Leona C. Laskin

Leona Laskin, age 99, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on April 27, 2026, after a remarkable life as a gifted physician, a loving wife, and a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her family and friends remember her as warm-hearted, gregarious, and fun. Even casual acquaintances were struck by her enthusiastic personality, as well as by her creative verve as a storyteller.

Leona died of heart failure at Pennsylvania Hospital, surrounded by her four sons: Robert (Susan), Daniel (Mary Jane), David (Kathleen), and Jonathan (Michael). Her husband of 63 years, Meyer, had died in 2010. The four sons were all grateful to be able to share time with her at the end and to see her delight, shortly before she died, in savoring a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Raised in the Bronx, in New York City, Leona Pauline Cohen graduated from Syracuse University and then the university’s medical school. It was at Syracuse that she met Meyer Laskin. After marrying, the couple lived in New York City and then, for many years, in Great Neck, Long Island, where they raised their four boys.

Meanwhile, Leona embarked on a career as an anesthesiologist at Long Island Jewish Hospital. At that time, there were far fewer female physicians than there are now, and she had to stand up for herself in the face of unfairness and stereotypes about women. It didn’t take long for her to win the respect of her colleagues. She was a meticulous professional, and her warm personality put patients at their ease.

As students, she and Meyer had discovered the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York State. They began skiing and hiking, and they imbued their sons with a love for these pastimes. Leona the city girl also became an avid angler, fishing for trout in the Ausable River. Eventually she and Meyer built a home in Lake Placid, which became a beloved family gathering place. After her retirement, they moved from Long Island to Philadelphia, while continuing to sojourn regularly in Lake Placid.

Especially in retirement, Leona was a wide-ranging reader, enjoying both fiction and nonfiction. She also loved classical music. In Philadelphia, she and Meyer subscribed to the Philadelphia Orchestra for many seasons, and they were generous supporters of the orchestra. Because of Meyer’s work, they also traveled a good deal, taking regular trips to France, Turkey, and Hong Kong.

To her seven grandchildren, Leona was “Guggi,” a grandmother who sang silly songs, taught them to play poker, and welcomed them to Lake Placid for family reunions. From their early childhood through their adult years, the grandchildren were treated to Guggi’s family stories, told and retold, always with humor and dramatic flair, and with greater embellishment as the years went on. She lived long enough to celebrate the births of seven great-grandchildren as well. An enduring memory for the sons and grandchildren was the sweet smile and the sparkle in her eyes as she held these newest babies.

A memorial service for Leona will be held on Saturday, May 9th, 2026 at Goldsteins’ Rosenberg’s Funeral Directors, 6410 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19126, starting at 12:00 PM precisely.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Leona’s memory to