Donna M. Rothenberg

Filling In the Gaps
As a birthday present a decade ago, a friend placed an inquiry in a New York magazine, seeking a proper suitor for Donna M. Rothenberg, a widow in her early 40's. A gentleman named Edward Schmall responded with a letter carefully crafted to attract her interest. It changed his life.

When Ms. Rothenberg eventually moved into Mr. Schmall's apartment in the Flatiron district, she brought more than two cats. She brought wondrous experiences from having lived in Europe, Asia, and South America. She brought a gift for cooking. She brought a zest for life that was reflected in her colorful wardrobe; "She wasn't somebody who wore a lot of black," remembered her cousin, Susan Sullivan.

She also brought the reassurance that she would be there for crises small and large, from Mr. Schmall's battle against smoking to his sudden collapse while in California. Ms. Rothenberg, a global affairs executive for the Aon Corporation, was 53 when she died, and the man she met through a personals ad so long ago now struggles to reconcile his blessing and his loss. "What I couldn't do, she did well; what I did well, she did better," he said. "She filled in all my gaps."