Eve, full of passion, creativity, compassion, kindness, gratitude, searching, discovery, spirituality, and peace, died at her home, as was her strong wish, on February 10th, with her family beside her, after a time period of declining health.
Born Eva Ernestine Schaal in 1928 in Breslau, Germany, a region that became part of Poland, her family emigrated to the United States in 1939 to escape Nazi Germany. She lived in Pittsburgh, PA where she attended the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Botany. There she met and married Sydney Geltman in 1953; they then moved to Maryland for Syd’s career and to start their family.
In 1961, the young family moved to their home in Boulder, facing the Flatirons near the University, where Syd was one of the founding physicists of JILA at the University of Colorado and where Eve began her own discovery, with her many interests and creative pursuits.
During 1966-67, the family lived in England, where Eve earned a Licentiate Degree in Music Performance. She worked tirelessly playing the violin, became a violin teacher in Boulder, giving many lessons and student recitals in the family home’s basement, having as many as 50+ students at a time, some of whom went on to become professional musicians. Later she taught piano lessons as well, to both adults and children. She greatly enjoyed playing and listening to classical music, attending concerts, and participating in chamber music and orchestras. She expanded the instruments she played to include piano, viola, flute, recorder and others. Eve became keenly interested in writing and art, expressing herself powerfully in these forms. She was passionate about her children and her family.
Eve and Syd divorced in 1996, at which time she changed her name to Eve Bat Shalom, meaning “Daughter of Peace” in Hebrew. She pushed ahead, always determined to make her life meaningful, always being deeply affected by her life experiences.
In 1997, she moved to the home where she would live until her death, spending every day, often well into the night, fully immersed in creating art, writing, practicing violin and piano, reading, and taking care of her beloved animals. Eve filled her days as a life-long learner, searching for her truths, exploring Judaism, studying all religions, embracing spirituality in many forms, taking music and art lessons, performing in recitals, sharing her art and writing, all with the hopes of processing and expressing her life’s joys and struggles, and impacting others.
Eve greatly enjoyed used and new bookstores, constantly adding to her large collection of books on a wide array of topics. She liked to shop, especially at thrift stores. She enjoyed all things of beauty including the unique and colorful landscape in her yard, interesting cloud formations, the ocean and sea shells. When Eve elected to stop driving about 15 years ago, she traveled around Boulder using a 3 wheel bike. She volunteered, teaching many children to read. She was a committed Democrat and a strong supporter of Barack Obama. She was keenly interested in the concept of positive aging and the eldering years.
As her health issues increased, Eve was adamant about remaining in her own home, which we honored with family and loving caregivers. Eve was one of a kind, she lived her life and her death passionately, in her own way, and on her own terms.
Eve is survived by her children and their spouses, Debbie (Steve), Rachel (Marty), and Seth (Carol); her 6 grandchildren, Nate, David, Leah, Gaby, Jackson, Elijah; her sister Irene (Renie) Sharp, of Palo Alto, CA; extended family, her friends and acquaintances, all of whom she loved and cherished.
Eve lived a very full life; we were so grateful for the expert care of TRU Hospice to assure that her death was natural, comfortable, at home and full of love and care.
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