Tina was the best speller in Mr. Hamrick's fifth grade class. I know, because I was the second-best. One time, toward the end of a semester, Mr. Hamrick gave an unannounced spelling test to measure the grade level our abilities had reached. When the tests were corrected, two students had tested at 9th grade level: Tina and me. But Tina beat me by one word: PHYSICIAN. Tina did not have a competitive bone in her body, and when she learned that she had scored highest in the class, her delight was so genuine and her smile so radiant that I couldn't help feeling glad she had been first. She possessed a natural grace that made her a good winner, and she had the rare ability to make the rest of us feel that her victory was ours, too.
My other memory of Tina was many years later, in Dona Talita's modern literature class. Although we were teenagers, Dona Talita treated us like adults, or tried to make us aspire to deserve such treatment as she led sophisticated discussions of early 20th century Brazilian poetry. Tina was an attentive student, of course, but every once in a while she decided that things had gotten too serious. That's when she would come out with some remark in a "caipira" accent, just to crack us up. I have the indelible image of this beautiful, intelligent, 100% Swedish-looking girl talking like a Pernambucana, dissolving the class into laughter and driving poor Dona Talita to despair.
I was an extremely shy kid, a shyness made worse by the fact that I was half a year younger than everyone else in my class. Upon reaching 5th grade our recess was moved from the lower playground to the upper playground, together with the 6th grade recess. On the first day on the new playground I was despondently hanging out by myself when a very blond smile from 6th grade reached out to me and befriended me. That was Tina. We spent many recesses walking and talking and getting to know each other. I never forgot her kindness, her warmth, her humor, and that amazing smile of hers. I am fortunate to continue to see a little bit of Tina in her nieces, who are part of my extended family (her brother Lars Hugerth married my first cousin Vera Warchavchik).
Tina was a beautiful person and close friend, the type of person who lived this life to the fullest, who took advantage of each and every minute. I can attest to the talents, good humor, her strengths. Always that big smile … she was soooo funny when she impersonated characters - she always cracked me up with her Ronald Golias imitation.
I will forever cherish that friendship and celebrate the time we shared in the 3 years I spent at Graded, the weekly sleepovers, knowing her parents Ulla and Nils, her brother Lars and sister Ingela; so many memories and so many stories. After we graduated we went our separate ways but we still kept in touch and talked about our lives and plans and all the other things best friends would do. To my dear friend, I can only say, you left too fast… too soon.
Tina, never to be forgotten. Sweet and funny, good natured and unpredictable. Constantly undecided about what to do, but always loved a challenge. As Carole Nahmias said, she left us too soon! Will always remember you Tina, no matter where or when.
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Dan Waters (1973)
Tina was the best speller in Mr. Hamrick's fifth grade class. I know, because I was the second-best. One time, toward the end of a semester, Mr. Hamrick gave an unannounced spelling test to measure the grade level our abilities had reached. When the tests were corrected, two students had tested at 9th grade level: Tina and me. But Tina beat me by one word: PHYSICIAN. Tina did not have a competitive bone in her body, and when she learned that she had scored highest in the class, her delight was so genuine and her smile so radiant that I couldn't help feeling glad she had been first. She possessed a natural grace that made her a good winner, and she had the rare ability to make the rest of us feel that her victory was ours, too.My other memory of Tina was many years later, in Dona Talita's modern literature class. Although we were teenagers, Dona Talita treated us like adults, or tried to make us aspire to deserve such treatment as she led sophisticated discussions of early 20th century Brazilian poetry. Tina was an attentive student, of course, but every once in a while she decided that things had gotten too serious. That's when she would come out with some remark in a "caipira" accent, just to crack us up. I have the indelible image of this beautiful, intelligent, 100% Swedish-looking girl talking like a Pernambucana, dissolving the class into laughter and driving poor Dona Talita to despair.
Lena Rotenberg (1974)
I was an extremely shy kid, a shyness made worse by the fact that I was half a year younger than everyone else in my class. Upon reaching 5th grade our recess was moved from the lower playground to the upper playground, together with the 6th grade recess. On the first day on the new playground I was despondently hanging out by myself when a very blond smile from 6th grade reached out to me and befriended me. That was Tina. We spent many recesses walking and talking and getting to know each other. I never forgot her kindness, her warmth, her humor, and that amazing smile of hers. I am fortunate to continue to see a little bit of Tina in her nieces, who are part of my extended family (her brother Lars Hugerth married my first cousin Vera Warchavchik).Carole Nahmias (1973)
Tina was a beautiful person and close friend, the type of person who lived this life to the fullest, who took advantage of each and every minute. I can attest to the talents, good humor, her strengths. Always that big smile … she was soooo funny when she impersonated characters - she always cracked me up with her Ronald Golias imitation.I will forever cherish that friendship and celebrate the time we shared in the 3 years I spent at Graded, the weekly sleepovers, knowing her parents Ulla and Nils, her brother Lars and sister Ingela; so many memories and so many stories. After we graduated we went our separate ways but we still kept in touch and talked about our lives and plans and all the other things best friends would do.
To my dear friend, I can only say, you left too fast… too soon.
Kevin Scherman (1974)
Tina, never to be forgotten. Sweet and funny, good natured and unpredictable. Constantly undecided about what to do, but always loved a challenge. As Carole Nahmias said, she left us too soon! Will always remember you Tina, no matter where or when.