Lillian Hartman

Lillian Hartman, age 100, passed away on December 9, 2022, at Hospice of Cincinnati. Lil was deeply loved, appreciated and admired; she will be profoundly missed by family, friends, neighbors and the community.Lil’s mother, Dena Leitz Roth, was born in Cincinnati; her father, Harry Roth, in Lithuania. In childhood, Lil was a tomboy who engaged in diverse activities including touch-football. Her wide range of interests, talents, activities and challenges, the Depression and WWII helped shape her into a unique and resilient woman. Lil graduated from Hughes High School and studied literature at the University of Cincinnati. She married Philbert Hartman in 1940. He passed in 1986. Her companion, Earl Miles, passed in 2007 and her brother Ephraim Roth, in 2019. During WWII, she and her mother ran her brother’s furniture store, Roth Furniture, where Lil excelled in management, purchasing, sales and even driving a truck. She frequently said and modeled “I’m going to do what I want to do”. During the 1950’s, unlike most women, Lil returned to the workforce at Vogue Studio and Kathleen Wellman Modeling Agency. She also created a dance program at Bond Hill School, hiring the dance teacher, accompanist, and had parents make costumes for shows. Her program succeeded and the Cincinnati Enquirer ran a special color feature of the Around the World recital. Lil’s program became a local model, with other schools contacting her to learn how to replicate the program. A passionate animal lover, Lil was a tour guide at the Cincinnati Zoo for 41 years. She directed the volunteer education program and organized diverse fundraisers, from a No Talent Show to an auction of Jim Borgman’s autographed animal cartoons. She loved music and wrote many shows, mainly parodies, for family, friends, the Zoo, and her synagogue. Lil was smart – a stock market wizard, who enjoyed discussing politics and the news. She read widely and extensively and excelled in puzzles and games. Perpetually positive, Lil’s glass always more than half full. She was best known for her sense of humor and playfulness. Lil was a role model: assertive, independent woman; loving, playful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother; community member; family matriarch; and friend. And in the end, a model patient. She was generous to family, friends, her community and beyond. At Hospice she was know for her bottomless candy dish for the staff.The American Kidney Foundation recognized her volunteer work in 1965, with “Lil Hartman Day” in Cincinnati. In 1971, WLW-Radio recognized her as “Citizen of the Day” for the time and effort she invested in making her community a better place. She is survived by her beloved son, Alan; daughter, Hope (Bob Wechsler); granddaughter, Alicia Cooper-Volkheimer (Graeme); great-granddaughters Tessa and Cadence Volkheimer, and nieces, Lynne Heyman and Cookie Yosowitz. If donating in her memory, she recommended Hospice of Cincinnati or the Cincinnati Zoo.

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Lillian Hartman

January 16, 1922 - December 9, 2022