By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ms. Golden

Roslynn S. Golden was a shining light in Cincinnati.

A social worker, she lobbied in Columbus on behalf of patients with psychiatric insurance concerns and was involved in several political campaigns.

"The thing about Roslynn was that she touched so many parts of Cincinnati - political, arts, the North Avondale Community," said her sister, Susan Schreiberof Ann Arbor, Mich. "She was an amazing spirit. Her personal life and her work really touched a lot of people."

Ms. Golden died of cancer Tuesday surrounded by her family at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash. The Mount Adams resident was 62.

A licensed independent social worker, Ms. Golden spent a lot of time in family services - with an interdisciplinary school consultation team at St. Joseph Home (her last job) and with an alcoholism team. She also worked as a social worker for Cincinnati Public Schools.

Along the way, she acquired a specialty in geriatric issues. She worked with the elderly through the Council on Aging in her private practice.

She served as a liaison for the Cincinnati chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, spending time in Columbus working on insurance issues and conducting workshops for other social workers. She was also on the boards of Queen City/Mitchell Mental Health Services and the Institute of Learning in Retirement, for whom she taught classes on a volunteer basis every year.

Ms. Golden worked on the campaigns of City Council candidates Diane Goldsmith and David Crowley, as well as that of County Commissioner Todd Portune. She also helped with Jean Siebenaler's runs for a seat in the Ohio House and for county commissioner.

She was so active in North Avondale, where she lived for many years, that she was "lovingly known as the mayor of North Avondale," her sister said. "She had been in community theater, (and) she was an usher for the Aronoff. She was a very vital, alive person. It's like a flame has gone out."

She was a member of the Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus and the Ohio Clinical Social Work Society, and on the board of the Cincinnati Arts Consortium.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Ms. Golden graduated from Brooklyn College. After moving to Cincinnati about 35 years ago, she commuted to the Ohio State University campus to complete a master's degree in social work.

In addition to her sister, survivors include her husband, William J. Larkin; and two sons, Adam Golden of Raleigh, N.C., and Jed Golden of Hyde Park.

Visitation is noon to 1 p.m.today at the Jon Deitloff Funeral Centre, 4389 Spring Grove Ave. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m.

Memorials: Hospice of Cincinnati, 4310 Cooper Road, Cincinnati 45242; or the Wellness Community, 4918 Cooper Road, Cincinnati 45242.

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com