Elba Iris Weitzman

Elba Iris Weitzman, “Iris”, age 66 of Gurabo, Puerto Rico and formerly of the Bronx, Wayne, and Paterson, passed away on Wednesday, December 23, 2020.

Iris was born and raised in Arecibo, a town on the northern coast of Puerto Rico on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. After high school graduation, she left her beloved island, coming to the mainland of the U.S. to attend Lehman College in the Bronx in pursuit of a career as a social worker. She earned her bachelor’s degree and eventually attended Fordham University and in 1990, she graduated with a master’s degree in social work.

As a child growing up, Iris had many siblings and, in many ways, being one of the older children in the family, she was like a mother to the younger ones. In 1977, she attended one of her little sister’s parent-teacher conferences to assist her Mom who didn’t have complete mastery of the English language. There Iris met Jay Weitzman, her sister’s teacher. They hit it off, fell in love, and in July 1980, they eloped to Nevada to get married at the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Already equipped with mothering skills, Iris became a mother herself in 1981 with the arrival of her dear daughter Taryn. A year later, Taryn was joined by a baby brother named Brian.

It was after the birth of her children that Iris went to Fordham University for her master’s degree. Needless to say with two children and going to school, she had her hands full. But, with hard work, grit, and determination, she achieved her goal. Soon after, while living in Wayne, NJ, Iris’ ultimate dream was fulfilled when she took a job as a social worker with Paterson Public Schools. She simply loved her career, working with caseworkers as part of child study teams to advocate for the safety, protection, and well-being of the children under her care. Iris’s days were busy but highly fulfilling. After championing for the best possible life of countless children for a career that spanned 25 years, Iris retired in 2017 having enjoyed the love and respect of her colleagues and the kids that she served.

Soon after retirement, Iris decided to spend more time in her native Puerto Rico to be reunited with her beloved homeland. She bought a house in Gurabo and took great pride in ownership. Never afraid of physical labor, Iris kept that house spotlessly clean (she never saw a bottle of Clorox she didn’t like) and beautifully decorated. Her yard and gardens were equally meticulously maintained and nourished with love and care. Inside her home, one of Iris’ favorite places to channel her creative nature was in the kitchen where she cooked delicious foods. Family favorites included her Arroz Con Grandules (rice and pigeon peas), Arroz Con Habichuela (rice and pork chops), and Pasteles (pork and root vegetable mix wrapped in banana leaves). Of course, her faithful Chihuahua, affectionately named Rosie Bean was always by her side and willing to sample anything Iris cooked.

Blessed with the gift of handiness and creativity mixed with an insatiable desire to “make it happen”, whether it was morphing a broken piece of furniture into something new and beautiful and useful, or sewing custom designer pillowcases for her children or a sling to carry Rosie Bean in, Iris was always on the move and up to something. She loved dressing in vividly colorful outfits, dancing to salsa or merengue (likely where Taryn got her love of dance), playing Candy Crush for hours, and sharing life with family and friends.

Iris loved to travel - especially when her daughter Taryn came for a visit or when she traveled to LA.  Iris was known for excitedly saying “Let’s go on an adventure!” And off they’d go, taking in new sights, seeing Broadway shows, or doing what every woman loves to do – go shopping! Iris was also the proudest grandma in the whole wide world! When her grandson Jaxon was born, life took on a whole new dimension and, when it came to spending time with Jaxon, Iris had all the energy and time in the world and then some! As late as early December, she assisted her very talented son, Brian with building a custom bed for Jaxon.  She was extremely proud of her son's talents; particularly his career in law enforcement with the Passaic Country Sheriff's Department.  A fun fact about Iris was that not only was she a huge fan of Roberto Clemente and Reggie Jackson, but she could throw a baseball so wickedly fast, the Yankees or Mets would have loved to sign her to a multi-year contract. No doubt, her grandson Jaxon would have loved to witness Grandma Iris don the uniform of a major league baseball team.

Throughout much of her life, Iris was hampered by a heart ailment. Despite this challenge, she did her best to never let it hold her back from living life to the fullest and blessing others along the way. Her heart muscle might have had its challenges but her heart was always filled with love, kindness, selflessness, and generosity. She could not help being sensitive to the needs of others and she derived great joy by helping a hurting soul or giving a warm hug of encouragement. Iris may have formally retired from her job as a social worker but her love for the welfare of others never retired! Never able to deny her benevolent nature, Iris continued to address the needs she saw, even taking children in to live with her when they were down on their good fortune. She was like an angel.

Iris was the loving mother of Taryn Weitzman of Los Angeles and Brian and wife Jennifer Weitzman of Wayne; adoring grandmother of Jaxon Weitzman of Wayne; and dear sister of numerous siblings. She is also survived by countless nieces, nephews, and cousins and her faithful Chihuahua Rosie Bean.