Obituary: Vivian Goldberg

Vivian Goldberg, 98

Vivian (Clayton) Goldberg died on Feb. 19 at age 98.

Beloved wife for 58 years of the late Herbert Goldberg, adored mother of Debra Goldberg and Norman Goldberg and his wife, Suzanne. Inspiring grandmother of two, and great-grandmother of four.

Mrs. Goldberg was a child of the roaring ‘20s, with a spirit that matched the era. Upheavals of the Great Depression and World War II further shaped her intrepid yet gentle devotion to family, work, and community. After raising her family, she defied her generation’s expectations that a woman’s place was solely in the home and by her husband’s side. She managed all that, while also managing a large residential apartment building. For decades, she deftly made better her tenants’ lives, only semi-retiring in her 90s.

Mrs. Goldberg was a summer resident of Hull for the last 70 years and will be remembered as a role model, showing rather than just telling all that is possible, and good-naturedly daring us to match her energy and wit, determination, and common sense.

A graveside service was held at Sharon Memorial Park on Wednesday. Donations in Mrs. Goldberg’s memory may be made to Emmaus Inc., 127 How St., Haverhill, MA 01830, or to the Lenny Zakim Fund, 33 Arch St., Boston, MA 02110.