Her long, rich life was full of meaningful and joyous pursuits including being a nurse, businesswoman, author, comedienne, accomplished bridge player and teacher, bingo ace, talented artist, golfer, investor in and supporter of Israel, preparer of delicious matzah ball soup and brisket holiday meals, and much more. She was a beloved mother, daughter, sister, wife, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend.
Lucille was born on November 24, 1922 at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital in New York and spent her childhood in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. She is predeceased by her parents Leonard Marcus and Ethel Chatcuff Marcus, and siblings Dorothy Cassell, Eleanor Marcus, and Arnold Marcus. She is survived by her sister Rita Foreman and brother-in-law Edward Gidseg and wife Kathy Gidseg.
Lucille met the love of her life, Murray Aaron Gidseg, in the early 1940s when a mutual friend asked Murray, as a favor, to drive into New York City to pick up Lucille at Penn Station. What was to be a simple car ride turned out to be love at first sight. Lucille and Murray married in 1943 and Lucille became Murray’s “Lovey Lu” forevermore. Lucille and Murray lived for decades in Holliswood, Queens, New York raising their family in a home they designed and built together.
A registered nurse, Lucille co-authored and co-published several books in the 1950s with her aunt Dorothy Sara, such as The Home Nurse’s Handbook and The New American Baby Book featuring “aiding in maintaining the health and development of the baby, and giving joy to the parents in watching the child grow into an integral part of the family’s life.”
Lucille and Murray retired to Houston in 1982 to escape cold winters and be near family. After Murray passed away in 1989, Lucille continued to devote her time and energy to her family and to helping others by volunteering and contributing to charitable organizations such as the National Council of Jewish Women, The Lighthouse, Jewish National Fund’s “Plant Trees in Israel” program, investing in Israel Bonds and many others.
Lucille remained active deep into her 90s until the COVID-19 shutdown. She brought cheer and laughter to those around her as she performed (sometimes bawdy) stand-up comedy without script or cue cards to the delight of her fellow residents at Brookdale Galleria. Friends marveled at how she unapologetically spoke her mind and did so without acrimony or rancor. For nearly 40 years, Lucille was the mainstay in a weekly (and mostly friendly) bridge game that she and Murray first organized in the mid-1980s at Westwood Country Club. Her many close bridge group friends include Mireille Katz, Audrey Meltzer, Bernice Loftus, Barbara Giddens, Roxanne Gold, Barbara Brown, Lois Frankel, June Silverblatt and others. Lucille also valued spending time with dear friends Sue Perlo, Sharon Martin, Hilda Herzfeld, Naomi Friedman, Selange Loughrand, Sheila Golden, Maureen Reilley, the late Rae Cohen and Jimmie Shields.
Lucille loved and was proud of her large family that includes daughter Ronnie Harrison, a Houston-based family law specialist attorney, and her husband Al Harrison; daughter Shana Gregory, a Kona/Aspen-based massage therapist and jewelry designer, and her partner Stephen Goss; and son Glenn Gidseg, a Boca Raton-based internal medicine doctor, and his wife Pink Gidseg. Lucille’s grandchildren are Geoffrey Harrison, a commercial litigator, and wife Lauren of Houston; Renée Harrison, an entertainment industry publicist, and fiancé Erik Stein of Los Angeles; and Eric Crowley, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, and wife Suzanne Crowley of Washington, D.C. Her great-grandchildren are Layla and Lilly Harrison, Aaron and Ethan Crowley and Hailey Nordstrom.
Lucille was laid to rest beside Murray at Mount Ararat Cemetery in New York at a private service attended by family.
Murray serenading Lucille with their special song “Over The Rainbow” was one of her greatest joys:
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me.
We love and miss Lucille and Murray very much.
To honor Lucille’s life and memory, family and friends are invited to share their remembrances below. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Lucille’s name to the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America.
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