Dr. Nina Kivelson Auerbach

1935 - 2022

Dr. Nina Kivelson
Auerbach
February 22, 1935 - July 11, 2022
Nina Kivelson Auerbach passed away after a short illness on July 11, 2022.
Nina was born in New York City on February 22, 1935. She was the third child of Eva and Harvey Kivelson, Russian Jewish immigrants who raised their family in New York. She lived a full life – starting at the Brearley School in Manhattan and graduating from Vassar College in 1956. She obtained an MA in French Literature at Columbia University. Never daunted by a new challenge, Nina then decided she wanted to pursue a career in medicine. She entered Boston University Medical School. She completed a neurology residency at Stanford University and followed that with a second residency, this time in psychiatry at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco. Once in California, she never left. Psychiatry became her primary occupation, and she maintained a private practice until the time of her death. A lifelong lover of learning and a voracious reader, she continued to study and expand her horizons – obtaining a law degree from USF and delighting in a string of continuing education courses at Stanford University.
A colorful and lively personality, Nina was always immaculately "put together". Her hair and nails were perfect; her outfits coordinated with glasses, shoes and jewelry. She knew everyone in each shop she frequented. She was always on the lookout for new and stimulating experiences.
Nina particularly loved the theater and travel. She frequently went to London and New York City to check out the latest theater productions. She also enjoyed local theater and the opera. She was an adventurous traveler and often went on trips with good friends or with her sister-in-law, Margaret Kivelson.
Maintaining a lovely house that was always full of relatives and friends, Nina ran a full-service "bed and breakfast." She took great joy in entertaining countless relatives, friends she had made on airplanes, friends of friends, and the fascinating collection of people she gathered in her circle. She was much beloved by her nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and countless others whom she adopted as family. She encouraged many of them in their careers and enjoyed offering wise counsel.
Nina was predeceased by her brothers, Arnold Kivelson and Daniel Kivelson. She is, however, survived by many family members and friends to whom she acted as parent or grandparent. She will be greatly missed. Any donations should be made to The Brearley School (610 E. 83rd St., NY, NY 10028) Dr. Nina Kivelson Auerbach Scholarship Fund. At her request, there will be no funeral. An independent bookstore, an innovative theater, or an off-beat retail establishment are good places to remember her.