Hildreth Garb

Death Announcement

Hildreth Garb of Centennial, Colorado died gently and peacefully at home on Saturday, August 21, 2021. She was surrounded by family and loved ones. She was 95 years old.

Survived By

Hildreth is survived by

– her three sons – James (Candace), Gordon (Cynthia), and Richard (Elizabeth).

– two grandchildren – Amy (Jeff) and Eddie

– three great-grandchildren – Morgan, Jensen, and Wyatt

Hildreth was predeceased by her husbands Edwin Loeb (1951) and Solomon Garb (1982), and her grandson Adam (2013).

Education

Born and raised in New York City, Hildreth attended PS6 Elementary School. On her way to and from school she walked past the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and often she made time to explore, developing her lifelong appreciation of art. Later she went to Julia Richmond High School, then Penn State University, where she pursued a degree in Ceramic Engineering. She was active in the American Ceramic Society, Math Club, Treble Singers, Archery Club, and the Association of Childhood Education. She was a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority. Due to World War II many Engineering courses were unavailable, and she graduated in 1947 with a degree in Science.

In 1961, her family moved to Columbia, Missouri, where Solomon took a position as a Professor at the University of Missouri Medical School. Hildreth loved working with children, and chose to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Missouri. She earned her Master of Arts in Speech Pathology in 1966, then she joined the Mid Missouri Mental Health Center as a Speech Pathologist. She also continued her studies with an eye towards earning a PhD.

Career

In 1970 the family moved again, to Littleton, Colorado, when Solomon became the Scientific Director of a cancer research hospital in Denver. Hildreth joined the Littleton Public Schools as a Speech Pathologist, and served in the school district for the next two plus decades. She helped establish Project Child Find, a program that screened children who had been labeled as “mentally retarded” and given limited educational opportunities.

Project Child Find discovered a wide range of abilities and disabilities in these children that often could be addressed through surgical interventions, therapies, or support in school settings. Hildreth helped numerous families get the correct diagnoses and support needed to help their children learn and experience success. Her knowledge of early childhood development, and her belief in the value of early intervention, prompted Hildreth to facilitate development of multiple programs in Littleton Public schools including: infant screening and stimulation; early childhood preschool programs; a pre-academic kindergarten program; and a kindergarten resource program. The goal of these programs was to provide developmentally appropriate early intervention for children so they could be successful in school, and in life, regardless of their abilities. Hildreth was a mentor to staff within Littleton Public schools, and left a lasting legacy. She made such an impact on families that even when her former students became parents, and grandparents, they stayed in touch with her.

Retirement

Hildreth always had creative hobbies, including photography, woodworking, ceramics, copper enameling, painting, and letterpress printing. When Hildreth retired from the school district, she visited Tucson, Arizona, and immediately made a broad network of friends. She discovered a passion for the desert Southwest, and for making jewelry. She divided her time between Tucson and Littleton. In both places she was an active attendee of the symphony, the opera, the ballet, and theatre. She took classes and workshops in jewelry making and other creative pursuits, and was a regular at the Tucson Gem Shows. She had many interests and was a lifelong learner. She loved to read, fiction and nonfiction, and loved meeting and becoming friends with her favorite authors.

Dogs

She had a lifelong love of dogs, and always had one or two rescued pups for companionship. She loved to tell the story of her first dog, Skippy, a Boston Terrier who was so small when she got him as a pup that he fit in her hand. Living in a New York City high-rise, she would take Skippy to the elevator and put him in with the elevator operator. One of the building’s staff would then take Skippy for a walk and then put him back on the elevator to go back home.

Faith

Throughout her life she was proud of her Jewish identity and heritage, and she looked forward to attending services, and to observing Jewish holidays during the year. Her Mother's family is from Savannah, Georgia, where they were members of Congregation Mickve Israel, the third oldest Jewish congregation in America. Housed there are ketubot of Hildreth's ancestors dating from 1840 and 1870. When Hildreth was growing up in Manhattan, her congregation had no tradition of girls becoming a Bat Mitzvah. Instead, at sixteen she was Confirmed into the Synagogue.

Friends

Hildreth leaves behind her loving family and a network of friends around the world from all ages of her life.

In Lieu of Flowers

Donations can be made in Hildreth’s name to one of her four favorite charities

1. Community Food Bank, Inc., Tucson, Arizona (520) 622-0525

2. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (713) 792-3450 giving@mdanderson.org

3. Operation Smile Colorado (720) 840-1724

4. Tu Nidito Children and Family Services, Tucson, Arizona (520) 322-9155

Sharing Stories of Hildreth

Anyone who has a story of Hildreth to share can add it to the Tribute Wall at HoranCares.com, or can send it directly to the family.

Conclusion

Hildreth Garb touched many lives in her ninety five years on Earth. She was a remarkable and inspiring woman, a wonderful mother, relative, friend, and mentor. May her memory be a blessing.

Services

Memorial services will be on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 starting at 11am, at Temple Sinai, 3509 S. Glencoe St, Denver, Colorado.

All who wish to attend, and who are fully vaccinated, are welcomed.

Masks are required as a sign of respect for all.

Live Stream

The services will be streamed live for anybody who cannot attend in person.

Link: https:// www.sinaidenver.org/ Click on “Live Streaming - Chapel”

Services will be followed by a private burial.