Leona S. Green

Leona S. Green

GREEN: Leona S. Green, 90, of University Heights, Ohio, passed away on Dec. 14, 2024.
Born on Dec. 24, 1933, in Pittsburgh, she was the daughter of Eastern European immigrants.
Leona lovingly married Norman Green (deceased) at the age of 19. She began her undergraduate work at the age of 29, earning a Bachelor of Science in education and an elementary certification in 1970 from Cleveland State University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was a member of Pentelicus Women’s Honorary Society. Leona earned her master’s in education and professional certificates in elementary reading, special education, learning disabilities and behavior disorders in 1977 from John Carroll University in University Heights. Her post-graduate work focused on reading, learning disabilities, classroom economics and student self-esteem for kindergarten through eighth grade.
Leona taught one year in The Agnon School, now the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beachwood, and 26 years in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School System as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist at Roxboro Middle School, formerly Wiley Junior High School and Gearity Professional Development School, formerly Belvoir Elementary. She trained and supervised student teachers and parent volunteers. She was very involved, co-leading a group of high school students, with Chaim Horowitz, for a year that stressed positive Jewish identity which eventually became Cleveland Betar. Leona also served as a Brownie leader; president of Maple Heights chapter of B’nai B’rith Women, now Jewish Women International; board member of Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue in Lyndhurst, Ohio, and Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood, Ohio; a volunteer at The
Cleveland Orchestra Store; and a lifetime member of Jewish Women International, NAAMAT, Hadassah and Council of Jewish Women. Leona also authored two books, “The Traditional Egalitarian Passover Haggadah” and “At Home with the Jewish Holidays.” She was the proud mother of three daughters, Lynn Green-Bennett (Jeff Bennett) of Colorado, Ronna (Marc) Zaken of North Carolina, and Yehudis (Rabbi Eli) Cohen of New York; delighted grandmother of Remy (Ethan) Andersen and Michael (Paola) Zaken, Esther (Rabbi Yudi) Horowitz, Moshe (Jana), Lazer (Mookie), Devorah (Rabbi Didy), Gavriel (Yulia), Chaya, Mendel, Mickey (Brocha), Rivka (Maish), Dovber and Yetta Cohen; great-grandmother to many outstanding great-grandchildren; grateful daughter of Esther Y. and Sol E. Podolsky (both deceased); daughter-in-law to Bertha A. and Lawrence Green (both deceased); sister-in-law to Faye Lipsitz and Leda Cohan (deceased); proud sister of Selma Ryave; beloved aunt to Rosalyn; sister and sister-in-law to Mal and Ann Powell; aunt to numerous, wonderful nieces and nephews; a special friend to Marvin Engelberg and grateful friend to many. Funeral services were held Dec. 16/15 Kislev at Berkowitz Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel in Cleveland Heights. Interment was at Zion Memorial Park in Bedford Heights, Ohio. Contributions are suggested to ShaareyTikvah.org, Chabadclinton.com or Jewishcarrollton.org. PJC

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