Dorothea Tanenbaum

1919 - 2019

Dorothea Tanenbaum
1919-2019
Dorothea Tanenbaum passed away in her home on February 22, 2019 at the age of ninety-nine years. She is predeceased by her husband, Harold Tanenbaum, her brother and her parents. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Teresa Stoger (Martin), Richard Tanenbaum (Glenna), Isabel Tanenbaum (Jim), David Tanenbaum (Yosely), nine grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, her sister, and her nieces and nephews.
Dorothea was a woman gifted with extraordinary dignity and charm. She met adversity with fortitude and grace. She led her life with a twinkle in her eye and a beautiful smile.
She loved her children and friends and was a pillar of her community. For the people whose lives she touched, the end of her life is the end of an era.
Dorothea was born Dorothea Shapiro on December 3, 1919 in Brooklyn, New York to Wilma and Charles Shapiro. After spending her childhood in Havana, Cuba, she attended and graduated from H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College in 1939 with a degree in Language.
She married Harold Tanenbaum on March 7, 1943 after meeting him in New York City through friends.
The same year, they returned to Cuba where they raised their children and went into business with family members.
Following the Cuban revolution, she fled Cuba with her family on July 11, 1960 and sought to rebuild their lives in the United States, ultimately settling in Houston, Texas in 1963.
Dorothea became an active member of Congregation Beth Israel and for fifty-six years embraced her new community and fostered numerous deep and long-lasting friendships.
A funeral is scheduled for 2PM on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at Congregation Beth Israel at 5600 North Braeswood Blvd., Houston, Texas 77096. A graveside service will follow at Beth Israel Memorial Garden at 1101 Antoine Drive, Houston, Texas 77055.
Donations in Dorothea's memory may be sent to Aishel House, located at 1955 University Blvd., Houston, Texas 77030.