Berthe Baron Beloved daughter, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend passed away on November 23, 2009 in San Bruno, California. Born in Paris in 1916, Berthe was an extraordinary spirit and the world will be greatly diminished by her passing. She survived the Holocaust in France, fighting to save her life and the life of her young daughter, Gisèle. After losing most of her immediate family, including her husband, but thanks to her sister-in-law Sarah's sponsorship, Berthe moved to New York in 1947. Soon after, she married Sol who had a 6-year old daughter, Diana, whom she lovingly raised. Berthe, Gisele, Sol and Diana became a family by adoption. After many years in the export business, Berthe and Sol moved to Mountain View in 1976. Berthe enjoyed the arts, cultural events, and was involved for more than 10 years with ORT America, which honored her for her contributions. To everyone's surprise, she became an artist at age 89, and her work was featured three times in Eldergivers' annual Seniors Art Shows. Berthe was an independent, honest, brave, generous and persevering woman, one who passed her survivor's strength on to all whose lives she touched. An autodidact and a voracious reader, she was a life-long crossword puzzle afficionado and had a gentle sense of humor that always hit the mark. She is survived by her daughters Gisèle Huff, Diana and her husband Shelly Zitman, her grandchildren Michèle and Gerald Huff, Marc Stern, Andrea Herman and their respective spouses, and Stephanie Zitman, her great-grandchildren, Ryan, Beth, and Samantha Stern, Paul and Jane Huff, Travis and Lola Herman, and her nephew Henry Korobelnik, his wife Linda and their daughter Randi. May her light shine on us always.

Published in San Jose Mercury News on November 29, 2009.