Long-time Berkeley resident Nidra “Rosie” Rosenthal, 75, died on Nov. 13, 2020 at Rose Arbor Senior Residence after experiencing numerous health challenges.
Rosie was an archetypal Berkeley woman who came of age in the 1960s. She was intelligent, well-educated, resourceful and creative.
Her cousin, Linda Miller, spoke warmly of Rosie’s quirky Berkeley nature.
“Rosie was our children’s quirky aunt — I remember saying no when Nidra said yes. She took my adolescent son clothes shopping, made jewelry with our kids at our dining room table. Our younger daughter remembered a fun seder at Rosie’s home and my older daughter appreciated her for her HUGE heart and absolute genuineness.”
Nidra graduated from Alhambra High School in Martinez in 1962, where she was an honors student, co-editor of the student newspaper and a scholarship recipient upon graduation. She went on to San Francisco State University where she received her B.A. in Psychology with a secondary interest in contemporary literature. Upon graduation, she was accepted at the University of California, Berkeley, where she obtained her Master’s in Social Work, focusing on child, family, and individual therapy. After a lengthy internship, she obtain her Licensed Clinical Social Work license and eventually set up an individual practice for many years in Albany, California.
Staying true to her creative nature, Rosie was also able to refine her artistic skills at the California College of Arts (& Crafts) in Oakland, where she obtained her B.F.A., focusing on print making and watercolors.
In later life, Rosie made commissioned necklaces for friends and had a line of beautiful earrings she called “Rosie’s Rivets.” She also sold her jewelry at Expressions Gallery, an art and Berkeley community gallery on Ashby Avenue, owned by Rinna Flohr, now sadly closed (2020).
Always intent on expanding her therapeutic knowledge, Rosie attended the Feldenkrais Training Resources Institute in Berkeley. She became a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner in 2006 to help clients move with more ease and pleasure with less pain.
Rosie was a lifelong spiritual quester who participated regularly at the Berkeley Zen Center and attended services at Kehilla Synagogue in Piedmont. She was also an appreciative member of Berkeley’s Ashby Village, a community organization which helps seniors age independently in their own homes.
Rosie’s true loves were her cat Max, the New Yorker, Bartavelle Café on San Pablo, early morning swims at the Berkeley YWCA, jewelry making, finding unique, colorful outfits at secondhand stores, and making creative bean soups!
She was a good friend to many throughout her life’s journey. A long-time survivor of a rare form of cancer, Rosie was an empathic counselor and friend. She will be missed by all.
