Lilly D. Wechsler

Lilly Wechsler died peacefully while taking a nap on Thursday, June 27, 2024. She blessed us with her joyous presence three months short of 100 years and we are very grateful. She is survived by her daughter, Adriana Wechsler, son-in-law, Patrick Kelly, grandchildren, Sam Wechsler-Kelly and Sorin Wechsler Kelly and her granddaughter-in-law, Megan Kelly. She is predeceased by her husband, John Wechsler, and her brother, Martin Iosipovici. Lilly was born Lilly Iosipovici on September 22, 1924, the first child of Golda and David Iospivoci in Botosani, Romania just a few miles west of the Moldova border. She attended local schools until she was ejected for being Jewish in 1940. During World War II her family was forced to quarter German officers. Later in the war, she was forced to hide in tunnels in Bucharest, the capital, to survive. Having lived through the Nazi occupation, she then was forced to live with Soviet officers who moved into her house. Following World War II, Lilly then entered the University of Bucharest, graduating with a master's in linguistics. One of her jobs after she graduated from university was editing dictionaries for a Romanian publishing house. On September 18, 1954, she wed John Wechsler, who at the time owned his own pharmacy. When her daughter Adriana was born, they chose to apply to emigrate through a program sponsored by the new Israeli state. The application to move angered the communist regime, resulting in both John and Lilly being forced to look for new, lower-paying jobs. Six years later they were allowed to leave Romania and found temporary refuge in Vienna. They sought asylum in the United States. Due to the fact that she contracted tuberculosis during the war, the entire family was forced to quarantine in Vienna, for a full year, until receiving an entry visa into the U.S. in 1966. Lilly moved with her family to Brookline, Massachusetts at the age of 44. In Boston, she and John became members of a tight-knit Romanian community that brought them great joy and satisfaction. After a few years of learning English, she entered employment as a medical librarian at Treadwell Library, the medical library of the Massachusetts General Hospital, where she worked until her retirement. Although she made many lifelong friends at MGH and loved helping the young doctors find materials (before the time of computers and Pubmed), by far her favorite occupation was being a grandmother. She embraced her daughter’s husband, Pat Kelly, even though she had never met a Texan before meeting him. She adored her grandchildren Sam and Sorin, for whom she babysat often, crocheted many blankets, baked many brownies, and shared much joy and laughter. In 2003, she moved to Houston to be closer to her family, especially her beloved grandchildren. In Houston, she continued to enjoy reading, debating politics, cooking, and maintaining close ties with family and friends across the United States, as well as in Paris, Romania, and Israel. Everyone who ever met her commented on her sense of humor and how sweet, kind, and intelligent she was. We will forever miss her. A memorial service will be held at 12 PM on Sunday, June 30, 2024, in the Proler Chapel at Congregation Emanu El, 1500 Sunset Blvd., Houston, Texas 77005. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to Jewish Family Services, MD Anderson Cancer Center or Keshet.

Lilly D. Wechsler

September 22, 1924 - June 27, 2024