Seventh Generation349. Rita ATLAS6,61,235,236 was born in 1926. She died on 1 February 2017 at the age of 91 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.235 Her obituary was published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on 2 February 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.235 <h1><font size=5 color="#00141e" face="Open Sans">Rita Wolfson Obituary</font></h1> Recently Deceased Philanthropist Turns Heads and Hearts Rita Atlas Goldstein Wolfson, a vivacious and beautiful woman who drew second glances everywhere she went, never took her charisma for granted. Instead, she used it to turn heads and hearts toward causes for which she was passionate. His cousin, Dr. Ronald Goldstein, agrees. “Rita was a stunningly beautiful woman whose presence attracted attention just by walking into a room.” But physical beauty was only one attribute. More importantly, says her son, “she was warm, funny, sweet, an amazing artist, a philanthropist … and she was really, really strong.” His mother, Rita – and everyone called her Rita – died Feb. 1 at age 90 in her home of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She left behind a legacy of stunning generosity, tirelessly using her gifts and talents to improve the human condition, according to the many who knew and loved her. One of the chief beneficiaries of her philanthropy was The Dental College of Georgia. “It would be impossible to overstate the impact of the Goldstein family and its matriarch, Rita, on our college,” says Dean Carol A. Lefebvre. “We owe so much to the family’s vision, dedication and generosity.” Rita’s long marriage to Dr. Marvin Goldstein, an orthodontist, civil rights activist, philanthropist and businessman who died in 1997 at age 80, was characterized by a deeply committed partnership, both as husband and wife – they raised five high-achieving children – and as fellow humanitarians. LIFELONG HUMANITARIANS When the Ku Klux Klan picketed the hotel, agitating for separate water fountains for blacks and whites, Goldstein reportedly responded, “Then we won’t have any water fountains.” Rita, who was raised in Washington, D.C., by parents stressing an unwavering commitment to the Judaic principle of giving back, was right by his side in that and every other endeavor – including his diligence in helping establish the Hebrew University School of Dental Medicine, the growth and sustenance of the Ben Massell Dental Clinic in Atlanta and in bringing a public dental school to Georgia. Goldstein had earned his dental degree from Emory University in Atlanta, but he strongly championed public education and was on the forefront of convincing the Georgia Legislature of the need for a first-rate yet affordable dental education in his home state. “He was one of the first to recognize the need and worked very closely with [Dr. Judson C.] Hickey to make it happen,” says his nephew. Hickey, of course, went on to become the founding dean of the school, which opened in 1969. DEBT OF GRATITUDE As the Goldsteins’ activism intensified, so did their influence. The couple hosted luminaries including Georgia governors and Israeli prime ministers at their home and hotel in Atlanta. “A highlight of her life,” read Rita’s obituary in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “was the invitation from President Carter to her and Marvin to come to the White House for the Camp David Mideast Peace Signing. Rita met many world leaders, including Eleanor Roosevelt and President Clinton.” Rita co-chaired the United Jewish Appeal North America World Assembly in Atlanta and received the Friends of the Hebrew University’s Woman of Valor Award. But despite their global reach, the Goldsteins never wavered in their support of one of the causes closest to their home and closest to their hearts – the success of the dental college they helped launch in Augusta. In 1978, Goldstein founded – and personally funded – DCG’s Marvin C. Goldstein Lecture Series, ensuring that the brightest minds internationally would share their wisdom and expertise in Augusta. When he died, Rita established an endowment for the lectureship, ensuring its continuation in perpetuity. VOLUMINOUS CONTRIBUTIONS Rita and her family also created the Dr. Marvin C. Goldstein Endowed Chair in Orthodontics at DCG, a chair currently held by Dr. Eladio DeLeon. As voluminous as the family’s contributions have been, Rita’s loved ones say their most enduring memories of her legacy will be personal ones. Says her son, “Mom’s sculptures grace homes in every community she lived in, and she gave away paintings she made to anyone who came to visit.” Her grandchildren remember her generosity on the Sabbath and for social service needs in Israel. Says her grandson, Jared Goldstein, “She taught me that when you give to charity, you don’t give a token; you give according to your means. She was the most philanthropic person I ever knew.” And the most fun. “She made sure our home was filled with family and friends every Sunday and every summer,” her son says. “I’m talking 50, 60 people. And when she wasn’t with the people she loved, she wrote them the most wonderful letters. Her letters made you feel that you were special and the most important person in the world.” Says her nephew, “She was the matriarch of the family. She brought everyone together. She was just amazing.” And few things, Rita’s loved ones say, gave her more pride than the dental college she and her husband helped bring to fruition. “She was very, very proud,” her nephew says, “that it became one of the finest schools in the country – one of the finest in the world.” THE LEGACY CONTINUES Dr. Ronald Goldstein wrote the all-time bestselling consumer book on cosmetic dentistry, Change Your Smile: Discover How a New Smile Can Transform Your Life (Quintessence Publishing Company). The book, translated into 12 languages, is now in its fourth edition. Dr. Ronald Goldstein also wrote the first complete textbook on esthetic dentistry, Esthetics in Dentistry (Wiley), and is currently publishing the fourth edition of the definitive text, for which several DCG faculty members contributed chapters. DCG has honored his achievements with its Ronald Goldstein Center for Esthetic and Implant Dentistry and Ronald Goldstein Resource Room, which houses, among other items, his extensive Coca-Cola collection. Marvin C. Goldstein Lecture Series. For 20 years, until his death in 1997, the family patriarch sponsored an internationally renowned dental clinician to share clinical expertise at this annual event. His widow provided a generous gift to ensure its continuation Her obituary was published in the . Rita ATLAS and Marvin GOLDSTEIN were married. Marvin GOLDSTEIN61,237,238 was born on 25 March 1917 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He died in 1997 at the age of 80.238 His obituary was published in the on 28 November 1997 in New York, USA.237 New York Times Nov. 28, 1997 Dr. Marvin C. Goldstein, an orthodontist and businessman who defied the segregationist sentiments of the mid-1960's by opening Atlanta's first integrated hotel, died on Saturday at his Atlanta home. He was 80. Dr. Goldstein's hotel, the American, opened in 1964 and became a haven for black people turned away by other establishments and for civil rights workers. Among them was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who held meetings there with his top aides even before the hotel formally opened. The opening of the American became a crucial part of Atlanta's acquisition of its first major professional sports franchise. The Milwaukee Braves agreed to relocate to Atlanta in 1966 only after being assured that integrated visiting baseball clubs could stay at the American. Soon after, the Ku Klux Klan picketed the hotel. When Dr. Goldstein was told that an integrated hotel would be required to have at least separate drinking fountains for blacks and whites, he was reported to have replied, ''Then we won't have any drinking fountains.'' His orthodontics practice was also integrated. In addition to treating members of the King family, Dr. Goldstein treated other blacks from around the South who traveled to Atlanta for specialized treatment they could not receive elsewhere. He earned his dentistry degree from Emory University in Atlanta in 1938. He is survived by his wife, Rita Atlas Goldstein, of Atlanta; three sons, Armand and Andrew, both of Atlanta, and Adam, of Chapel Hill, N.C.; two daughters, Aleta Ellin Goldstein and Anne Strickland, both of Atlanta; three sisters, Ida Goldstein Wolf, Lena Rottersman and Janet Blum Goldberg, all of Atlanta, and 10 grandchildren. Rita ATLAS and Marvin GOLDSTEIN had the following children:
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