Glenda Novitch Kiviat

1934 - 2023

Kiviat

Glenda Novitch Kiviat

Glenda Novitch Kiviat, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, nurse, sister, aunt, mother-in-law, and Frank Sinatra fan club president passed away on July 25, 2023, at the age of 89. The youngest of four children, and only daughter, Glenda was born in 1934 and raised in Hoboken, New Jersey.

After graduating from A.J. Demarest High School, Glenda attended the Beth Israel School of Nursing in New York City. Upon receiving her RN degree, she began her nursing career at the Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. Glenda worked with patients in iron lungs, however, her favorite area was OB/labor and delivery.

In 1959 Glenda married Victor, the love of her life. They lived in New York City for a few years where they had two sons. The couple then moved to Laurel, Maryland and subsequently moved to their long-time home in Bowie, Maryland where their daughter was born. They attended the former Nevey Shalom synagogue and began lifetime friendships with their neighbors. Glenda was known among family and friends for her sharp sense of humor, loyalty, and smarts.

Glenda became a stay-at-home mother and later worked as a part time nursery school teacher. When her youngest child was in junior high school, Glenda got back into nursing at Bowie Internal Medicine. Over the years, she became the head nurse at the practice. She was a favorite of all as not only was she a highly skilled nurse, she always brought a positive, light and friendly attitude that made her patients and colleagues feel at ease. When she retired, the doctors noted that Glenda not only trained many nurses but a few doctors as well. Even in her last year of life, she would offer helpful tips to the nurses and aides in her facility. They referred to her as their esteemed colleague and invited her to join the nursing team meetings.

Throughout her life, Glenda's main focus was always her family. She prized her time with her husband of 61 years, her children, and grandchildren. She played an active role in her family's lives and always attended her children's and grandchildren's school and sporting events. She especially enjoyed her time in Ocean City with family and friends.

Glenda was a huge fan of college and professional sports, with tennis, basketball, and football as her favorites. She almost never missed watching the University of Maryland basketball team and the Washington football team games (she was a Sonny Jurgensen fan). In her spare time, she crocheted blankets and knitted for friends and family and even loved to iron. When not busy with family, she also enjoyed reading books and the newspaper, along with watching Jeopardy, David Letterman, and Young and the Restless (for well over 40 years).

Late in life Glenda learned that she had Alzheimer's disease, but despite the diagnosis, her internal strength, love for her family, cleverness, and sharp wit remained. Glenda was a person of the greatest integrity and reached out with love, support, and respect to family, friends, and those in need. As a nurse and in life, she always took care of the needs of others before her own.

She is survived by her children and their spouses: Steve (Sheila) Kiviat, Brian (Katherine) Kiviat, and Nina (Jim) Tiller; and her grandchildren: Brendan (Lauren), Ali, David, Shayna, and Haley. Glenda was preceded in death by her husband, Victor Kiviat; her parents, Joseph and Dorothy Novitch; and brothers, Solomon, Leonard, and Edward Novitch. A graveside funeral service for family and friends is planned for Sunday, July 30 at 11 a.m. at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Adelphi, MD. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in her name to the Alzheimer's Foundation or Planned Parenthood.