Beatrice Samols

At Bea's 93rd birthday brunch at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead, I gave her a courthouse steps pillow, which featured a yellow fabric with bees on it, in her honor.

BEATRICE SAMOLS, 93, of Sandy Springs died Tuesday, April 29, 2008. Graveside services were held April 30 at Greenwood Cemetery. Rabbi Neil Sandler of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, where Mrs. Samols was a lifetime member, officiated.
Born Beatrice Leonora Kolker in 1914, in New York City, Mrs. Samols grew up along the shores of Far Rockaway, Long Island. She was the oldest of four siblings. . . . She graduated from Brooklyn College during the Great Depression with a degree in music and education and pursued graduate studies in education at City College of New York.
She had a passion for cultural arts such as opera and the symphony, loved gardening, and was a voracious reader. The New York Times served as her daily source for world events, politics and the arts, and she was one of the longest subscribers to The New Yorker. She played bridge, golf and tennis.
During her graduate studies, she visited relatives in South Africa, where she met her husband, Reuben Samols, and lived for 37 years. She was an active member of the South African Association of University Women and served as president for many years. The group's mission during her tenure was to further the educational opportunities for black girls and women during apartheid. Mrs. Samols worked to raise money to purchase books and finance scholarships for black women. Mr. and Mrs. Samols moved to Atlanta in 1976 and remained here. . . . Survivors include daughters and son-in-law; grandchildren and their spouses; and great-granddaughters. Memorial donations may be made to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

This obituary originally appeared in the Atlanta Jewish Times. Her great-granddaughter Darcy has the pillow now.

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