Virginia Beach —Dorothy Jean (“Dottie-Jean”) Chenman Goodman Cash died on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
Born in Norfolk in July of 1930, Dottie- Jean was the daughter of the late Leon and Sonia Steiman Chenman, who came to the United States from their native Lithuania to make their lives and raise their family. Dottie-Jean attended Norfolk Public Schools, graduating with Maury High School’s Class of 1948, before attending the University of Miami in Florida.
Dottie-Jean enjoyed many interests throughout her full and happy life. Her enthusiasm for life’s fun times and her inexhaustible energy and vibrancy inspired and were infectious to all who knew and spent time around her. Having studied piano for many years from an early age, music and musical performances, especially Broadway musicals, were a lifelong source of pleasure for her. Art also was one of Dottie-Jean’s interests and passions, and she especially thrived when serving as a docent at Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum of Art. As a young mother, Dottie-Jean applied her passion for education by teaching Spanish to Norfolk’s public elementary school children on WHRO, public television. Her lessons, beamed into classrooms all over Tidewater, were among the first in the nation to use the relatively new medium of television for education.
The most fulfilling role for Dottie-Jean and the one that she treasured until the end, was that of a mother. Her resolute love for and dedication to her sons knew no bounds. Her sons, in turn, returned to her tremendous love, affection and gratitude. Dottie-Jean was unrelenting in her support and encouragement of her sons during both their young and adult lives. Coupled with that support, Dottie-Jean also instilled in all of them and continually reinforced a strong work ethic and a sense of independence and confidence.
Among Dottie-Jean’s happiest years were her later ones, which she spent married to Dr. Lawrence Cash, who preceded her in death only earlier this year. Dottie- Jean and Larry had a lot of fun together, traveling and spending winters in Florida, watching and talking about the news in their Virginia Beach condominium and enjoying frequent celebrations with their children, grandchildren and many friends.
Surviving Dottie-Jean are her sons Scott Goodman and his wife, Debbi, of Charlottesville, Wayne Goodman of Norfolk and Lance Goodman and his partner, Richard Stern, of Boston, her adoring grandchildren—‚Justin, Drew, Alex, Daniel, Jean and Rose—to whom she was always their very special and greatly loved “Mom-Mom”—and her doting nephew and nieces, Bobby Chenman, Marsha Chenman, Estie Cohen and JoAnn Cardon- Glass, her sister-in-law Bert Chenman and many cousins in this country, Israel and South Africa. She also is survived by her devoted step-daughter and her husband, Janis and Ed Weisberg, of Norfolk and their daughters Lisa (Joel) and Amie (Barrett) and their children Ayden, Brian and Madison Jane.
Besides her parents and Larry, Dottie- Jean was predeceased by her brother, Sol Chenman, her sisters, Rose Chenman and Mary Hirschfeld and by Larry’s son, Rick.
A funeral service was held at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments, followed by internment in the Chenman family plot at Norfolk’s Hebrew Cemetery. Donations in memory of Dottie-Jean to Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad (740 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451), Jewish Family Service of Tidewater (260 Grayson Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23462), The Chrysler Museum of Art (245 West Olney Road, Norfolk, VA 23510), a Hillel House of a donor’s choosing or another charity of the donor’s choice.