Rona Lichtenberg Birnbaum's Page

Rona! Well now that I know that I'd be totally embarrassing my first crush in front of relatives, I COULD tell that story....
The kids in the picture are not mine, but kids at the homeless shelter Thanksgiving Dinner I do every year, the latest of which was last week. My boy is 19 and at George Washington University and bigger than those 3 put together. Life is good here in the Bay Area. We moved here a few years ago after years in Los Angeles and most of my life, as you remember in NYC. My mom just passed away, just short of 96, after living 66 years in the same house on 71st avenue which now has it's 2nd resident EVER. If you ever get back out here, say hi. The gilgross@hotmail.com email will always work. Good to hear from you. Gil

Bob and I discovered that we were practically "meshpucha" when we got my mother on the phone (while we were at work at the dealership) and when she heard Bob's father's name and Willie's name, she screamed out Little Willie! That's what they called him years ago! Over the holiday, let me see how to make a dvd from the vcr tape and somehow email you! If you speak to "cousin Bob," tell him his other "cousin" says hi!

You know, I probably did meet your father way back then, but I don't remember him. Most likely because I would see more you and your mother during the day time when I was out and about playing around. I am sorry to hear he passed away too. My father passed away in '77 when we were back in Tokyo. Fumio was back in the old neighborhood around '68 or '69....Did you see him then? I remember he told us he visited Mr. Carson. When I was there last year, that house was up for sale. Do you know what happened to Elaine?
I went through some of the old pictures I have looking for one picture of you and me. We took it by our front door. I will ask my mother to look for it. So many good memories from back then.

Are you Willie's daughter and cousin of Bob? I worked with Bob here in NJ and I have old movies of the "crowd" going to the beach, including "Little Willie" as my mother had called him! My mother was from Richmond Hill and apparently they all knew each other!

Yvonne

You are right. Everything seemed so small to me too. I was so sure that the streets were wider and that the walk to school was just a tad bit longer. I am sorry to hear about your mother. When did she start working at P.S. 164? I remember seeing her once in the gym when we came back from lunch break and had to line up.
Fumio is married and living in Tokyo. He has one daughter who is 29. She teaches Japanese Literature (I think) at the middle and high school level. My husband is Chinese-American from Hawaii. Our daughter is a high school senior going to college in the autumn.
I remember you wearing a pony tail back then...I know my mother has pictures from way back then. Will ask her to dig into those photo albums.