IDA LUSTIG

Ida Lustig was born in New York City on September 8, 1931. Her parents were Carmen and Julia (Rosario) Negron. Ida passed away peacefully in La Jolla, California on January 23. 2026.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her late husband Joseph Lustig, her sister Jenny Darcy, her brother Carmelo, her daughter Joy Lustig Sangerman, her stepson Robert E. Lustig, and recently by her grandson Tyber Joseph Lustig.

She is survived by her son Jay Lustig, grandson Robert Jayson (aka Bo) Lustig, grandson Jason Sangerman (wife Leah Marsh), and granddaughter Jennifer (Lustig) Bradley (Husband Ricky Bradley). She is also survived by her five great grandchildren: Charlie, Abby and Sadie Bradley, and Jacob and Joshua Sangerman.

Growing up in New York City during the great depression, Ida had to overcome several tragedies which included dealing with the murder of her father and the loss of her baby brother who lost his life due to pneumonia at an early age. Upon graduating high school, she followed her passion to become a dancer and dance instructor. This journey led her to the Catskills, New York resort area where she met a fellow entertainer who would shortly thereafter become her husband. Joseph and Ida Lustig were married on March 10, 1953.

They lived a lifestyle much like the late Patrick Swayze's character in the movie Dirty Dancing. They taught dancing to hotel guests by day and were featured entertainers in the evenings. Her husband Joe Lustig was the MC/comedian introducing some of the world's most famous entertainers of those times. As a couple they performed their legendary dance routines while being instrumental in bringing the mambo to its heights in the United States in the 1950's. There was even a hit song called Joe Lustig Mambo (google it to listen.) They were so proficient at teaching dance that the famed Arthur Murray Dance Studio hired them to teach their instructors how to teach dance.

Even after the birth of their son Jay in 1954 they continued in the entertainment world by working in the Catskills, New York resorts in the summer and the Miami, Florida resorts in the winter all while living in hotel employee housing accommodations. By the time their daughter Joy was born in 1959, Ida had left show business forever and rented their first one-bedroom apartment in Miami, Florida. After a brief move to Lakewood, New Jersey, Ida decided to move the family out west to Los Angeles, California.

After driving to Los Angeles in the spring of 1962 and moving a couple of times, they found a one-bedroom apartment in Blair Hills (Culver City school district) in the summer of 1964 where they would reside for the next 6 years. During this time, Ida's motherhood skills and enormous compassion for all people were on full display. Whether it be comforting a struggling neighbor or making sure everyone who walked in her door was given homemade food, Ida had a knack for making everyone feel welcomed.

Then in the summer of 1970, at the age of 39, Ida and her husband somehow managed to save enough money to purchase their very first home at 3649 Sapphire Drive in Encino, California. Despite having to endure a one-hour daily commute to and from her maternity/children retail clothing store (Heaven to Eleven) at the Crenshaw Imperial Plaza in Inglewood, California, Ida still prepared homemade meals for the family and guests. Her cooking of old family recipes was legendary amongst all who visited. More notably, this was the first time all family members had their own bedrooms.

Shortly after the sale of that house in the late 1980's, her mother Julia passed away in 1990, and her husband Joe passed away a month later in May of that same year. By then Ida had added two grandchildren to the family tree. In early 1993, Ida, along with her daughter Joy and grandson Jason, moved into a home owned by her son Jay at 14203 Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades, California. It was here that Ida's tremendous nurturing skills were utilized once again by basically becoming her grandson Jason's full-time caretaker.

After the Pacific Palisades home was sold to next door neighbor Arnold Schwarzenegger in early 2001, Ida spent the next 13 years living independently in the south Beverly Hills area after which she moved down towards San Diego to be closer to her son and grandsons Tyber and Bo. In December of 2021, dual tragedies occurred. Her daughter Joy and grandson Tyber died suddenly just 8 days apart.

By then Ida was living fulltime with her son Jay, with whom she was living with for five years up until her death. As a New Yorker, even in her 90's, her comments would often mix in a few playful "F Bombs," leaving visitors laughing long after they left. Ida was fortunate to live out her life in La Jolla, California while enjoying visits from her great grandchildren. Ida was never in physical pain and she passed away peacefully.

While all the above is technically Ida's obituary, it is written more as a way to memorialize her remarkable journey through life. Few people get to feel cherished by all who knew them and Ida's unconditional compassion for everyone (especially dogs), sets a very high bar for all of us. Ida will be missed by her family and all those who had the good fortune to know her. Per her request, she will be cremated and her ashes to be given to her remaining loved ones to be kept or spread over a site of their choosing. May she rest in peace.