Fay Rothman

Most likely born with a smile on her face, Fay Rothman entered this world on February 10, 1928. Born Florence Center and called Faygel by her yiddush-speaking parents, she grew up in Brooklyn with her sister Ethel (Ginger) and her brother Jack. She met Howard Rothman as a girl when his family moved in a few doors down from her family. They married in 1948 and started their family with the birth of Larry (1952) and Steven (1953). They moved to Great Neck in 1962 where their two daughters, Ronni (1964) and Gail (1968) were born.

Fay and Howie built a life filled with children, synagogue and service. Married for over 44 years, they shared a joie de vivre that included hosting large family gatherings with multiple tables squeezed into their small space. What would likely seem like chaos to outsiders was really a reflection of their philosophy of including anyone who wanted to share holidays and traditions with them. They were known for their smooth dance moves at family functions and Fay was the perfect foil to Howie’s boisterous style. He was crazy about her and demonstrative in his love for her until his death in 1992.

Fay’s life spanned almost a century and she was both of the “old world” of the Polish shetl of her ancestors as well as a modern feminist. She raised her kids as a stay at home mom, packing 5-course school lunches with a daily poem for her girls for years.

Soup is good for your epidermis, so enjoy your lunch and bring home the thermos.

With the same ease she had raising her kids, she entered the workforce in the 70s with a minimum wage part-time job at CMP Publications where she worked her way up to become the Director of Accounts Receivable and retired at the age of 72. She was also known there as someone who had a poem for every occasion a co-worker might be going through.

Fay (aka Mom, Nana Fay, Nanny Fay) made each of her 8 grandchildren feel like they were her favorite, listening to their stories, showing up for field trips and special school days. Fay even made strangers feel like they were her favorite – in fact, she never considered anyone a stranger and would strike up conversations with people everywhere. She was a super extrovert and loved people. There is nothing she wouldn’t do to help out, even into her 90s taking care of younger friends who needed help.

Probably what Fay was most known for (though there were many things), was her ability to deal with adversity large and small. Long before gratitude practices were popular, her life slogan “it could be worse” drove her, even in the most trying times, to have perspective. During the last years of her life, she had to endure dialysis 3 times per week and once quipped, “it’s not so bad because at least it gets me out of the house - I try to think of it like going to yoga”.

Though her house was small, her home was enormous - warm and welcoming, everyone felt like they had a place there. She loved family celebrations and rituals, those from her Orthodox upbringing along with those that she crafted with her family throughout the years.

And that laugh! Her laugh expressed her joy in even the most mundane of life’s experiences. At 90, trying to learn how to use an iPad she laughed at herself even as she was determined to use technology unimagined at the time of her birth.

Her final days were filled with visits from her children and grandchildren (though she didn’t want a fuss or for everyone to have to shlep to see her). To the end, she shared wonderful stories and jokes and comforted all of us in her perfectly Fay way.

Though today it feels like things couldn’t be worse, we hold up her positive, kind spirit and feel her beautiful smile still.

Fay is survived by her son Larry, his wife Margie and their son Harris, her son Steve and his children Josh and Sophie, her daughter Ronni and her husband Scott and their sons Isaac and Emmett and her daughter Gail and her husband Doug and their children Haegan and his wife Autumn, Baylen and Hazel.

Friends and Family please join us for Shiva tonight Sunday, April 23rd,2023 from 5pm-9pm and Monday April 24th,2023 from 12pm-7pm

Location for Shiva Today & Tomorrow will be held at 38 Devon Road, Great Neck, New York, 11023