Obituary: Renee Davidoff Cobb

Renee Davidoff Cobb, of Atlanta, Ga. passed away Oct. 1. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on Nov. 25, 1941, to Lottie Sieff Davidoff and David Hersch Davidoff, of blessed memory.

Renee and her husband of over 60 years, Rubin “Roy” Cobb, were born and raised in South Africa where they were married and began to raise their family. They immigrated to America in 1977 with their three children and settled in Atlanta, Ga. During the magical time since immigrating, they have enjoyed and celebrated many simchas and life events and seen their family expand and grow to eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Renee enjoyed a beautiful and treasured life centered upon family, love, Judaism, beauty and respect. She was a devoted wife and an exemplary mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, taking personal interest and pride in every child, in-law child, grandchild, and great-grandchild. While not boastful of their accomplishments, she had a keen interest and pride in each of her grandchildren’s individual lives and gave her support, love and wisdom relentlessly.

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As everyone who has ever met her knows, Renee was a beauty, inside and out, and universally loved by all she knew and met. She had a magnetic presence based on her natural grace, glamorous looks, and approachability, with a unique ability to make everyone around her feel good. She was truly interested in others from every walk of life and gave her love and time freely to others in her daily life. She was genuine and caring to others, and captivated strangers with her charm and authenticity.

Her pride and joy her entire life were her family, her parents of blessed memory, her brothers- and sisters-in-law and families, and many close cousins who live in many continents around the world (who she stayed in touch with regularly!) and her beloved children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Renee would likely say that one of her proudest accomplishments was having her mother, Lottie, live with her and Roy in her home for the last 15 years of her mother’s life.

Following the family’s emigration from South Africa, Renee never lost sight of the bonds she shared with her extended family, and it became her duty to carry those into future generations. She was the glue and the matriarch of the Davidoff family, seamlessly connected to and integrated with the lives of her beloved cousins throughout the U.S. and world. She did so with great ease and enjoyment, from phone calls to b’nai mitzvahs to weddings and more.

During her recent illness, Renee was showered with love and care literally 24/7 by her children, in-law children, brothers, and family, including daily calls from her sister-in-law, Sharon Davidoff. The family would not have been able to care for Renee without the unwavering comfort and companionship provided by her in-home caretakers, Yolande, Claudia, and Mary. These kind women sustained her, comforted her, nurtured her, and loved her daily over the last four months. She, too, returned that love and left an impact on them.

In addition to her beloved husband, Roy, Renee Davidoff Cobb is survived by: her brothers, Sidney (Elaine) Davidoff of Melbourne, Australia, Brian (Sharon) Davidoff of Los Angeles, Calif.; children, Jody (David) Frankel, Sheli (Sam) Feldman, and Gavin (Melinda) Cobb, all of Atlanta, Ga.; her grandchildren, Adam (Miriam Leah) Frankel (Cleveland, Ohio), Shana Frankel, Ariel Frankel, Micah Frankel, Talia Feldman, David Feldman, Justin Cobb, and Nicole Cobb; great-grandchildren Nechama Zissel, Ephraim, Sarah, and Eliezer Frankel. In addition to her immediate family, Renee is survived by a host of loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends, and their respective communities in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, South Africa, Israel, Australia, Toronto, and London.

Contributions in honor of Renee’s life may be made to the Atlanta Jewish Academy or a charity of your choice. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4599.