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MARTY CLEARADELINE ROSENBLATT: 1915-2003, she taught generations of children to swim, but also worked tirelessly in her community through volunteering and teaching.
PALMA CEIA - Her full name was Adeline Fleischman Rosenblatt. But to several generations of Tampa's children, she was known simply as "Aunt Adeline."
Mrs. Rosenblatt loved working with children. She and her husband, Nathan "Sonny" Rosenblatt, lived for years on a lake, but they built a pool specifically so they could teach swimming and life-saving classes at their home.
She died Dec. 29 at age 88.
"They built an Olympic-sized pool," said their son, David Rosenblatt. "It was twice the size of our house. For years after that I'd meet people who'd say "Your mom taught me to swim.' "
She also taught religion classes for youngsters at Temple Schaarai Zedek for many years. And although all three of her children were boys, she was one of the area's most active Girl Scout volunteers and even served as president of the Tampa chapter of the Girl Scouts of America.
"She probably taught half the children in Tampa," said her sister-in-law, Doris Rosenblatt.
Adeline Fleischman was born in 1915 in Hyde Park to a prominent Tampa couple, Alma and Joseph Fleischman. One of her brothers was Sol "Salty" Fleischman, a local newscaster and television personality in the 1950s through the 1970s.
Among the Fleischman's friends was another widely known South Tampa family, the Rosenblatts. Adeline Fleischman and Sonny Rosenblatt were childhood sweethearts. They married when they were in their early 20s and remained married for more than 60 years, until Mr. Rosenblatt died in 1998.
They began their life together in Palma Ceia but later moved to a lakefront home near what is now Avila in northern Hillsborough County. But Mrs. Rosenblatt remained active in her temple and in other community organizations across Tampa.
"We were very rural," David Rosenblatt said. "My parents used to bring a lot of the kids out there from the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. And our temple would have a big picnic once a year so all those kids would be out at our place. It was a lot of fun."
Even though she worked tirelessly in community affairs, Mrs. Rosenblatt was a career woman for much of her life. For many years she managed Poller's, a dress shop in Northgate Shopping Center. She taught swimming classes in the early mornings before she went to work, took care of volunteer duties in the evenings and taught religion classes on weekends. She was president of Schaarai Zedek Sisterhood of the Tampa section of the National Council of Jewish Women.
"She was never finished," Doris Rosenblatt said. "She always had something else coming up on the horizon. She was active in every part of community life."
Her passion for community activism was matched by her personal warmth and generosity.
"She was the kindest person I ever met," Doris Rosenblatt said. "She always had a smile on her face."
"She was never, never angry," her son said. "She always had cookies."
People who knew Mrs. Rosenblatt said they were amazed by how much she managed to get done on a daily basis. And it wasn't just her career and volunteer work, along with her duties as a wife and mother.
"She was a musician and she was an artist," Doris Rosenblatt said. "She was in all the plays we had at our temple."
After their three sons were grown, the Rosenblatts returned to South Tampa. For a few years they lived in Redington Beach, where she taught painting to residents in her condominium.
Mrs. Rosenblatt moved back to Pinellas County after her husband died and lived with her son in Clearwater until her death from complications of a gastro-intestinal condition.
Besides her son David, Mrs. Rosenblatt is survived by another son, Edward. The third son, Nathan "Butch" Rosenblatt, was killed in a car accident in the 1960s. She is also survived by two brothers, a sister and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.