Ralph Samuel Rothschild, a resident of Gainesville since 1994, passed away on December 26, 2014, surrounded by his loving family.
Born in 1925 in The Bronx, New York, Mr. Rothschild is a veteran of World War II where he served in the Coast Guard on a troop transport ship and saw action in the Atlantic, African, and Asiatic/Pacific theaters of war. He was proud to have made 21 wartime crossings of the Atlantic Ocean.
He attended Mohawk College in Utica, NY and Champlain College in Plattsburgh, NY before graduating from New York University.
In the late 1940s he met his beloved wife Helen Rothschild and they moved to New Jersey in 1951, where they lived for forty-three years before moving to Gainesville in 1994. They were married for 63 years.
In New Jersey he was employed by the New Jersey Department of Labor as a Field Representative, Wage Collection Referee, and finally as Chief of General Enforcement for the Office of Wage and Hour Compliance. He was also a founding member of the Kendall Park First Aid and Rescue Squad.
In Gainesville Mr. Rothschild was an active volunteer in the Gainesville community. He served as a mediator for the Alachua County Court, a volunteer at United Way, and a counselor for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. He was also former chairman of the Gainesville Men’s Newcomers Club, a member of the Jewish Newcomers Club, and an active member of the Institute for Learning in Retirement.
He enjoyed traveling with his wife to Europe, Canada, Australia, and the Fiji Islands, and yearly family vacations to the beach in St. Augustine.
He is preceded in death by his wife Helen Rothschild in 2013, and is survived by his son Robert Rothschild (Cathy DeWitt) of Gainesville and daughter Emily Rothschild (Sue Brix) of St. Paul, Minnesota as well as nephews Joel Block and Paul Block.
Funeral services will be at 11:00am on Tuesday, December 30th, 2014 at the Forest Meadows Funeral Home, Family and friends will gather at 10:30am at the Funeral Home for a time of visitation. Donations in Ralph Rothschild’s name may be made to Haven Hospice of North Central Florida, www.havenhospice.org.
Rob,
I am out of town but was saddened to read about the loss of your dad. He sounds as if he had been a very kind and interesting person who made a positive mark in this world.
Please know I am thinking about you and your family with sympathy.
Fondly,
Marilyn
Our prayers are with you.
He was a kind and gentle man. He and Helen are together again.
We were all members of Natures Coast Koi Club. They were both so interesting
and we enjoyed the time we spent with them.
Ralph was a fine mediator and this is how I came to know him. We enjoyed working together as volunteers doing mediation. He was a kind, thoughtful, and caring man who was dedicated to helping others. I am very sad to note his passing, and was privileged to know him. My sincere condolences to his family.
Dear family,
When sometimes we feel we cannot endure any longer. It is comforting to turn to God’s word, there is where we can find real hope and comfort. The Bible writer Paul offered hope of relief from that “last enemy” death. He wrote: “Death is to be brought to nothing.” “The last enemy to be abolished is death.” (1 CORINTHIANS 15:26) Why could Paul be so sure of this? Because he had been taught by the one who had been raised from the dead, Jesus Christ. That is also why Paul could write: “Since death is through a man (Adam), resurrection of the dead is also through a man (Jesus Christ). For just as in Adam all are dying, also in the Christ all will be made alive.”-1 CORINTHIANS 15:21,22; What such hope God has given us after all. Sincerely Yours, Judy L.
Dearest Rob and Cathy,
I am so sorry to read about Ralph’s passing. I want you to know how much I liked both your parents Rob. They were kind, interesting, vital and compassionate. Of all my parents friends in Gainesville, they were my favorite by far.
Having now lost both parents.. the thing I miss the most are their voices. I hope you have some recordings of them and if so, they will bring you solace. It is weird to not have parents alive anymore.
I am thinking of both of you with love. Marilyn