn and (somehow) a Giants baseball fan. After World War II, she met Leonard, then from Paterson, New Jersey, and they lived in the North until they moved with their two oldest children to Lakeland in 1951. Rhoda spent more than half a century in Lakeland, but she never lost her Brooklyn accent. She was a homemaker who raised four children, an active member of Temple Emanuel Sisterhood, and a volunteer par excellence. A voracious reader, she devoted countless hours to the library at Temple Emanuel. She directed some of her boundless energy to Lakeland General Hospital (now Lakeland Regional Health), where she volunteered in the gift shop for many years.

Rhoda’s friendliness was universal. She was beloved by people from all walks of life, from all parts of town, from all religions and races. Her inseparable best friend for more than 60 years, Althea Miller of Lakeland, was like a sister to Rhoda, and the Millers and the Wolfs have been closely linked for generations.

She is survived by four loving children and their spouses, who she always treated as her own: Susan (Bruce) Scheinberg of Miami, Robert (Vicki) Wolf of Lakeland, Michael (Betty) Wolf of Gainesville, and Laurie (Don) Altshuler of Maitland.

She had a close and special connection with all six of her grandchildren: Jeremy (Rachel) Scheinberg, Leslie (Saul) Mishkin, Daniel Wolf, Joshua Altshuler, Rachel (Bernie) Kramer, and Alissa Cronin. In her later years, Rhoda was blessed with five great-grandchildren: Sophia, Jake, Olivia, Taylor, and Carly. She had a special bond with her niece, Roberta Levene, and her family.

Services for Sura Rifka bas Tzvi Hirsch u’Frieda were held at Temple Emanuel in Lakeland. Interment followed at Temple Emanuel Cemetery. In memory of Rhoda Bernard Wolf, the family requests donations to Temple Emanuel in Lakeland, 600 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland 33803 or the Price Library of Judaica at the University of Florida, 1938 West University Avenue, Gainesville FL 32603. Services entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando.