Sol Goldsmith passed away on Thursday, December 24, 2020, at the age of 93 in Santa Monica, of natural causes, in his home. Born on June 10, 1927, in Los Angeles, Sol was the son of Barney and Hilda (Miller) Goldsmith.
Sol reported for Navy bootcamp the day after he graduated from Los Angeles High in 1945, a few days after his 18th birthday. While the war ended quickly, he served his term of service and was honorably discharged. He enrolled in UCLA and graduated from there in 1952 with a BA and primary and secondary teaching credentials. He later earned his counseling credential.
He taught for 30-plus years at Henry Clay, Gompers and Paul Revere Jr. High Schools; his subjects were math, history, geography—plus he coached several teams and was a school counselor. While he retired in 1987, while walking on the Santa Monica Promenade, former students would often yell out “Hey, Mr. G!” and he would smile and wave. Sol also served as a UTLA representative while at Paul Revere.
Sol was predeceased by sister, Jeanne Michaels. He is survived by daughters Caryn Goldsmith and Julie Goldsmith; nephews Jeff Michaels (Australia) and Alan Michaels (Japan)—and their families, first cousin Shandie (Jeanette) Miller and many additional Miller/Brostoff cousins. Additionally, he is survived by ex-wife Marcia Tull, brother-in-law Richard Kerner, nieces Eve Seagal, Debra Seagal Ollivier, and nephew Ron Seagal—and their families.
With the exception of his daughters, Sol never fully comprehended how much he meant to all that knew him. We hope he knows that now. As his nephew Jeff said: “I learned a lot about being a man from Sol. An expressive man, a stylish man, a loving person … who reached out to others and considered what a better world would look like.”
There will be no memorial service, per his wishes. Instead, when the weather is nice and it is safe from COVID, his daughters will honor his request of having his ashes at sea. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a small donation to an educational scholarship fund of your choice or to Macular Degeneration Research. (BrightFocus Foundation).
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