Geraldine Shear

Geraldine "Goldie" Woolf Shear, 71, passed away Tues., Sept. 9, 2008 following a brief illness. A lifelong resident of Tampa, Goldie was the daughter of Beatrice and Jack Woolf, Romanian immigrants and successful Ybor City merchants. Goldie attended Gorrie, Wilson, and Plant High School, graduating in 1955. She attended Vanderbilt University and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida. A woman of many talents and diverse interests, she had several careers, most significantly teaching at Hillel School of Tampa for several years, and was the original developer of the gift shops for Lowry Park Zoo, the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, and Great Explorations Museum. Goldie touched many lives in the community through her involvement in various volunteer and professional organizations. She was a lifelong member of Congregation Rodeph Sholom, serving on its board of directors and with its Sisterhood. She served on many boards and served as president of Tampa Jewish Social Services and shepherded its transition from an all-volunteer to a professional Family Service agency. The community recognized her with the prestigious Rose Segal Award for that effort and her overall leadership. Goldie embraced life with enthusiasm and passion and was truly a friend to all of whom she met. She will be dearly missed by her sons, Stephen and Jeffrey and Jeffrey's wife Kelly; long-time companion Jack Weisenfeld; sister Teenie and her husband Jack Grossman; neice Sandra and her husband Sol Fleischman; nephew Harold Davis, grandchildren Taylor, Laine, Sam, and Marin Shear; her devoted dog Ollie; and more friends than can be counted. Services will be held Fri., Sept. 12 at 10:00 a.m. at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, located at 2713 Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa. A graveside service will follow at Schaarai Zedek Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Sol Fleischman, Harold Davis, Damien Weisenfeld, Neil Fabricant, Michael Gregory, and Michael Bobo. Honorary pallbearers will be Jolene Fabricant, Blossom Leibowitz, Anne Thal, Phyllis Busansky, Rhoda Franklin, Anne Kantor, Carolyn Heller, and Sandy Turkel. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rodeph Sholom Synagogue or the Hillsborough County Department of Animal Services, 440 N. Falkenburg Road, Tampa, Florida 33619.