Leon Rothman

Leon (Lee) Rothman was born March 3, 1926 to Max and Fanny Rothman in Brooklyn, NY. He was the youngest of five children and now is the last of his generation. Lee served in the US Navy as an Electrician’s Mate Third Class on the USS Doherty in the South Pacific. After discharge in 1946, he completed his GED and went on to what at that time was called RCA Trade School.

Lee often talked about how lucky he was in his job with great health benefits, 6 weeks of vacation and pension. Most importantly, he worked with the amazing professors and researchers, at Columbia University in Manhattan. He worked in a lab at Columbia which was the continuation of the Manhattan Project. Lee worked with 4 different nuclear isotopes – cesium, uranium, plutonium and cobalt. It was dangerous work so he retired at 62 thinking that he wouldn’t live past 65 as many of his colleagues had already died. They had a VanderGraf Accelerator and a giant Cyclotron. After the money ran out, they closed the nuclear project and he moved on to the Health Physics Lab which dealt with radiation physics. He eventually ran that Lab and was a Founding Member of the National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists, served on their Board and contributed to their licensing examinations and served as Proctor for exams all over the country.

He met the love of his life, Roslyn (Ronnie) on a blind date. They were married April 21,1948. Their marriage of 71 years was filled with family, travel and fun times. They raised two daughters, Elaine and Joy, in a four-room apartment in Brooklyn with a loving extended family all around them.

Lee doted on Ronnie and she earned the nickname “The Empress” one summer at their Cabana Club. He was more than happy to be “Husband of the Empress” which was emblazoned on his favorite baseball cap.

In 1989, they bought a condo in Huntington Lakes, Delray Beach, Florida. They “Snowbirded” for three years and moved to Florida permanently in 1992. He called Huntington Lakes, “Summer Camp all year long”! He took up golf, bowling, was in the Men’s Club, Video Club, the Computer Club, served on the Condo Board for Section 5, was Building Captain for many years and exercised in the Gym, six days a week. He had his poker games at the Clubhouse twice week and worked with the Sound Engineer at the Clubhouse Theater putting mics on the actors in the resident’s Original Productions.

Ronnie predeceased him in November. 2019. After the isolation of Covid, he chose to move closer to Elaine’s family in Burke, VA in August of 2021.

He is survived by his daughters, Elaine (Edward) Throm and Joy (Fred) Rossmeissl. Six grandchildren, Rachel Throm, Rebecca (Ethan) Fisher, Benjamin (Jennifer) Throm, Bryan (Jenna) Partlow, Danielle (Allen) Gunderson, and Jacqueline Partlow. He had seven great-grandchildren, Micah, Gage, Derek, Brooklyn, Rowan Lee, Owen, and Roslyn Lee.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be sent to Pap Corps of Huntington Lakes, https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/qJw8mg?vid=14u9uv or any charity of your choosing.

A graveside service for Leon will be held Wednesday, April 10, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens, 11520 State Road 7, Boynton Beach, FL 33473.