Chiqui Somers

“Chiqui” Myra Adele Somers, 18 August, age 89, Phila. (Hill at Whitemarsh), wife of Laurence A Somers for 67 years, whom she met in 1956 when she was a student nurse at Einstein Medical Center, mother to Jonathan (Dorothy Mayson), Liza (Daniel Mines) and Rachel (Barry Siegel), grandmother to Jed (Jillian), Rebecca, Sophie, Ben, Max, Sam and Jemma and great grandmother to Dell.

Chiqui was born in the Bronx to Yeva and Max Schiffman and had a sister, Muriel (Sandford Hess). As a newborn the apartment doorman called her “my little Chiquita” and the name Chiqui stuck. She graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in New York then earned an RN diploma from Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and a BS from Glassboro State College. She completed two Barnes Foundation courses, one in arts and one in horticulture.

Chiqui, great cook, both intuitive and inventive, and was a loving mother, aunt, and grandmother organizing a myriad of family activities, including a houseboat excursion on the St. Lawrence River into the Rideau canal locks, a month long trip in the Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer train from Edmonton to Vancouver a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon and a grand tour of Italy. She retrieved her daughter Liza who had been traveling for two years in Asia and together they went on the Orient Express from China to Mongolia to Russia and visited relatives in Moldova.

As a registered nurse she had a long and varied career working at Planned Parenthood, Camp Modin in ME, The Miquon School, Genes Health World as a holistic health nurse, the U.S V.A as research nurse, and as the volunteer coordinator for the Wissahickon Hospice

Chiqui was forever a “New Yorker.” She loved art, films, music and was fiercely liberal, both socially and politically, often participating in marches. She was always the spark at parties and was a generous friend, mother and grandmother, always curious about the struggles, joys, experiences and feelings of others. She will be greatly missed.

A memorial service will be held at Beth David Reform Congregation, 1130 Vaughan Ln Gladwyne PA 19035 on Wednesday August 21st, 2024 at 11:30 AM precisely. Shiva will be held at the home of Rachel Somers and Barry Siegel following services until 4:00, continuing at 6:00pm. Shiva will continue at the home of Liza Somers and Daniel Mines on Thursday starting at 6:00 PM. Contributions may be made to Planned Parenthood, or to the Harris Walz campaign.