Myra Blum Lipper

As the Artemis II rocket pushed into the darkness of space, Myra Lipper passed the bonds of this world to peacefully embrace the light of the World to Come. One of her last conversations was talking about how excited she was with the news about the moon mission. Myra lived every day with her trademark independence all the way until last week. Her passing leaves a hole in our lives which can only be filled by the love of family, friends and the myriads of relationships that she nurtured during her 87 years.

Myra was born on July 19, 1938, in Houston, Texas to Ben and Florence Blum. She grew up in a beautiful home filled with family and generations of life. She spoke often of how important those early days were surrounded by multiple generations of her loving family. She learned the importance of faith and community and was guided into a world of Judaism and celebration by her parents who poured out these values to their children.

Myra graduated from San Jacinto High School and then attended The University of Oklahoma. It was always a sore spot in our Longhorn Home that we had a “Sooner” in our midst. She returned to Houston where she met Joseph Lipper and they were married March 27, 1960. Together, they raised up two sons, David and Eric, and they built their wonderful life together constantly surrounded by family.

While others may have seen her outnumbered by three men and a black labrador in her home, Myra was always in charge over everything and everyone. She was the master of scheduling and the orchestrator of events. Her love of Congregation Emanu El made it the center of her activity and the relationships she built there were lifelong and deep. Sisterhood fed her soul and it fashioned within her, leadership skills and a deeply felt faith. As her boys grew and moved on towards college, Myra turned her volunteer passion into a profession at Emanu El as the Program Director alongside, Rabbi Roy Walter, her partner in building a sacred community.

When her husband Joe died suddenly in 1993, Myra became a primary helper to her mother-in-law Nanette and adopted that unexpected role with the grace only Myra could engender. At the same time Myra embraced her faith and her love of the Emanu El community and carried it to new heights. She was the conductor of programs that reached deep into the Houston Jewish community and expanded the reach and impact of the Congregation. Theater, adult learning, and community were her calling cards and she surrounded herself with the most creative members of the Temple. For 35 years she served in that capacity until retiring in 2014.

But the most important part of her life was her family. David and Dora, Eric and Rhonda, and their children; Benjamin and Jillian, Miryam, Dena, Joe and Hilary, and her precious great-granddaughter, Hazel. She relished their successes and attended every event that she could. These were her stars who returned love to her at every step of her life, and she surrounded them with her full measure of love, care, and outspoken opinions. Everyone knew where she stood.

Myra was a great friend to her parents, and she remained close to Ben and Florence with the gusto only Myra could manage. Myra was also uplifted by her siblings; Eddie and Davna (z”l) Brook, Jerry (z”l) and Charlotte Motley, and Mike and Pat Blum. Her many nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews also filled her life with love. Family was important to her, and she followed the entire team like a hawk, even helping them make the Gefilte fish just a few days ago despite the clear signs of her failing health.

Myra was truly a blessing. She was tough. She was opinionated. She was passionate. She didn’t have a great singing voice but loved to sing. She was thoughtful. She guided people through life moments and celebrations with care and compassion. She wrote the book on building a sustainable community. Her passing leaves a hole that will only be filled through time with the unending supply of memories that fill our hearts. May her memory always be a blessing.

The family will hold a private internment ceremony followed by a Memorial Service on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at noon at Congregation Emanu El, 1500 Sunset Blvd. Houston, Texas 77005. Please direct any contributions to the Florence and Ben Blum Leadership Fund at Congregation Emanu El or to Second Servings Houston, another passion project of hers.