The heart of a ballet dancer
Would you like to meet a very good woman and learn from her example?
I am going to tell you about this loving family: women, sister, daughter and friend. Her name was Evelyn Richman.
I knew Evelyn when she was a little girl. She always wore a radiant smile that lit up every room she was in. Her optimism was contagious, and everyone who was lucky enough to know her felt her presence long after she was gone.
One of the best lessons I learned from her was to make the best of any circumstance. By not dwelling on the negative, she was adept at creating positive momentum for herself and her friends.
Evelyn had a great interest in connecting with other people. (No one ever gets tired of talking about themselves). She would listen carefully to what you said with a happy and encouraging smile! If she had a problem, she listened to him, asked questions and helped him. This created a magnetism that attracted me and many others.
Evelyn was a great cheerleader for me in my music career. (For many years I worked for International Ballet companies in New York City such as the Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, and other companies.)
When I first mentioned which ballet company I was playing for, he lit up.
She said, “When I was a child I studied piano and took ballet lessons and became a wonderful ballet dancer. When I was 17 years old, I was offered the opportunity to join Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and continue my training.” Unfortunately, her parents didn’t let her join. She always liked ballet and she found great joy in seeing recitals.
Her boyfriend, a military aviator during World War II, was killed in the war. She never married. She cared for her parents until they passed away and worked for the government for many years. Upon retirement, she donated her time by volunteering at the airport, museums, and other places where she was needed. Ella She was always willing to help others, listen to them, help them solve their problems and improve their lives!
Evelyn shared the following story with me about her chaperoning for 3 years when my grandparents, Belle and Louis Frank were dating. She sat between them on her date. He always smiled when he told me this story! She was a close friend of my grandparents and my parents, Dr. Robert and Romayne Frank.
For years, Grandma Belle took Evelyn and me to lunch on our birthdays, which we shared; November 24! After Belle’s death, Evelyn and I, my husband, and another close friend of Evelyn’s, Marsha Rice, who also has a birthday in November, would get together for lunch and a party to celebrate our birthdays. Since she has been living in a retirement home, we would bring lunch, birthday cake, my violin, and play her favorite songs, including New York, New York, which she enjoyed singing with a big smile on her face! Marsha would bring her dog, Chloe and Evelyn would enjoy patting her on the head. She loved dogs!
On Evelyn’s 80th birthday, all of her family and friends threw a huge party for her!
What lessons have we learned from Evelyn Richman?
Evelyn Richman was one of the happiest, most positive, nicest, most beautiful people I have ever met. She always cared about others, she was willing to listen, ask questions and help him think through her problems. She also gave you a smile when you needed it and she gave you words of encouragement! She was a blessing to her family and friends.
So remember to listen carefully, keep your eyes open to see what is happening around you. When you see someone who needs help, lend them yours.
Our dear friend Evelyn Richman passed away on Saturday, January 2, 2021. She was 98 years old and a lifelong resident of Newport News, Virginia. She was born on November 24, 1923, and had two brothers, Billy and Eddie Richman. Her family and her friends were lucky to have met such a wonderful and caring person who was always willing to lend a hand. She was passionate about helping her family and friends. Her legacy of kindness from her to others will live on!