Prepared by the Solo Family
Naomi Solo died peacefully at her home on Sept. 23. One of her favorite movies was “Harold and Maude,” a fitting reflection of her spirit with its themes of celebrating life with love, humorand a great soundtrack. She touched many lives, and we will always remember her smile.
Naomi Hirschfeld was born in New Jersey on Dec. 3, 1937. Boston became a central part of her life — not just because she attended Boston University and became a lifelong Red Sox fan, but because it was there that she met her husband, Richard Solo, on an auspicious Friday the 13th (which our family always viewed as lucky).
She is survived by her three children, David, Michael and his wife Susan, and Julie, as well as her sister Karen Ralston, stepsister Isabel Pestronk and countless friends.
She was caring. A fixture in the Port Jefferson community since 1970, she ran the teen center — where she honed her ping-pong skills — and the senior citizen program, organizing annual St. Patrick’s Day outings to Tara’s. She also led the arts and crafts festival in downtown Port Jefferson and later contributed to the village’s Go Green efforts. In 2011, she was named Port Jefferson’s Woman of the Year.
She was curious. She instilled in her family a love of adventure — driving overnight to watch the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain in Maine, schlepping to Randall’s Island to see the New York Cosmos, and making a last-minute trip to Central Park for the historic Simon and Garfunkel concert. Her curiosity took her around the world, from a cross-country honeymoon road trip to regular trips to London. She made friends everywhere and kept in touch with nearly all of them.
She was musical. Our house was always filled with music, including the piano, recorders and guitar that she and our father played. They were close friends with the owners of a folk music record label, whose visits brought sea shanties and musicians into our living room. In her final months, she would still smile and sing along while watching “A Hard Day’s Night.”
She was sharp. Her business degree from BU served her well in her work at Macy’s after college and later in marketing at Danfords Hotel in Port Jefferson. A devoted “Jeopardy!” fan, she watched almost daily.
She had a way with words, whether solving The New York Times crossword puzzle or composing poems for family occasions. She and our neighbor, Ma Gull, often spent nights playing Scrabble together.
She was joyful. Whether on the tennis court, eating sushi, or watching birds, she found joy in almost every moment—and maintained her humor and positivity throughout her life.
A friend in England once shared a story that perfectly captured her spirit: “We were on the Millennium Wheel when she completely transformed the slightly dour atmosphere by leaping from side to side, chatting with everyone. By the time we ‘landed,’ we were all practically best friends. It was magic.”
She will be greatly missed.
At Naomi’s funeral, her family asked for donations to be made to Frank Melville Memorial Park and the Port Jefferson Harbor Education & Arts Conservancy, in lieu of flowers.
Prev
