Rosalie B. "Rusty" Epstein

For 69 years, she was the beloved wife of David. Loving mother to Sara and her husband, Dr. Jay. Devoted grandmother to Jill (Charles) and Samuel. Great-grandmother to Lucas and Emmy. Bonus grandmother to Robyn (Karim). David extends his sincere thanks to our daughter, Sara and Jill’s mother, Flo for their caring and hospitality to us over the years and also to their wonderful neighbors.

Rusty was born in Haverhill, MA, to Lillian and her husband. Due to economic issues caused by the Depression and her parents divorce, she moved to Hanover, NH where she was raised by her Aunt Dot and Uncle Dave. In Hanover she was a tomboy who loved fishing and being outdoors. As an adolescent, she rejoined her mother in Brighton.

Rusty graduated Brighton High School and attended Sargent College physical therapy program. She graduated during the polio epidemic of the ‘50s and treated polio patients at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. When her children began school, she returned to work as a physical therapist at the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA). In the 70’s, she went on to earn an MS in social work from BU. She was a wonderful athlete in tennis, golf, and skiing. Many happy weekends were spent at the family ski condo where she made sure all her grandchildren learned to ski at an early age. Rusty skied into her late 80’s and was thrilled to finally enjoy the free ticket that comes with age.

Rusty was involved in her local community and national causes. As a Girl Scout troop leader, she had a large active troop. During the 60’s drug epidemic, and after a couple of drug overdoses in the community, Rabbi Grollman asked Rusty to develop a temple youth program to address teen’s needs and provide a supportive environment for them. During the AIDS epidemic, she transported AIDS patients to their appointments during the early years of the AIDS pandemic. Rusty was a steadfast believer in women’s right to health care decision making and attended Washington marches during both Bush administrations. As an active member of the Beth El Temple Center, Rusty was Sisterhood president, led the Youth Commission and Capital Campaign, and was a Refugee Resettlement Committee member. It was a privilege for her to help an Afghani family with young children acclimate to America and eventually become US citizens.

Rusty lived her life with enthusiasm, generosity, and empathy. She was a warm and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, August 2, at 10:00am in the Sharon Memorial Park Chapel, 40 Dedham St, Sharon, MA. Interment to follow. Shiva will be held from 7-8:30pm on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Rusty’s memory may be made to the Beth El Temple Center-Refugee Resettlement Committee, 2 Concord Ave., Belmont MA, 02478.