Dr. Theodore “Tony” Pearlman
Dr. Theodore “Tony” Pearlman, of blessed memory, passed away Sept. 28, 2022, in Aventura, Florida. He was surrounded by his three children, his grandchildren, niece and nephews from South Africa and California and died peacefully on his own terms. He had a stroke four days prior in his sleep and didn’t suffer. He was 89 years old.
Tony was born June 28, 1933, in Hlobane, a coal-mining town in South Africa to Louis and Leah (Karp) Pearlman. He loved them both very dearly.
He and his beloved sister, Julia Abrahamson, of blessed memory, spent their childhood in extremely challenging circumstances after losing their mother at a young age. Despite this, Tony excelled in school and graduated from Vryheid High School, with distinction.
He received a scholarship to medical school at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he continued to excel. He initially became a general practitioner and later specialized in psychiatry, in which he practiced for more than 60 years. He retired at the age of 87 in Irvine, California, and left an indelible mark on all those he helped in the crucial field of mental health. He published a book on psychiatry, was an expert in forensic psychiatry and was always humble in his accolades.
Tony met his wife, Pamela, when she was just 15 years of age and he was a medical student in Johannesburg, South Africa. They fell in love, and he asked her to sign a piece of paper that she would promise to marry him. That promise came true four years later on Dec. 15, 1957. They later had three children whom they loved and cherished. In 1980, the family immigrated to the USA where they resided in Houston until 2007.
Tony was a brilliant man. He still could quote entire pages of Shakespeare verbatim, up until the time of his passing. He relished in academia and was a gifted writer. He enjoyed gardening and took pride in his greenhouse, which he filled with an array of nurtured flowers and plants. He followed sports and horse racing and was a true historian, always reading and learning. He loved poetry and the likes of Oscar Wilde and Chaucer. His memory to recall names and places was a gift unto itself, and he never forgot a person he met. He made people feel like they mattered and was selfless in all he did.
Tony’s warmth and love for his wife and family was his first priority. He always remembered birthdays and never failed to send a carefully selected card to his children and grandchildren that always arrived on time. Up until the very month he died, he had sent cards. The day before he got ill, he bought his wife Pam a red rose. Whatever Tony did, he did with passion and intensity.
He enjoyed the Jewish holidays, and he and Pam always hosted a beautiful Rosh Hashanah luncheon while they lived in Houston. There is no surprise that he passed away during the holiest week in the Jewish calendar.
Tony was always involved in the Jewish community and very close to Chabad of Irvine where he had a special relationship. There, he attended services every Saturday and celebrated his second bar mitzvah at 83 years of age with his entire family present.
Tony is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Pam; his three children and their spouses, Trevor and Elaine Pearlman, Carol and Brian Kirshon, and Linda and Ory Schwartz. His eight grandchildren, Layne, Ryan, Samantha, Morgan, Meirah, Sivan, Lielle and Yosef were his pride and joy, and he had a very special relationship with each one. His glorious and unforgettable smile was the biggest when he spoke of them and he was called Pappa T to the younger ones.
He had a very close relationship with his niece, Lynne (Abrahamson) Strimling; nephews, Michael Strimling and sons, Barri and Jonti, as well as David and Talya Abrahamson and daughters, Beth, Gabby and Hannah. Lynne, Mike and David all flew from South Africa and California to be at his bedside throughout. He took his last breath with everyone around him and passed away at 12:08 p.m.
Tony will continue to inspire all who knew and loved him with all that he was. He was a very special man who will be sorely missed.
A meaningful funeral service was held at the South Florida Jewish Cemetery on Sept. 29, 2022, at noon. Rabbi Jay Lyons (South Florida) and Rabbi Alter Tannenbaum (Chabad of Irvine) officiated.
Donations can be made to Chabad of Irvine in his memory.
Judith Gail Rhodes
Our beloved Mother, Judith Gail Rhodes, 80, passed away on Sept. 24, 2022, after a brief illness.
Judith Rhodes was born on June 7, 1942, to Betty Serota in Oakland, California. After graduation from high school, she joined the Air Force and served in the combat support group from 1961 to 1965. After her service, she dedicated her time to raising her family. Later, through her adult years, she worked as a trial paralegal.
Judy lived her life to the fullest. She was very proud to be a veteran and was very proud of her service. She liked to attend various VA events and enjoyed being in the company of other veterans. She loved to go to the gift shop at the Dallas VA to shop during her many appointments. She would wear her VA clothing that she purchased proudly. Judy was also outgoing and made friends easily. She loved all the friends that she made, and they loved her! She made a big impression with other people over the years.
Judy was predeceased by her mother Betty Serota. She is survived by her daughters, Samantha Schwartz and Millicent Rhodes, son in law Andrew Schwartz, grandchildren Seth Schwartz, Sarah Schwartz, Zachary Schwartz and Miriam Eiben.
Services were held at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery on Thursday, Oct. 6. The family requests donations be made to The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Services were entrusted to North Dallas Funeral Home, 2710 Valley View Lane, Dallas, TX 75234.
