By Norman Greene
LA JOLLA, California –“My Mom was tough and she wanted to fight, but this wasn’t a fair fight,” Danny Neiman said as he eulogized his mother Linda Thaler Neiman, 66, who this past Sunday, March 23, lost a battle to an extremely aggressive form of pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed only seven weeks before.
Memorial services were conducted by Rabbi Jeffrey Wohlgelernter at Congregation Adat Yeshurun’s sanctuary in La Jolla. Before a very large crowd of family and friends, Linda’s husband and her two children offered memories, painting a beautiful picture of this San Diego native who touched so many lives under a wide variety of circumstances.
Her husband, Harvey Neiman described her commitment and loyalty to her family, friends and to her shul. He pointed out that Linda Neiman’s name had been engraved in Adat Yesurun’s Holy Ark and stated: “The Eternal Light above the Ark will shine on Linda for all time.” She spent a great deal of her time assisting the Congregation. Prominent among these efforts was her creation and editing of the synagogue’s newsletter.
Neiman credited his wife’s strength of purpose and character to her two forebearers, her grandmother Mrs. Anna Shelley, a founding member of the San Diego Jewish community in the late 1800’s, and to her late mother longtime Jewish Heritage prolific columnist and community activist, Gert Thaler, who preceded Linda in death less than two years ago. At the time of her passing, Linda Neiman was working on a book about her mother and the transitions of Jewish life in San Diego.
By profession, Linda Neiman was a public school teacher who, according to her daughter Shelley, instilled independence in her children. She described her as “never a passive person, a leader, a master of delegation, who was tremendously organized and….‘a wonderful mother’.” She entertained with gracious style and panache. “My Mother brought everyone together, just like her mother and grandmother did,” she said.
Linda Neiman, an avid golfer, was an active supporter of the Rancho Santa Fe Country Club and former president of the RSFCC Women’s Club. She was an ardent reader and supporter of the San Diego Jewish Book Fair as well as the annual Jewish Film Festival. She contributed to the construction of a kindergarten built by the Tel Aviv Foundation for underprivileged children, and to many other organizations and causes.
“She left us so quickly, but she is not gone. She was so much a part of the lives of so many,” her husband said. In addition to her husband, son and daughter, Linda leaves behind her daughter in law Lauren, her brother Larry, nephew Aaron and numerous cousins.
Am Israel handled the arrangements for the interment on Monday, March 24th at the El Camino Memorial Park.
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Greene is a freelance writer and longtime friend of the Thaler-Nieman family. He may be contacted via norman.greene@sdjewishworld.com
I was so sorry to hear of Linda passing. I knew her from the housing development we lived in as children. Also, from Crawford High. My condolences to the family. She will be missed.
I had a couple of classes with Linda and she was always a friendly, cordial person.
Rest In Peace…
What sad news, Linda was a special friend to our family. We have wonderful memories of times spent with the Neimans. Harvey, Danny and Shelly, stay strong, you have great memories of your wonderful mother to get you through this painful time.
If my memory serves me I believe I was inducted into becoming a Brownie possibly at the age of seven or eight (?) in the living room at the Thaler home in Talmadge. I believe Linda’s mom was the scout leader. I too grew up in the Talmadge neighborhood along with Linda. I remember her with short dark hair; a cute little girl but we were all cute little girls. 🙂 We of course were good little girls as we had a oath of conduct to live up to being Brownies. I believe I saw Linda years later at a Crawford High School Reunion. I believe we were grouped together to have a photo taken of all the kids coming from Euclid Elementary School. I hope what I write lands in the hands of her family and they will enjoy my little writings about their wonderful loved one Linda.
Looking online for information about the 50th reunion of the Crawford High School class of 1966, I came upon a site with obituaries of our classmates, and Linda’s was the one that hit me the hardest. She and I were close friends during a lot of high school. The things I remember most about her, and loved most about her, were her terrific energy and her sense of humor. We had many happy times just hanging out together at her house, talking about boys and being silly. I was thrilled to see her again for the first time in decades at the 35th, or maybe it was the 40th, reunion of our class; her relaxed friendliness and radiant smile, and that familiar look in her eyes that somehow telegraphed, “yes, you and I have a really cool secret,” reminded me how much I enjoyed being with her in high school. I’m sorry I will not see her at the 50th reunion. My condolences to her family.
— Susan Swerdlow