Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen of Congregation Beth El Keser Israel in Westville delivered the following eulogy this week:
We gather in sorrow to mark the passing of Dr. Vita Krall; to appreciate her accomplishments and the beauty and dignity of her life; to honor her memory; and to offer our support to her loved ones through our presence.
Vita was born on 9 July 1923 at Grace Hospital in New Haven, and grew up in the loving home of her parents Moses Adam & Jennie Alper Krall, along with her dear siblings Dorothy and Noah, of blessed memory.
They grew up on Dwight Street surrounded by other Yiddish-speaking Jewish households with their American-born children. Their father Moses was remembered as a paper boy and for his business, manufacturing hats and caps in the WWI-era, but mostly as President of Krall Coal Company and later Krall Oil.
In that household, Vita learned the values of her people and of her family: hard work, integrity, service. Those values guided her life. Her choice of profession, her degree of dedication and her conduct in her professional life indicate a person motivated not simply by a desire for academic or financial success, but more by a desire to make life better for other people, a desire for public service and for doing good.
Vita had a distinguished career as a specialist in Child Psychology beginning in 1945. Among her clinical appointments, she served as the Senior Clinical Psychologist and the Chief of Child Psychology, and the Director of Medical Training in Clinical Psychology at the Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago from 1963 to 1989; an assistant professor at the University of Chicago from 1978 to 1989; and as a research Psychologist at Hartford Hospital, and had a small private practice. She was among a relatively small proportion of women in that era who achieved the highest level of leadership in these realms.
Over the years, she received numerous of awards and heartfelt appreciation for her contribution and distinguished service in her field.
Her lengthy list of scholarly publications reflects her interest in accident proneness in children, cognitive and personality development of multiple birth children, and early memories of children, among others.
Her books included, Psychological Development of High Risk Multiple Birth Children, Developmental Psychodiagnostic Assessment of Children and Adolescents and A Play Therapy Primer: Therapeutic Approaches to Children With Emotional Problems. She conducted extensive research on the personality development of multiple birth children beyond twins.
Her philanthropy supported a wide variety of causes, but she was particularly supportive of those who helped sick or needy children.
Her extraordinary career in training psychiatric nurses and other psychologists, her contribution the development of her field, and the countless individuals she helped directly and indirectly are a testament to the ability of one person to make a huge difference in the lives of many and to change the world. This means that there are literally thousands of people who will pause when they see her name in an obituary and remember how she helped them when they were her student, colleague or patient.
Vita will also be remembered for her artwork. Her paintings in water colors and pastels won awards and prizes, and were popular at shows, especially since her return to Connecticut as she entered retirement. She was active in the Milford Fine Arts Council and the Milford Arts League, and to this day has many associates and friends in the art world.
Vita also loved classical music and jazz, evidenced by her extensive collection of recordings. She especially enjoyed the classic movies and recalling the actors and the story lines.
Although much of her career was in Chicago, Vita always maintained her connection to New Haven and Milford, to her extended family and to her cottage by the shore. That shoreline residence provided endless vistas and artistic inspiration. The connection was both to place and people, as she has many dear friends locally and an extensive extended family.
Her siblings Noah and Dorothy, both of blessed memory, were very important to her. Their mutual admiration and caring were an important point of continuity and meaning in her life. She welcomed their spouses and children into her life and into her heart as well. She was most appreciative of the letters, calls and visits she received over the years from her nieces and nephews and other family members, and indeed she saved and savored those communications. As the last of her generation, her passing marks the end of an era for a large and distinguished family – the end of an era, but one link in a chain that continues.
Vita was blessed with a family who respected her independence and provided her with the increasing level of support that she needed to maintain her independence and dignity as she faced the challenges of her last few years. She enjoyed a long and good life, her mind and body active to the end. She was able to live her life the way she wanted to, at least as much as anyone can expect to. It is my hope that you, her loved ones, will experience a sense of peace in knowing that you provided the extraordinary gift of love in helping Vita live as best as she could, in safety and dignity; and by sharing important aspects of her life and personhood.
She was at peace in this world; surely she will be in peace in the next.
