Alice Goldsmith

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Alice Goldsmith, born on March 7, 1920, passed away peacefully at her home on August 2, 2016 surrounded by her family. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The only child of Oscar and Sari Rosenfeld, she led a full and fascinating life. Born in Budapest, Hungary, she and her family lived in Budapest and in Dresden, Germany before finally settling in Nice, France in the early 1930s. The Rosenfeld family chose to remain in Nice, a city the family loved, even as the Nazi occupation of France during the Second World War expanded into the southern and southeastern part of the country. Unable to leave Nice by the time the Nazis occupied the city, Alice and her parents spent nearly a year in hiding, fed and protected by friends and employees of Gaby-Alice Couture, her mother’s business in Nice and Vichy, France. Just by chance, relatives of the Rosenfeld family in the United States learned that native Saratogian Irving Goldsmith, a decorated combat veteran of Patton’s Army, had remained in France when the war ended. The relatives asked, if he were to be in Nice, could he check to see if Alice and her parents survived the war. He agreed, learned that they had survived and found his wife-to-be. Alice and Irving were married in Paris, France in January of 1946 and remained together until he passed away in September of 2015. Alice and Irving lived in Paris until coming to Saratoga in 1949. Alice loved Saratoga, especially Skidmore College where for many years she was a French instructor, and she participated in the city’s growth as a real estate broker beginning with Baldwin Droms Realty and concluding with McNeary Realty. She was respected and admired by her colleagues and her many clients. Alice was a long time proud volunteer with Saratoga Hospital where she greeted patients’ families with caring words at the reception desk. She was a member of the New York State Board of Realtors, Congregation Shaara Tfille in Saratoga Springs, and a life member of Hadassah. She is survived by her son Willis (Bill) and his wife Marilynn of Manhattan and Deer Isle, Maine; her daughter, Denise Gershowitz and her husband Joel of Washington, DC; three grandchildren, Andrew Goldsmith and his wife Miriam Fishman of Chevy Chase, MD, Helene Goldsmith Lee and her husband Brian of Old Greenwich, CT and Suzanne Gershowitz of Washington, DC. She also leaves behind three great-grandsons, Jacob Goldsmith, Alex Goldsmith and Adrian Lee and great-granddaughter, Norah Lee. Alice will be greatly missed by her family and the countless number of friends she made during her long and full life. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at Congregation Shaara Tfille, 84 Weibel Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Burial followed at the Jewish Community Center Cemetery adjacent to the synagogue. The family would like to thank her loving caregivers, Mary Jenks, Colleen Mattison, Lenai Mosier, Darlene Smith, Destiny Smith, Rose Travis and Dr. Angela Condy, Dr, Desmond DelGiacco, Dr.David Mastrianni and Kelli Foley, Beth Kmen and the wonderful staff at Community Hospice. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Alice Goldsmith’s name may be made to Congregation Shaara Tfille, 84 Weibel Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 and Community Hospice of Saratoga , 179 Lawrence Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Tunison Funeral Home 105 Lake Ave. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.Online remembrances can be made at www.tunisonfuneralhome.com