[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 116 (Thursday, July 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1123-E1124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF PAT EPSTEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2015

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, a dear friend, Patricia (Tananbaum) 
Epstein, passed away quietly on July 22, 2015, after a long and 
wonderful life filled with extended family and friends. She leaves her 
devoted husband of more than 66 years, Jerry. Together, and as 
individuals, they have been a very special and unforgettable couple who 
have had a meaningful impact on the lives of so many.
  That is also true of the lives of my parents, former Congressman 
Edward R. Roybal and my mother Lucille Beserra Roybal. And it is most 
certainly true of the joy and friendship Pat and Jerry brought into my 
life and that of my husband Ed. We loved having dinner with them and 
hearing Pat's laughter and the jokes she loved to tell. And we loved 
seeing the examples of her talent in her beautiful works of art.
  Pat was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 28, 1924, the only child of 
Leo and Hannah Tananbaum. She met Jerry, the love of her life, when he 
was a student at Emory University after the end of World War II. They 
married on December 26, 1948, in a beautiful ceremony at the Mayfair 
Club in Atlanta, attended by family and friends, many of whom had 
traveled on a private train from New York City for the event. Their 
wedding would be only the first of many spectacular parties Pat and 
Jerry would plan and host over the ensuing decades, as Pat became the 
consummate gracious and lively hostess.
  Pat and Jerry settled permanently in Los Angeles in December 1949. 
For decades, including up to the last months of her life, Pat was a 
sculptress, working primarily in alabaster and later in papier-mache. 
Her work can be found at St. John's Hospital, the Jewish Home for the 
Aging, and in many private homes around the country.
  Pat enjoyed her involvement with the Advisory Board of the Fashion 
Institute of Design and Management (FIDM).
  Pat was also active in Hadassah and the Irene Dunne Guild of Saint 
John's Hospital in Santa Monica. The doctors, nurses, and staff at St. 
John's Hospital were not just caregivers, but many became close friends 
for over four decades, and their compassion and attention were 
particularly meaningful during the last months of Pat's life.
  Pat and Jerry's generosity and dedication to their many friends and 
family is legendary,

[[Page E1124]]

and they leave a legacy of ``adopted'' children and grandchildren who 
have and will continue to benefit from their loving advice and 
assistance.
  Ed and I will miss Pat greatly, but feel blessed that we had the good 
fortune to have known such a great lady.