Obituaries

CELIA GOLDMAN OBITUARY
July 30, 1930 – February 19, 2023 Celia was born Celia Kandel in Hillside, New Jersey to Dr. Otto Kandel and Lois Michel (Sorett), joining her older brother Stan, where Celia led an early life excelling in academics and serving as the editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper. Celia then attended Cornell University earning a B.A. in English. Cornell was also where Celia connected with fellow high school classmate Donald Goldman (predeceased) who became her beloved husband of nearly 60 years. Upon graduation, Celia took a job with Bell Labs where she worked until giving birth to their first child and the family moved to California. After their first two children were in elementary school, Celia co-founded a monthly educational classroom magazine written for elementary school children in Southern California. In the mid-1970’s, Celia earned a paralegal certificate in the second class of UCLA’s new program. After a very brief career as a paralegal, Celia embarked on a successful career in textbook publishing, culminating in her tenure as the Vice President of Sales for Massachusetts-based Curriculum Associates. She spent nearly a decade on the Curriculum Associates board following her retirement from the Company. In addition to New Jersey and Massachusetts, Celia lived in the Bay Area, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Following the tragic and untimely death of her daughter, Michelle Goldman Kane, Celia raised her grandchildren, Skylar and Liam, blessing them and her whole family with an endless capacity to love unconditionally and inspiring many in her life to rise to the occasion when the going gets tough. Despite slowly losing Don to Alzheimer’s as they cared for Liam and Skylar, Celia persevered until she was stricken with immediate onset dementia caused by a fall three years ago that took the brilliant Celia we knew and loved. She is survived by her sons Alan (Lynda) of Pacific Palisades and Lawrence (Maria) of Los Angeles. Along with Skylar and Liam, Celia is survived by grandchildren Joe (Adam), Jacquelyn (Sam), Robby, and Alissa, sister-in-law Pat Kandel, stepbrother Dr. Evan (Wendy) Sorett, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends across the country who miss her dearly. Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 27 at 2:00pm at the Hillside Memorial Park & Mortuary Chapel. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made in Celia’s memory to the Alzheimer’s research charity of your choice.

Published by Los Angeles Times on Feb. 24, 2023.
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