Marilyn Esther Amdur Weisman
WEISMAN: Marilyn Esther Amdur Weisman (Miriam Esther bat Etti), beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Marilyn was born on the same date, 1926, in Pittsburgh, and was raised in a large, close-knit family including her mother Ethel Amdur Riesberg, her mother’s husband Benjamin Riesberg, her grandparents Nathan and Jenny Amdur, and her siblings, Evelyn (“Evy”), Mildred (“Milly”), and William (“Sonny”). Marilyn met and married fellow Pittsburgher, Sidney Weisman (1918-2007),
in 1944, with whom she raised two daughters, Leesa and Jeanne, and lived out her 96 years in their home in West Caldwell, New Jersey. In her later years, she was lovingly cared for by Shurlan Cromwell and Yvette Marks. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Leesa Barenboim (Carl) and Jeanne Berman (Alan); grandchildren Deanna Eve Barenboim, Julia Barenboim Nagler (Daniel), Elana Plenby and Jeremy Berman (Andrea); and great-grandchildren Kabir Shai Sindhwani, Max Plenby and Skye and Nova Berman. She is also survived by her brother, William Riesberg. A private funeral was held on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. Marilyn was an insightful, generous, spunky, and loving friend, family member and citizen of the world. She was a voracious reader and learner, who earned her BA from Montclair State College (now University) in her 40s, majoring in anthropology. She also engaged her cultural interests while traveling the world through Sidney’s international work as a metallurgist. They were a dashing couple, known for their amazing dancing and for being very much in love for all their years together. Marilyn also had incredibly special relationships with each of her family members, and will always be remembered for her love, caring warmth, deep listening, sage advice, amazing cooking, and welcoming holiday table. She will also be remembered as a caretaker of her larger community and society. Marilyn volunteered with Meals on Wheels, advocated for women in the workplace, and was an active donor to feminist organizations such as NARAL and Hadassah. She voted in every election she could, volunteered at hospitals, and supported scientific advances through organizations such as the Weizmann Institute of Science. In Marilyn’s younger days, she — along with Sidney and other dear friends who often camped together on Lake George, New York — founded Congregation Agudath Israel synagogue in West Caldwell, New Jersey, for which she was honored in 2012. A plaque can be found at Agudath Israel in memory of Marilyn and other women crucial to the founding and success of the synagogue’s pre-school and library programs. Marilyn’s family hopes to set up ways to honor Marilyn’s memory through fostering the education and imaginations of generations to come; if you are interested in donating to future initiatives, please sign up at bit.ly/honoringmarilyn to find out more as plans unfold. PJC
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