Edythe Rand

Edythe Rand peacefully left this world and her bed at the Village Care Center of John Knox Village early in the morning of July 27. She had experienced declining health in recent months, but lived to the age of 95 and was a popular and active figure at the senior community in Lee’s Summit, where she’d lived since September 1999. For most of her stay at John Knox Village’s assisted living and long-term care facilities, Edythe participated in the Fun Band as a tambourrine player, dancer and comedienne. She also wrote feature stories for the Village newspaper, The Pioneer, and highlighted contributions of staff members and volunteers who enriched the lives of residents. Edythe was fiercely independent and required considerable persuasion to leave her apartment in Brooklyn, NY, where she lived alone since the death of an older sister, Zipporah. She shocked her family when, in her late 80s, she declared she was going on vacation by herself in the Mexican resort, Puerto Vallarta, during spring break for U.S. college students. That was Edythe’s last big trip. Accustomed to the hustle and bustle of New York City, she often remarked that living in Lee’s Summit “was like being in the country.” Edythe was born April 1, 1912 and liked to joke that her arrival into the world was an April Fool joke on her parents, John and Dora Weinberg. They were Eastern European natives who joined the turn-of-the-century wave of immigration to the United States. She is the last survivor of four sisters and a brother. During the Depression, Edythe attended a public dance program and gained the skills and enthusiasm that made her a professional Spanish dancer, L’Estrellita, or “Little Star.” She performed in night clubs throughout the East Coast and sometimes shared the stage with such up-and-coming entertainers as Jackie Gleason. Edythe retired from the stage to spend more time with her family and spent the rest of her working days as a retail sales clerk. Edythe is survived by her son, Jonathan Rand and daughter-in-law Barbara Shell, both of Kansas City; grandchildren Danielle Coffman, David Rand and Steven Rand, and a nephew, Denis Green. Memorial services will be 9:00am Sunday, August 5, 2007 at The Louis Memorial Chapel.