Sandra Green, a resident of Pacific Palisades since 1984, passed away on February 8 at the age of 68. Sandra, known professionally as Sandra Silverstein, Sandra Silverstein Green and Sandra Silverstein-Green (she gave the hyphen to her husband as an anniversary gift), was born ‘Sondra’ Berkowitz in 1942 in Borough Park, Brooklyn.’ Daughter of Max and Frieda, and sister to Val, Cynthia, Barbara and Elaina, Sondra lived with her family in a small flat, with the five sisters sharing a bedroom. She was part of the generation who had the calling to do good works in this world.’ Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from New York University, Sandra was the first person in her family to attend college; she was president of the NYU Social Work graduating class in the turbulent 1960s. In the early 1970s, Sandy was the white, Jewish blonde with attitude working in the Venice ‘ghetto’ with at-risk girls. She guided social-work students at USC and worked as a consultant to nursing homes and as a school counselor.’In her private therapy practice she worked with troubled kids, dying AIDS patients, broken families, warring couples, and psychotics getting medications from their doctors while benefiting from talk therapy. Sandy had the skills and heart to have helped many people over the years. With her joy in living, Sandy was not afraid of death, and faced her myriad health problems with an attitude that was much admired.’Her search for a spiritual anchor gave her comfort in difficult times.’In the last months, even though ill, she painted and made drawings.’She enjoyed laughing with her friends, making them and her husband feel good although it was apparent to all she was dying. She leaves her sisters, nieces and nephews, friends, pets, and her husband of 26 years, Doug, all of whom were fortunate to have known her. In lieu of flowers, spend money on yourself, as Sandra would have prescribed.’Go to a play you wouldn’t ordinarily see, attend a concert at Disney Hall, catch an unusual museum exhibition. May you live as well as Sandra Green.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
