Obituary for Frances G. Stein (Seid)
Life Story for Fran Stein
Wife, Mother, Grandmother
Born in Omaha, Nebraska on December 31, 1927, Fran grew up in Los Angeles, California with her parents and her younger brothers Marvin and Stanley. She attended elementary school at the Virginia Road School and Mt. Vernon Junior High, always able to walk to and from school with her friends. After graduating from Dorsey High School, Fran attended UCLA, which required taking two buses - at one point, there was a transit strike and she had to hitchhike from home to Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles so she could get the bus from there to campus.
In 1947, Fran met Leonard Stein while at a surprise birthday party for her friend Madge Horowitz. The pair immediately hit it off and had their first official date on December 31 of that year, attending a New Year’s Eve party at UCLA’s Pi Lamda Phi house. By February 1949, Leonard and Fran were engaged; they married on August 31, 1949. They have three children: Ralyne, Marcia, and Bryan.
Fran had a number of jobs throughout her life, including working in “men's underwear” (department) at the May Company. After marrying Leonard, she worked at the California Department of Employment before transitioning to Berkline Furniture. In the early 1980s, she went to work as a bookkeeper at Davis Dental Supply, a company which eventually grew to include OPI nail polish.
Beyond working and raising three children, Fran had a love of writing, especially poetry. Writing runs in the family - her brother Marvin spent his entire career at the LA Times; daughter Ralyne was a journalism major in college; granddaughter Brianna is a writer and editor. Fran wrote poetry for various occasions - weddings, birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs.
Fran also had a little-known talent - she could recite all of the state capitals (in alphabetical order by state!) from memory. She enjoyed knitting, mah jongg, and was an avid reader - a trait she passed on to all of her children. Fran was also involved with fundraising for City of Hope, serving for a time as President of the Valley Aides chapter of the organization. When her daughters were young, she sewed their clothes, later teaching them the skill of sewing. Fran was a loyal friend, still in contact with people she's known for more than 70 years.
Together, Leonard and Fran loved cruising - they went on nearly 50 cruises during their marriage, including Alaska, Hawaii, and a number of European cities. They also loved spending time with their children and grandchildren. Being a grandmother was one of her greatest joys and both Leonard and Fran were always available for their grandchildren.
The family became closer during the difficulty of the COVID-19 pandemic and, once we were able to visit again, we never parted ways without a kiss and a long hug.
Fran is survived by her brothers Marvin (Marge) Seid and Stan Seid; her children Ralyne Soloski (Lee), Marcia Stein (Zvi), and Bryan Stein; and her grandchildren Brianna Soloski and Jared Soloski.
Wife, Mother, Grandmother
Born in Omaha, Nebraska on December 31, 1927, Fran grew up in Los Angeles, California with her parents and her younger brothers Marvin and Stanley. She attended elementary school at the Virginia Road School and Mt. Vernon Junior High, always able to walk to and from school with her friends. After graduating from Dorsey High School, Fran attended UCLA, which required taking two buses - at one point, there was a transit strike and she had to hitchhike from home to Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles so she could get the bus from there to campus.
In 1947, Fran met Leonard Stein while at a surprise birthday party for her friend Madge Horowitz. The pair immediately hit it off and had their first official date on December 31 of that year, attending a New Year’s Eve party at UCLA’s Pi Lamda Phi house. By February 1949, Leonard and Fran were engaged; they married on August 31, 1949. They have three children: Ralyne, Marcia, and Bryan.
Fran had a number of jobs throughout her life, including working in “men's underwear” (department) at the May Company. After marrying Leonard, she worked at the California Department of Employment before transitioning to Berkline Furniture. In the early 1980s, she went to work as a bookkeeper at Davis Dental Supply, a company which eventually grew to include OPI nail polish.
Beyond working and raising three children, Fran had a love of writing, especially poetry. Writing runs in the family - her brother Marvin spent his entire career at the LA Times; daughter Ralyne was a journalism major in college; granddaughter Brianna is a writer and editor. Fran wrote poetry for various occasions - weddings, birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs.
Fran also had a little-known talent - she could recite all of the state capitals (in alphabetical order by state!) from memory. She enjoyed knitting, mah jongg, and was an avid reader - a trait she passed on to all of her children. Fran was also involved with fundraising for City of Hope, serving for a time as President of the Valley Aides chapter of the organization. When her daughters were young, she sewed their clothes, later teaching them the skill of sewing. Fran was a loyal friend, still in contact with people she's known for more than 70 years.
Together, Leonard and Fran loved cruising - they went on nearly 50 cruises during their marriage, including Alaska, Hawaii, and a number of European cities. They also loved spending time with their children and grandchildren. Being a grandmother was one of her greatest joys and both Leonard and Fran were always available for their grandchildren.
The family became closer during the difficulty of the COVID-19 pandemic and, once we were able to visit again, we never parted ways without a kiss and a long hug.
Fran is survived by her brothers Marvin (Marge) Seid and Stan Seid; her children Ralyne Soloski (Lee), Marcia Stein (Zvi), and Bryan Stein; and her grandchildren Brianna Soloski and Jared Soloski.