Miriam Goldberg

February 19, 1939 – May 27, 2026

Miriam Goldberg, of Winter Garden, Florida, passed away on May 27, 2026, at the age of 87. She was born on February 19, 1939, in New York, New York.

Miriam lived a life defined by compassion, learning, faith, and service to others.

Miriam earned her master’s degree in psychology in 1986. Her thesis reflected both her intellect and her deep concern for people in crisis, addressing the need for funding and resourcing co-responder and mobile crisis teams to reduce the use of force, connect individuals with appropriate care, and lower recidivism rates. Long before these approaches became more widely recognized, Miriam understood the importance of pairing mental health expertise with public safety response.

She later put those ideas into practice as a mobile crisis responder for the Signal Hill Police Department, helping individuals and families during some of their most difficult moments. Her career continued through private practice, her work with Jewish Family and Children’s Service, and later with Los Angeles County Adult Protective Services. Throughout her professional life, Miriam dedicated herself to protecting vulnerable people, supporting families, and bringing care, dignity, and understanding to those who needed it most.

In 1996, she fulfilled a lifelong ambition by becoming Bat Mitzvah at Temple Israel in Long Beach, California. It was a meaningful expression of her faith, perseverance, and commitment to personal growth.

Miriam will be remembered for her compassion, intelligence, strength, and the love she gave so freely to her family and community. She was also a straight shooter in the very best sense. Miriam called things as she saw them, and while her honesty could sometimes come with a healthy dose of tough love, it was always offered in good faith and from a place of care. Those who knew her understood that her candor was part of her love, and that behind every direct word was a generous heart.

Her life’s work reflected a rare ability to see people not simply by their circumstances, but by their humanity.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Gerald Goldberg; her children, Melody Stein and David Goldberg; her grandchildren, Andrew Valencia and Melissa Valen; and her great-grandchildren, Aiden Valencia and Amelia Valencia.

May her memory be a blessing.