Ursula Flatow Obituary

Name: Funeral service for Ursula Flatow
Start: 2024-10-27T16:30:00.000Z
Location: in the gazebo at the Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park

Ursula "Sue" Flatow (nee Goldschmidt), of Bethesda, Maryland, passed away after a long illness on October 22, 2024. Sue was born in Berlin, Germany in 1928. In 1938, her family escaped to Santiago Chile. There she met and married Fred Flatow, whose family had also escaped Germany. They both joined a Zionist youth group whose members trained and prepared to immigrate to Israel and work on a kibbutz. In 1948, Sue and Fred got married and having become disillusioned with potential Kibbutz life, they decided to begin their lives together in the United States. They arrived in New York City without a job or a place to live, speaking very little English and without much education. In 1959 the family moved to Bethesda, MD. After a few years, she went to college and earned a bachelor's degree and Master's degree, while also raising her three children. After graduation she interned at the Dental Institute at NIH (National Institutes of Health), and was subsequently hired for a full-time position as a microbiologist at the National Cancer Institute at NIH, where she performed breast cancer research for over 25 years. When she retired, she remained active in a Women in Science group, where she gave lectures on genetics and other topics.
Sue and Fred traveled extensively throughout the world. Into their 80's they loved to hike, and would sometimes enjoy walking from the Maryland/District Line to Georgetown, have dinner, and then walk back. Their travels frequently took them to the Black Forest in Germany, where they hiked with European friends. Sue and Fred were ardent opera lovers and volunteered for the Washington Opera Society. Sue also was a volunteer tour guide at the Kennedy Center, an arduous assignment requiring substantial walking and the recitation of a lengthy script, until she was 90. She was highly valued and sought out as a tour guide because of her ability to lead tours in three languages.
Sue is survived by her three children, Ruth (Phillip) Shapiro, Steven Flatow and Daniel Flatow, and five grandchildren, Elisa, Laura and Tamara Shapiro, and Robert and James Flatow. She was predeceased by her husband Fred, who died in 2023 after nearly 75 years of marriage.
Funeral services will be in the gazebo at the Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park, 14321 Comus Road, Clarksburg, Maryland 20871 on Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
Shiva will be at the home of Ruth & Phil Shapiro. Visiting will be Sunday from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and Monday through Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m. Shiva services will be at 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Arrangements by Hines Rinaldi Funeral Home, Inc under Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington Contract.

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Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 27, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for Ursula Flatow

3 Entries

Bruce Lewin

July 1, 2025

It is with great sadness that I write this condolence for Sue just after having done the same for her husband Fred. I have been trying to contact them to inform them of a sadness in my own family, namely the passing on June 4 of this year of my former wife Esther Friedman, after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. While I do not recall how Esther met Fred and Sue, before we divorced, we spent many enjoyable times visiting them at their home in Silver Spring . I do believe they attended the brisses of both of my sons. Unfortunately, I lost touch with them, although Esther may have maintained contact. I always liked talking with Sue - she had a sharp mind and was well-informed about so many things, as was Fred. They had a world view, which I appreciated, and shared with us the pleasures they took in raising their children. Always the gracious hostess, Sue entertained us on numerous occasions and we always left her home feeling satisfied, both gastronomically and intellectually, She will be greatly missed, and I hope that she will meet up with Esther in Heaven to continue their great friendship.

Robert Horlick

February 18, 2025

Sue was my classmate and physics lab partner at the University of Maryland in the 1970s. I believe she may have been a senior when I was a freshman. We also both worked at NIH, although in different labs. My mother, like Sue, was born in Germany, so it seemed like we had a lot in common. I was so impressed and inspired that she went back to school at age 50 (or so) for a degree. Her story of leaving Germany and spending time in Chile followed by coming to the US was also so inspiring. I unconsciously picked up the way she used to say the word "fantastic" (f´ntastic) which I think I still say to this day. I send my deepest condolences to her family.

Jackie Rosen

October 27, 2024

I am very sad to learn of Sue's death. She and Fred were wonderful volunteers with The Washington National Opera for many years where we shared many fun times, went to many operas and met so many artists. Here is a picture taken at a WNO Volunteer luncheon on April 2004. My condolences to Fred and Sue's family.
Jackie Rosen

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