Sandra Lazarus Rothbaum

Sandra L. Rothbaum passed away on January 4, 2026, surrounded by family. She was born on August 29, 1944, the only child of Kiefer and Sara (Lisker) Lazarus. She cycled through Shortridge, North Central, and Broad Ripple High School. She attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which by the time she got there, had separate admissions and housing, but was academically merged with Harvard. She graduated with a Harvard degree in theoretical mathematics.

Choosing Radcliffe led to her meeting Donald Rothbaum, whose mother had gone to Radcliffe, saw Sandra briefly at two Radcliffe Club of Indiana gatherings, and told her son to call if he got to Boston. He called, Sandra went out for coffee despite having a final the next day, and they began to date.

After college, Sandra went to graduate school in pursuit of a Ph.D. in theoretical mathematics. She and Donald married after her first year of grad school. She continued her pursuit as they moved around the country in furtherance of Donald’s medical career. After four years of grad school, she had “EBT” (everything but a thesis), and turned from theoretical math to multiplication.

They had two children in Baltimore, then moved to Indianapolis for Donald’s cardiology fellowship (and for help with the kids as they added four more children in quick succession). Sandra always had career aspirations and decided to start law school shortly after her sixth child was born. Little day care was then available, but hands-on support from parents and others allowed her to spend twenty hours a week studying law. She graduated summa cum laude from IU Law School – Indianapolis, and thereafter practiced mainly estate planning and probate. Continuing their pursuit of the perfect child, Sandra and Donald completed their family with two more children.

Her volunteer activity included service as a Campaign Co-Chair for the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and as a co-president of the local chapter of the National Council of Jewish women. She and Donald received a HHAI Life Award from the Hasten Hebrew Academy. She tutored reading and math at Crooked Creek School.

She is survived by her husband Dr. Donald A. Rothbaum, whose love, wisdom, and joie de vivre filled their lives for more than fifty-eight years. She is also survived by their eight children (children-in-law) and seventeen grandchildren: Dr. Daniel Rothbaum (Sarit), Adam and Seth, of Orlando, FL; Anne Pizer (William), Micah, Sam, and Naomi, of Washington, DC; Dr. Michael Rothbaum (Karen), Meyer, Simon, Isaac and David, of Indianapolis, IN; Dr. Lia Kettenis (Niels), Kiefer and Zachary, of Bloomington, IN; Mark Rothbaum (Michelle), Esther and Oliver, of Shaker Heights, OH; Jonathan Rothbaum (Gina), Elliana and Clara, of Laurel, MD; Aaron Rothbaum (Jill Hoyos), of Nashville, TN; and Jessica Rothbaum (Benjamin Rogers), Abraham and Ruby, of Rockville, MD.

After she was diagnosed with her final illness, she was overwhelmed by the kindness shown by friends, family and caregivers. Friends brought dinners and stayed to share them. Friends brought lunches and stayed to play bridge. Friends and family cycled through continually for lively conversation. A friend sent no-care amaryllis bulbs for her to watch sprout and bloom in her window. A caregiver assisting her with a post-surgery shower delighted her with a warm towel taken from a nearby dryer. All the acts of kindness landed on her heart and transformed a period that promised pain into a period filled with joy. She was surrounded on her journey through life by people she loved and admired. She had a hell of a ride!

Funeral services will be on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 1:00 pm at Aaron-Ruben-Nelson Funeral Home, 11411 N. Michigan Road, Zionsville, IN 46077. The entombment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery.

The family will sit shiva following the entombment at Broadmoor Country Club.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, www.jfgi.org.