Gladys Scheffrin Falk, 85

Hendersonville author Gladys Scheffrin Falk, whose children's book is a staple of home schooler's reading throughout the U.S., died Friday, March 7, 2014, at Pardee Memorial Hospital in Hendersonville. She was 85 and had had a stroke.

Ms. Scheffrin Falk's book, Another Celebrated Dancing Bear, (Scribner's, Purple House Press) won accolades in the U.S. and abroad, is a Five in Row home school selection, and was named a NY Times top 10 illustrated book of the year in 1991. The book, with etchings by Barbara Garrison, was a Golden Book selection, was a nominee for the Ezra Jack Keats UNICEF international competition, and received a number of other national and international honors.

Ms. Scheffrin Falk was a native of Atlantic City, NJ, and a graduate of the City College of NY. She was for many years a medical social worker and case manager with the elderly in the NYC Health and Hospital Corp. and Bellvue Hospital in New York City.

She is also author of the novel, One Summer of Lightning (Xlibris).

Ms. Scheffrin Falk is survived by her husband, Herbert, of Hendersonville; a brother, Jules Scheffrin, of Phoenix, AZ; a daughter, Eugenie Moody of Teaneck, NJ, and a son, Werner Padilla of Cabo Rocho, Puerto Rico; and stepchildren Charles Falk and Michael Barnett of Portland, Ore.; and grandchildren Nicole Weber of New York and Cooper Barnett of Portland.

A memorial service is planned in the spring.

To sign an online register book, visit www.shulerfuneralhome.com. Shuler Funeral Home is assisting the family.