Evelyn Tamara Lilienfeld passed away peacefully early in the morning of Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at the age of 85. She will be remembered as a shining light and catalyst of joy for her family, community, and friends, filled with love and a zest for life.
Evelyn (nee Landau) was born on December 31, 1938 in Czernowitz in the region of Bukovina in what then was Romania. Her family, which was Jewish, survived the Second World War in Romania. After the war, they fled the Soviet Army and moved to Italy, where they lived for four years. Their stay in Italy left an indelible impression on her, and she remained in love with the country, its people, and it's cultural treasures for the rest of her life.
In 1951, Evelyn's family emigrated to the United States, settling in New York City. She was 12 years old. After attending Forest Hills High School in Queens, she entered Barnard College at age 16, where she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in history. She received a scholarship to the United Nations translation school in Geneva, Switzerland, but chose instead to remain in New York City upon meeting the love of her life, Pedro Lilienfeld. They were married in 1960. Evelyn and Pedro were made for each other. Both had endured chaos, flight, and family trauma in the context of the Second World War, yet they both shared a joie de vivre and can-do spirit.
Evelyn spoke six languages fluently: English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, and Polish. In her childhood, she had also spoken Romanian and Hungarian.
She enjoyed a nearly 30-year teaching career that started in the Lexington public schools as a substitute teacher in French. Her linguistic ability eventually led her to teaching Italian and Spanish at Tufts University and finally to teaching Spanish at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she remained for 17 years. She retired from MIT in 1996.
Evelyn was the doting mother of two children, Claudio Adrian born in 1962, and Armin Louis born in 1963. In 1963, the family moved from an apartment in
Greenwich Village in New York City to the suburb of New Rochelle, and in 1967 they moved to Lexington, MA, where Evelyn resided for the rest of her life.
She loved nature, animals, history, and travel. She was renowned for her travel planning – finding hidden gems, and connecting with proprietors of hotels, restaurants, and innumerable side destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Her ability to befriend strangers left friends and family in awe. Her elegance combined with a stunning smile made the world her oyster.
She was an only child and is survived by a small and tight-knit family: her spouse, Pedro; her two sons, Claudio and Armin and their respective spouses, Nina and Christine; and two grandchildren, Aidan and Amanda. All will sorely miss her luminous, intellectually brilliant, humane, and engaging presence.
Please use the following email to send memories, comments, and photos to the family: elilienfeld@gmail.com.
Donations can be made in Evelyn's name to: Visiting Nurse and Community Care hospice (https://www.thevisitingnurses.com/) or Friends of Animals ( https://friendsofanimals.org/) .

A private family memorial will be held.