Rosalie Mandelbaum

Rosalie Mandelbaum of Washington, D.C., passed away on Monday, December 23, 2024, at the age of 78. Born on June 2, 1946, on Long Island to Sylvia and Theodore Mandelbaum. Rosalie was a trailblazer, a devoted family member, and a cherished member of her community. She is survived by her daughter Shayna, son Jonah, and her sister Amy.

Rosalie pursued her education with passion, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English from NYU and a Master’s in Social Work from BU. Rosaline dedicated her career to helping others, founding and leading the Women’s Growth and Therapy Center in Washington, D.C., where she became a respected specialist in talk therapy and women's mental health.

An independent spirit, she chose to keep her maiden name at a time when it was an uncommon practice, a reflection of her strong values and individuality. A dedicated mother, she was always there to support her family, even reducing her work hours by half when her children were born in order to be with her kids during their early years. She was deeply devoted to her marriage with Perry, faithfully standing by his side during his twenty-five year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. A proud and active member of Kehila Chadasha congregation for over 40 years, Rosalie’s presence enriched her spiritual community.

Rosalie was deeply intellectual, with a profound love of arts, culture, and music–a passion she inherited from her mother and lovingly passed on to her children. She was an opera lover, frequently traveling to New York to attend performances at The Met and enjoyed the vibrant programming of the Kennedy Center. A voracious reader and literary enthusiast, Rosalie delighted in word games, and maintained spirited rivalries in Words with Friends with her closest friends. Her home was a reflection of her artistic eye, beautifully adorned with treasures that celebrated her love of beauty and creativity. She most enjoyed working in her garden that she spent years and years cultivating over the 35+ years she lived there.

Rosalie will be remembered as a woman full of life, curiosity, and warmth. She was deeply engaged in the causes and activities that mattered to her and had an ability to bring people together. She was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by all who knew her.

Her memory lives on in the lives she touched.

A funeral service for Rosalie will be held Thursday, December 26, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Judean Memorial Gardens / Cemetery, 16225 Batchellors Forest Road, Olney, Maryland 20832. Following the funeral service will be a graveside service from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at External Service Location, 16225 Batchellors Forest Rd, Olney, MD 20832.