Grace Deustch

Grace Rita Gibbs Hausman Deutsch June 15, 1923-April 15, 2023 Grace Rita Gibbs Hausman Deutsch was born in the Bronx, NY, to Maxwell N.J. Gibbs and Jean Klein Gibbs. She graduated from Hunter College High School at 15. After one year of college in Arizona, she transferred to UC Berkeley where in 1943 she received a B.S. degree (with honors) and a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree (first in her class) a week before her 20th birthday. In March of 1942 she married John Jacob (“Jack”) Hausman a graduate student in optometry at Berkeley. Grace practiced optometry in San Diego and Los Angeles while Jack was in the Navy. After WWII they opened an optometry practice in Phoenix, but in 1951, Grace and Jack contracted polio and Jack was permanently disabled. After returning from her own hospital stay, Grace continued the practice by herself, supporting her husband and their two children. Jack died from complications of his polio in January 1964. Grace met Howard Deutsch of Cincinnati in the summer of 1965 and they married that December. They had a wonderful 46 year marriage, living first in Cincinnati and then, in 1984, Corona Del Mar where both Grace and Howard resided for the rest of their lives. Grace was an avid bridge player in both her marriages, and with Howard she had the great fortune of vacation/education traveling to all continents and corners of the earth. Grace was a strong believer in the importance of life-long education and reading, consuming two to three books a week (until her macular degeneration prevented it), belonging to three book groups and enjoying many courses through the OLLI program at UC Irvine and adult education at Temple Bat Yam. She was active in many organizations as a donor and/or volunteer, including Brandeis University Women, City of Hope, Hadassah, ORT, B’Nai Brith Women, Heritage Pointe, JCC, National Museum of Jewish History, OLLI, Newport Beach Library Foundation, Head Start. She supported the libraries of UC Berkeley, UC Berkley Optometry School and UCI Foundation. Grace is survived by her children Diane (Stephen) Siegel, Kenneth (Ellyn Lazarus) Hausman, grandchildren Selene Hausman, Ted Siegel, Andrew (Helene Vacher) Siegel, Julie (Lee) Chelouche, great grandchildren Maxime and Leonie Siegel and Lev and Dean Chelouche. She also is survived by her sister Iris Gorin, nieces Judy (Marty) Berg, Randee (Tom) Fenner, nephews Richard (Audrey) Hausman and Phil Gorin and several great nieces and nephews. A service was held on April 21st. Grace requested any donations in her memory be made to Heritage Pointe, Mission Viejo, Ca or UC Irvine Foundation for OLLI.

Tributes

Grace Deustch

June 15, 1923 - April 15, 2023