Vera Esther (Paretzkin) Islam 

5-3-1928 to 11-11-2001 Born in Kemnitz, Germany, she and her 
family escaped Nazi rule and came to Forest Hills, New York in 1940. 
Vera was the youngest of 3 children. Vera always valued education and 
was an avid reader and she spoke 4 languages. She attended Stanford 
University where she earned a bachelor#s degree in History. She later 
attended Columbia University in New York where she earned a 
master#s degree in Social Work. This is also were she met her husband, 
Dr. A.R. (Ray) Islam. They were married on August 28, 1958. Before 
their children were born, Vera was employed as a social worker at 
Western State Hospital. She then stayed at home while her children, 
Marc and Hilary, began school. She then returned to social work at St. 
Joseph Hospital in Tacoma. There she worked on the psychiatric unit. 
She was especially skilled at working with young adults and teenagers, 
many of who wrote her years later, thanking her for her help. She later 
became the vice president of Paradise Bowl in Parkland, and 
successfully managed that business for many years. She was passionate 
about many charities and was a proud member of the Parkland-
Spanaway Rotary Club for many years, where she gave not only 
money, but also her time. Other charities she supported include Doctors 
Without Borders, Planned Parenthood, the Humane Society, and also 
several charities that provide educational assistance as well as basic 
needs to Native American children. The things that she loved most in 
life were her children and grandchildren, her garden (flowers), and art. 
She loved to listen to classical music (Beethoven) and singing 
(Pavarotti, Mario Lanza, Charlotte Church). She enjoyed food, 
especially chocolate. She enjoyed traveling and visited such places 
England, France, Turkey, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, 
Mexico and Morocco. She will be remembered as an outspoken 
advocate for the underdog and was never afraid to speak up for a 
person or cause that she believed in. She was loved and will be greatly 
missed by her family and many friends. Her beloved brother, Boris 
Paretzkin, preceded Vera in death. She is survived by her sister, Eva 
Bippart of New Jersey, her husband, Dr. A.R. Islam, and daughter, 
Hilary Harter of Gig Harbor, and her son, Marc Islam of Redmond, 
WA; as well as her four grandchildren, Petrea, Kendra, Jonathan, and 
Kevin. A memorial services will be held at Haven of Rest in Gig Harbor 
on Saturday, 11/17/2001 at 2 p.m., with a reception to follow. Pub 
Date: 11/15/2001 

Tacoma News Tribune