Pliner, Roberta L.
DATELINE: NEW YORK, NY
Roberta L. Pliner, age 87, passed away on March 9, 2024 in New York City at the Isabella Geriatric Center. She was born in Providence, Rhode Island to the late Milton Pliner and Marcia Herman Pliner.
Roberta is survived by her sister, Martha P. Grace of Worcester, Massachusetts, her niece, Meredith G. Reichheld and her husband, Robert, her grandniece, Jena R. Reichheld, her nephew, Charles A. Grace and his partner, Sara Zaiger, her grandniece, Lilly Grace, and her grandnephew, Marshall Grace. In addition, Roberta was survived by her stepbrother, Arthur Grace and his wife, Debra, two stepsisters, Dianne Solomon and Laura Grace and a niece, Cara Solomon.
Roberta was educated in the Providence public schools and graduated Simmons College with a major in journalism. After graduation, she worked for the Providence Journal before moving to New York City where she worked for Physics Today and Women’s Wear Daily. She could best be described as eclectic, having many interests and different ideas from a diverse and broad range of sources. For most of her adult life, which she spent in New York, Roberta worked as a freelance writer. She was an exceptional writer, an imaginative storyteller and always quick to offer an opinion. Her published writings include “ The Lazy Indoor Gardener”, and “Rx for Ailing House Plants” and “The Terrarium Book”, both co-authored with Charles Evans.
She was extremely generous with those who had less than she did. She was passionate about animals, especially her beloved Irish Wolfhounds and her cats – she always had at least one or more of both.
Contributions in Roberta’s memory may be made to Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02906 to the Rabbi Leslie Gutterman Religious School Fund or to the Irish Wolfhound Foundation iwfoundation.org.or to a charity of your choice.
There will be a graveside service at the Congregation Sons of Israel and David at 401 Reservoir Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island at 11:00 AM on March 13, 2024 . Shiva will be observed at the home of Martha Grace in Worcester, Massachusetts on the evening of Thursday, March 14th from 6:30- 8:30 PM.
Remembering Roberta, or Sookey as I know her. She was an online Irish Wolfhound friend of mine. I will never forget how she was there for me on the day my son died in 2004, stayed with me, emailing for hours.
I lived in Texas then, and my son died in the Netherlands, and I was all alone – it is still a sad day, of course, but Roberta helped me through, and I remember that and HER, every year.