Florence Kadis' Obituary
Florence was born in Chicago, IL on May 27, 1921 to Morre and Esther Jacobson. The family moved to southern California in 1929 and shortly thereafter to Oakland, where she attended Roosevelt High School, graduating in 1939. She attended UC Berkeley, receiving her BA in journalism in 1943.She met her future husband, Arthur I. Kadis, while he was serving in the Coast Guard during WW II. They were married on November 3, 1945. Her first son, Jay, was born in 1949, and her second son, Howard, in 1952. In 1951 Florence suffered the loss of her only brother, Earl Jacobson, in an aviation accident.The Kadis family were longtime residents of the Washington Manor neighborhood of San Leandro. Arthur was offered the opportunity to work in France, so in 1958 the family moved there and for the next 3 years lived in the central French town of Chateauroux. During this time, they traveled extensively in Western Europe. Florence always remembered these years vividly and maintained a permanent love affair with all things French. The family returned to San Leandro in 1961.In the mid-1960s Florence returned to college to acquire her teaching credential. From 1966 to 1981 she taught at Niles Elementary School in Fremont where she made many friendships among her fellow teachers and administrators, which she maintained for years after her retirement.Arthur and Florence enjoyed adventures together. They traveled extensively, attended adult education classes and frequently entertained family and friends at their home. Arthur passed away in 1989. Even though on her own, Florence maintained her active and adventurous life for many years. She traveled in the US, Canada and Europe, became a docent at the Magnus Museum in Berkeley and the Sun Gallery in Hayward, and served as a volunteer ESL teacher in Hayward and Castro Valley well into her 80s. She also attended classes in French language and creative writing.Late in her life, Florence began to write poetry, the best of which she compiled for family and friends in a collection entitled “Here and There, Now and Then.” She even had one of these poems published in a literary collection, which gave her great pride.Florence was an avid reader, a lover of music and art, and an accomplished cook. She contributed generously to many worthy causes throughout her life.She is survived by her two sons, Jay and Howard, and her daughters-in law, Linda Kadis and Cynthia Mulligan.Donations may be made to Planned Parenthood or UNICEF.
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