The oldest American was one week away from her 114th birthday when she died at her home in Worcester, Massachusetts, on July 8.
Goldie Michelson (nee Corash) was born in 1902 to Russian Jewish parents who immigrated when she was 2. She lived for 113 years and 335 days, nearly all of it in Worcester.
The Boston Globe reported that her age was a source of pride to Michelson, and that she credited her longevity to walking. She also acted and directed nearly all her life; she directed a performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” at 99. In May, she was named the oldest living American.
Michelson graduated from Pembroke College, which later became the Women’s College of Brown University, and received a master’s degree in sociology from Clark University in Worcester. Her thesis examined why many of the city’s older Jewish immigrants did not pursue citizenship or learn English. She told the Worcester Telegram in 2012 that her thesis was inspired by her work with Jewish women’s organizations such as Hadassah and the National Council of Jewish Women. In the 1990s, when a new wave of Jewish immigrants came to Worcester, Michelson help settle them. — jta n