Vera L. Buchberg, 82, died Oct. 6 in Sarasota, Fla., following a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Dr. Abraham S. Buchberg. They were longtime residents of Ardsley, N.Y., prior to moving to Sarasota six years ago.

The Buchbergs were annual summer visitors to Martha's Vineyard for more than 30 years, staying with Vera's sister and brother in law, Hannah and Moses Malkin, at their Lighthouse Road home in Aquinnah. After her husband's death three years ago, Vera spent entire summers with the Malkins as she enjoyed being in Aquinnah and they loved having her with them. She had many friends in the Vineyard community.

Vera was a native of North Carolina and a 1948 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When her children were in high school she returned to college, and in 1968 earned a master's degree in social work from New York University.

She was a social worker at Pleasantville Cottage School for many years. After her retirement, she worked for 10 years as a volunteer for the Westchester AIDS Hot Line. She was dedicated to progressive causes all her life, going on marches for human rights, women's rights, peace and civil liberties for many years. She and her husband, Abe, participated in programs providing housing for foreign students in their home for many years.

Vera was a compassionate, caring, gentle and understanding person, and a number of young people have referred to her as their surrogate mother. She was a great storyteller and loved a good joke. She was a member of the Humanistic Society for Judaism. Her friends and family will remember a loving wife, mother and sister and a sympathetic friend.

Vera was diagnosed with lymphoma at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital only three weeks prior to her death, which came as a shock to her many friends and family. She is survived by her son, Karl Buchberg of New York city, her daughter, Lisa Buchberg, and son in law, Ralph Kaywin, and their daughters, Emma and Nora, all of Berkeley, Calif., as well as Hannah and Moses Malkin.

A memorial service will be held in Sarasota at Waterside Retirement Estates on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 1:30 p.m.

Donations in Vera's memory may be made to the Martha's Vineyard Hospital in Oak Bluffs or to the charity of your choice.