Selma Kirschner Bookatz

Selma Kirschner Bookatz passed away peacefully in the early morning of September 1, surrounded by her loving family. Selma was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

She was born on November 28, 1921, in Temple, Texas, the only child of Herman and Anne Kirshner. She was raised in Clarksville, Texas but moved to Cleveland after high school to attend Flora Stone Mather College. Her parents followed her up to Cleveland, making a home for themselves in the Shaker Heights neighborhood. It was there that she met the future love of her life and husband of 56 years, Dr. Allan Bookatz.

In the fall of 1940, her mother Anne was undergoing a routine surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, when Allan, the assisting physician at the time, first laid eyes on her. He was immediately smitten and asked Mrs. Kirschner if he could ask Selma out on a date. She firmly said "no," claiming that Allan was "too old" for her as he was nine years her senior. They eventually went their separate ways - Allan continued his residency at Mount Sinai and Selma moved to Dallas to finish out her studies at Southern Methodist University. But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again six years later, when Allan and Selma were fixed up on a blind date in Cleveland. The rest is history and they were married in Cleveland on June 29, 1947, after a brief engagement.

The Bookatz's decided to make their home in the Greenway Parks neighborhood of Dallas and were eventually blessed with two sons, Bart and Steve. Selma embraced motherhood with joy and gusto, and her sons fondly remember her as the kindest and most devoted mother. As time moved on, she would welcome her daughters-in-law, Denise and Barbara, with open arms, lovingly referring to them as her "daughters-in-love."

Selma and Allan shared a long and wonderful life together, before Allan's passing in 2004. Selma would eventually move to the Legacy Willow Bend, where she built new friendships and cherished her growing family.

Selma was affectionately known as "Daggie" by her beloved grandchildren, Lauren, Karen, Michelle, and Brian, and she relished her role as a great-grandmother to Alexa, David, Samantha and Julianne. Over the years, Selma enjoyed memorable trips with her children and grandchildren to destinations such as Cape Cod, Alaska, Europe and Scandinavia. Her love of family, kindness and vibrant spirit left an indelible mark on all who knew her.

Selma is survived by her sons, Bart (Denise) Bookatz and Steve (Barbara) Bookatz; her grandchildren, Lauren and Karen Bookatz, Michelle (Stephen) Falk, and Brian (Katie) Bookatz; and her great-grandchildren, Alexa, David, and Samantha Falk, and Julianne Bookatz.

Her family would like to include a special shout-out to the three women who looked after Selma during her final years: Maureen Agbor, Anita Mungi and Lucy Wanyoike looked after Selma with such love and affection.

Over the course of the lifetime, Selma generously contributed to many charities including but not limited to: Shriners Hospital for Children, Dallas Holocaust Museum and Human Rights Museum, Operation Kindness and Temple Emanu-el.

A memorial service to honor Selma's life will be held at 1pm Wednesday, September 4, at Temple Emanu-El, 8500 Hillcrest Rd, Dallas, TX 75225. The Shiva will follow the memorial service beginning at 6pm at Legacy Willow Bend, 6101 Ohio Drive, Plano, TX 75024.