R.I.P. Dalia Rojansky David

Posted By: Peter DavidPosted On:

My mother passed away on Saturday.

I received the news while I was at the lovely Phoenix Comic Con. Her passing was hardly unexpected; her mind had really checked out several months ago, and her body finally caught up with her. My sister, Beth, has been the point person dealing with the day to day issues of an ailing parent, and honestly it’s been brutal on her. This is one of those occasions where death is a blessing. But it’s never welcome.

If Dalia Rojansky had been growing up in modern times, she might well have had a very different life. She was a mathematical genius. She worked with Watson and Crick, mappers of DNA. But she set all that aside to raise three kids–me, Beth and my brother, Wally–and always be there for us.

I get much of my sense of humor from her. Every year we would have a Passover seder, which my father took very seriously. But my mother and I would always crack jokes and break each other up, and at some point my poor father would slam down the Haggadah, declare, “We are NEVER doing another sedar!” and storm away, leaving us laughing hysterically. Yet of course next year we would start all over again, with my mom and I swearing that we’d be good this time. Which we never were.

Admittedly, her cooking wasn’t the greatest. She grew up in Haifa in Israel, where food storage was sometimes an issue. So she was taught to overcook everything in order to kill potential germs. I didn’t know until I was older that on Thanksgiving, the turkey leg wasn’t supposed to snap right off. I remember one Thanksgiving Beth and I staged a SWAT-like raid on the turkey. The meat temperature said it was 180 degrees, the little thing had popped to indicate it was done, but my mom wanted to cook it another hour and a half “for luck.” And her Swedish meatballs…she never added breadcrumbs or eggs. She just packed the meat tightly. And then overcooked it. Jose Reyes could hit one out of Citi Field, and that is NO exaggeration.

But she’s your mom. You accept what you can’t change and you forgive that which is annoying. Frankly, I thought she would pass two years ago, within days of my father’s dying. At least now they are back together.

I will miss her terribly.

PAD

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42 comments on “R.I.P. Dalia Rojansky David”

  4. Condolences to you and your family, Peter. It’s tough to lose your mother, I know. But you’ve a lifetime of memories to enjoy.

  7. So sorry to hear about this. Sounds like a mum you were lucky to have, and to have as long as you did. Blessings on her and comfort to your family.

  9. Condolences Peter. My mom spends a lot of time remembering what I love now. She knows how much I love the Hulk because of you, so… Condolences from my mom too.

  10. My condolences, Peter. My mother is still with us, in body and mind, though she is now 101. I thank God every day for that, but pray when the end does come that it will be quick and painless.

  17. I’m so sorry for your loss. My mother, too, tended to overcook meat, for fear of trichinosis. I bet your mother is cracking everyone else up, and your father is complaining – but they are together. May their memory be a blessing.

  23. So sorry for your loss. It’s hard to lose a parent, even when you’re prepared for it. Condolences to you and your family.

  27. Our deepest condolences from my family for yours.
    .
    My mother passed away in April of last year, and she likewise had her mind go some time before her passing. It is not something that is easy for any child or loved one to have to experience and deal with on a daily basis. As such, additional sympathies for Beth.

  28. Please accept my deepest sympathies. My mother, who passed away two years ago, suffered from Alzheimer’s, so I can relate as well.

  29. My most sincere condolences. We always know we’ll lose our parents someday, but we’re never really prepared when it happens.
    .
    For what it’s worth, rereading your story of Rahne at Doug’s grave helped me navigate my own mother’s passing three years ago. May you, Kath, the girls, and the rest of the family find comfort in each other and in all the ways that she lives on in all of you.

  30. So sorry for your loss and your family’s loss.
    My condolences to you and your family.

  31. It has been my observation and personal experience as well, that no matter how old we are, men never stop needing their mothers. Mine’s gone twelve years and I miss her every single day.
    .
    The pain lightens eventually, but it never goes away.
    .
    If she worked with Watson and Crick, she was one of that tiny, tiny percentage of the population who personally pushed the human race forward. She deserves every honor for that.
    .
    May she continue to shine in your memory.

  34. Our condolences to you and your family, Peter.

    Also, much kudos to Beth for taking care of your mother. After hearing what my grandmother has gone through in taking care of her parents over the last 15 years (g-grandpa passed 10 years ago, g-grandma is 99, +1000 miles away from any other family), I honestly don’t think I’d be up to the task.

  36. So sorry for your loss. Your Mom was a special lady and hold onto all those sweet memories.

  37. Sincere condolences. My Mother passed just over 15 years ago. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. Sadly, there’s nothing anyone can realistically say to make the pain go away. It’s not something you get over, but rather something you get through.

  38. Baruch Dayan Ha’emet. May her memory be a blessing. My sincere condolences to you and your family.

  41. So very, very sorry to hear this, PAD. I don’t think there’s anything else I can add that hasn’t been said as well or better already — our deepest condolences from this neck of the woods.

    Tim, Lisa, and Katherine

  42. I’m very sorry for her passing, Peter. I’m sorry I didn’t see this entry and say so earlier.

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