Obituary of Ethel Levin Heringman

To know her was to love her. After living a full and feisty life filled with love and adventure and living independently until the end, Ethel Levin Heringman passed away Thursday at the age of 96, after a brief illness, surrounded by loved ones at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Ethel was preceded in death by her parents, Alfred 'Abe' and Matilda 'Tillie' (nee Bernstein) Levin, beloved daughter-in-law of Hyman and Minnie 'Little Mom' Heringman and sister-in-law Ruth 'Bootsie' Saunders. The beloved wife of Samuel Arthur 'Artie' Heringman who preceded her in death in 1999, Ethel was the proud mother two adult daughters, Naomi Heringman Allen of New York, New York and Tami Heringman Rotem of Oakton, Virginia. She is survived by her daughters and her granddaughters Jessica Rotem (and wife Leah Golshani) of Takoma Park, Maryland and Jodi Lyn Cutler (and her husband Kip Foley) and her great grandchildren, Ben and Sam Foley of Holyoke, Massachusetts. She is also survived by many to whom she was like a second mother, as well: her nephews David Saunders (and his wife Anita) of Los Angeles, California, Avram Saunders (and his wife Colleen) of Longmont, Colorado, Alfred Singer (and his wife Lisa) of Baltimore, Maryland and Marty Singer (and his wife Ann) of McLean, Virginia; her nieces Lynn Cohen of Annapolis, Sandy Sugar of Bethesda, and Gail Hiller (and husband Ned) of Baltimore; and her cousin Kay Chernush (and her husband Lee Rosner). She is truly loved and survived by many great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews for whom she was a wonderful grandparent. A native of Baltimore, who spent her childhood summers with her much-loved sisters Edith and Florence delighting in the care of her uncles and aunt on the Chesapeake Bay, she spent 16 years (the formative years of her children) in Terre Haute, Indiana, before returning to Maryland and spending her remaining fifty years in Bethesda. She loved traveling with her husband and family, and did so extensively. While in Terre Haute, she and Artie opened and ran a liquor store, Art and Ethel's, with a remarkably fine wine collection, which highlighted the finds from her trips to vineyards in France. While in Bethesda, Ethel held several positions over the course of 25 years in her career at Life Underwriter Training Council. A lover of flying in small planes, bridge, opera, a crafter of jewelry and an avid knitter, Ethel loved teaching knitting, but most of all, sharing her knitted crafts (scarves, hats and mobiuses, sweaters and afghans) with those she loved and those she had just met. In her retirement, she worked for years at the knitting shop on Bethesda Avenue in Bethesda, where she greeted everyone with a warm smile and assistance. For the last several years, she was a Tuesday evening fixture at the fine French restaurant Le Vieux Logis with her dear friends Joe Orndorff and Jo Bekisz and owner Diana Dahan. She will be greatly missed by all. At her request, her body is being cremated and a memorial service will be held at a later date. If you have a handcrafted item made by Ethel, please wear it to the service. If you are inclined to make a donation in her honor, please consider supporting Chesapeake Bay Foundation (www.cbf.org), a favorite institution of hers.