Bertha "Bea" (Bilsker) Pomerantz

Bertha Pomerantz was born to Adele Jauvtis and Sam Bilsker on November 18, 1924. She grew up as an Orthodox Jew in Brooklyn, NY with her two younger brothers. Her parents were Russian immigrants and Bea didn’t learn English until she went to school as a child. She grew up during the Depression Era and once had a party with her siblings when they found a nickel under the stove. Her father passed away when she was 10 years old, and her mother took in piece work to support the family.

Bea married Marvin Pomerantz and raised their two children, Shari and Steven, in Queens, NY and Oceanside, NY. She regularly went to Broadway matinees and the playbills she collected there were among her most treasured possessions. Bea was a bookkeeper for many years and she got her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting just before her children finished college. She was an excellent knitter/crocheter and enjoyed sharing those skills with others. She created many sweaters and afghans over the years for gifts, fundraisers and to pass down the generations. Every grandchild had a baby blanket and a “college” blanket by the time they were old enough to read. When she and Marvin retired and moved to Las Vegas, they didn’t bring furniture, but did bring all the yarn.

She lived in Vegas for more than 25 years. After Marvin died, she realized how strong she was. She relearned to drive at 72 and gave up her license at 88. At age 75, she learned Spanish and went to Spain with a friend. She loved old movies and recorded over 700 titles on VHS tapes. When she downsized, she catalogued and transferred them all to DVD herself. On her last night in a Las Vegas casino, she played PaiGo, her favorite form of poker. Surprising all the younger people at the table, she repeatedly won throughout the evening. She always knew which cards had been played, and bet accordingly.

Bea had a fabric wall hanging that was in her house for 50 years with a poem about “drinking til you’re 92” and she lived up to it! On her 92nd birthday, she posed for a picture in front of the wall hanging with a glass of white wine. She always said her limit was two glasses or else she’d fall down. She even talked about having a glass of wine from her hospital bed but had to settle for ginger ale and ice cream. Bea’s favorite actor and part-time obsession was Hugh Jackman. Her friend, Donna gave her a life-sized cardboard cutout of him as Wolverine and Bea kept him in her bedroom where he could watch over her while she slept.

Bea is preceded in death by her husband, Marvin Pomerantz; and brothers, Jack Bilsker and Sol Bilsker.

She is survived by her son; Steve Pomerantz and wife Anne, San Francisco CA; Daughter, Sari DeLand, Dallas TX; Ex-Son-in-law, Gordon DeLand, Chicago IL; Grandchildren, Matthew DeLand and wife Laura Lee (with a great-Grandbaby on the way!), Albany NY; Nathan DeLand, Richardson TX; Sophia DeLand, Grand Rapids MI; Abigail DeLand, Dallas TX.

She was loved while she was here with us and will continue to be loved throughout all time and eternity.