Thelma P. Rothman

Thelma P. Rothman passed away on Tuesday, October 7, 2014. She is survived by her three loving daughters, seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She was born in 1923 to Barney and Hattie Pearlman in Asheville, North Carolina, the youngest of four children. She moved to Saint Petersburg, after World War II in 1946. She, along with her husband Maurice who predeceased her, co-founded Kanes Furniture in Saint Petersburg in 1948. Thelma was extraordinarily active in both the Jewish community as well as the community at large in the Tampa bay area. She was highly involved in children's causes both with her time, advocacy, and philanthropy. Among her many involvements, she served as a board member and chairman of the Board of All Children's Health System and as the Chairman and Founder of the All Children's Hospital Foundation. She also served as a board member on the Pinellas County Education Foundation and the University of South Florida Stavros Institute Of Free Enterprise. Thelma, along with her husband endowed the Rothman Chair in Developmental Pediatrics at the University of South Florida/All Children's Hospital Research Institute. The Rothmans founded the Maurice A and Thelma Rothman Family Foundation which supports many local charities. She was a lifetime member of Hadassah and was active at Temple Beth-El in Saint Petersburg, the Holocaust Museum, and Gulf Coast Family Services. She received countless awards and honors for her involvement and philanthropy. Among them, in 2008 she was honored as the second female Ms. Sun by the city of Saint Petersburg. Hers was the epitome of 'A life well lived'. She will be greatly missed by her family as well as by all who had the good fortune of knowing her. There will be a private interment for immediate family members on Sunday, October12, 2014, followed by a public memorial service for all who knew her at Temple Beth-El, 400 Pasadena Avenue South, St. Petersburg on Sunday evening at 5:15 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services, 14041 Icot Blvd. Clearwater, Florida, 33760. Condolences can be expressed online at davidcgross.com David C. Gross Funeral Homes, Central Avenue Chapel in St. Petersburg is serving the family. Service Information