Shirley Goldblum A Spirited Pittsburgh Woman and the Family Behind Jeff Goldblum

Basic Information

When I look at Shirley Goldblum’s life, I see a woman who existed just outside the spotlight while helping shape someone who would eventually become one of Hollywood’s most recognizable personalities. She was not famous because she appeared on movie screens. Her story is more intimate. It is about family, work, independence, Jewish heritage, Pittsburgh life, and the powerful personality that Jeff Goldblum has remembered throughout his career.

Born Shirley Jane Temeles on October 30, 1926, Shirley grew up in a family with deep immigrant roots. Her father, Samuel Louis or Leo “Sam” Temeles, came from the Zolochiv and Podkamen region of Galicia, an area now associated with western Ukraine. Her mother, Anna or Ann G. Katz, was born in Pennsylvania and had Austrian and Galician Jewish ancestry.

The Temeles family eventually operated a general store in a small community near the Pennsylvania and West Virginia border. Shirley’s childhood changed dramatically when her father died of a heart attack when she was about 12 years old. His death occurred during a difficult period involving legal proceedings connected with an alleged insurance scam involving a fire at a rental property.

Shirley Goldblum Early Life and Education

Shirley’s early years were shaped by a mixture of hardship, family responsibility, and ambition. She completed her schooling in West Virginia before briefly attending the University of Pittsburgh in the fall of 1944.

Her college experience was short, but it marked an early step toward the independent life she would later pursue. Around this period, she also became engaged to Pfc. Sam Spector, a soldier. The engagement did not result in marriage, and Shirley eventually built her life in the Pittsburgh area.

I find this part of her story especially revealing because Shirley’s later personality, as described by her son, was anything but passive. She seemed determined to create her own path, even when circumstances pushed her in another direction.

Marriage to Harold Goldblum

In 1946, Shirley married Dr. Harold Leonard Goldblum shortly after his return from military service. The wedding took place at Beth Shalom synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Harold, born April 25, 1920, was a physician and World War II veteran who served as a U.S. Army major in the medical corps. He arrived in Europe shortly after D-Day and later returned to Pittsburgh to establish his medical career.

The couple initially lived in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood before settling in the Homestead and West Homestead area. Harold developed a medical practice that served many local mill workers. His approach was personal and old-fashioned in the best sense. He made house calls and developed long relationships with patients.

By the 1960s, Shirley and Harold were among the relatively few Jewish families remaining in the Homestead area. Their family participated in the local Jewish community, and their children attended Hebrew school.

Their home also reflected the complicated cultural texture of American family life. Jewish traditions were important, while some memories of the family also include Christmas elements. Music, theater, movies, education, and curiosity were encouraged, giving the children a broad cultural foundation.

Shirley Goldblum as a Mother

Shirley and Harold had four children: Rick, Lee, Pamela, and Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum.

Shirley’s parenting style appears to have been as colorful as her personality. Jeff has described her as vivacious, dramatic, sometimes bombastic, and capable of having a fierce temper. At the same time, she encouraged creativity and independence.

The family environment included piano lessons, theater, cinema, and exposure to music. Harold introduced Jeff to jazz records, including Erroll Garner’s “Misty,” while Shirley contributed her own energetic influence.

Jeff later became an actor known for his unusual screen presence, but music remained another important thread connecting him to his childhood.

The Tragic Death of Rick Goldblum

One of the deepest wounds in the Goldblum family came in 1971.

Rick Goldblum, Shirley’s older son and Jeff’s brother, died at only 23 years old from kidney failure caused by dysentery while traveling in Morocco.

His death had a profound effect on Jeff. Jeff has spoken about Rick with affection and has described him as a kind of hero. Rick also helped stimulate Jeff’s interest in jazz, making his influence linger long after his death.

For a family already shaped by migration, loss, and changing circumstances, Rick’s death became another defining chapter. It was a reminder that the Goldblum family’s story contained sorrow as well as creativity.

Lee Goldblum and Pamela Goldblum

Shirley’s son Lee Goldblum lived a comparatively private life. He became a realtor and real estate broker in the Pittsburgh area and remained outside the entertainment spotlight surrounding his younger brother.

Public information about Lee’s later life is limited, and some conflicting accounts have circulated about his health and death. Family references associated with Shirley’s later years, however, identified Lee among her surviving children. Because of the limited public documentation, his personal history remains largely private.

Pamela Goldblum took a creative path of her own. She became an artist and Fine Arts professor, with some accounts associating her academic career with Loyola Marymount University. Her artwork has also drawn upon family memories and childhood photographs.

In that sense, Pamela and Jeff followed different versions of the creative impulse encouraged in their childhood home.

Jeff Goldblum and His Mother’s Influence

On October 22, 1952, in West Homestead, Pennsylvania, Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum was born. He became a global star with The Fly, Jurassic Park, and Independence Day.

Jeff often mentions his parents when recalling his boyhood.

Shirley was unforgettable. She is protective, emotional, unpredictable, and fiercely affectionate, according to Jeff. Her personality was not hidden. More like a bright lamp in the family area.

One famous incident was 2009’s Jeff death hoax. The hoax devastated Shirley. Her reply showed how intense their bond was decades after Jeff left home and started a career.

He says his mother cherished being a “free bird.” After raising her children, she pursued education and new hobbies rather than retiring.

Shirley Goldblum Career and Entrepreneurial Spirit

Shirley’s professional life developed on two notable tracks.

First, she worked as a radio broadcaster in the Pittsburgh area, with accounts associating her with KDKA. Radio was a natural setting for someone with a strong voice and theatrical personality.

Later, Shirley operated a kitchen equipment and appliance sales business. The work gave her an entrepreneurial identity separate from her husband’s medical career.

Her professional accomplishments were primarily local rather than nationally documented. There are no major corporate awards or detailed public financial records associated with her business. Still, her willingness to work in broadcasting, operate a business, continue her education, and pursue personal interests shows a woman who maintained her independence.

Her financial life remained private. Harold’s medical practice provided stability for the family, while Shirley’s own professional activities added another dimension to the household.

Shirley’s Second Marriage and Later Years

Harold Goldblum died on February 23, 1983. His death ended a marriage that had lasted nearly four decades.

Afterward, Shirley married Harvey J. Tyson. Public information about Harvey is limited, but he survived Shirley.

During her later years, Shirley continued living in the Pittsburgh area. She remained connected to her family and maintained the independent spirit that Jeff had described throughout his life.

She died on January 9, 2012, in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh at the age of 85. Her services were private.

The Goldblum Family and Jewish Heritage

The Goldblum family story is closely connected to Jewish immigration and Pittsburgh history.

Shirley’s Temeles and Katz family lines carried roots from Galicia and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Harold’s family also had immigrant Jewish origins. His father, Joseph Goldblum, also known as Povartzik or Goldblum, came from Russia, while his mother was Lillian Leventon.

Harold’s brother Charles died during World War II after being reported missing following a bombing raid in the Philippines. Earlier in the war, Charles had survived a B-24 crash in the Grand Canyon.

These family histories created a backdrop of migration, military service, work, faith, and survival. Shirley and Harold passed many of these cultural elements to their children while raising them in Pittsburgh.

Jeff Goldblum’s Jazz Career and the Family Connection

Jeff’s acting career became enormous, but music remained one of his most personal creative outlets.

He began piano lessons as a child, reportedly around age 9 or 10. His father introduced him to jazz records, and he later studied with Pittsburgh jazz pianist Frank Cunimondo.

By his teenage years, Jeff was already pursuing professional opportunities. At about 14 or 15, he reportedly called local cocktail lounges from the family phone book and obtained playing opportunities.

After moving to New York at 17 to pursue acting, he continued playing piano.

Decades later, Jeff became the leader of the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. The name itself has a family connection. Mildred Snitzer was a real Pittsburgh-area friend of Shirley’s, a woman who played bridge with Shirley and Harold and was also a patient of Harold’s medical practice.

The unusual name eventually became attached to Jeff’s professional jazz ensemble.

The group developed from informal playing sessions in Los Angeles during the 1990s and grew into a serious performing project. Jeff eventually recorded several albums, including The Capitol Studios Sessions in 2018, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This in 2019, and Still Blooming in 2025.

His jazz work demonstrates how deeply the musical atmosphere of his childhood stayed with him.

Shirley Goldblum’s Grandchildren and Extended Family

Shirley never got to see her grandchildren because she passed away before Jeff’s children were born.

Later, on July 4, 2015, Jeff and his wife Emilie Livingston welcomed River Joe Goldblum and Charlie Ocean Goldblum. They stand in for a different generation of the family, whose history predates Jeff’s arrival in Hollywood.

In addition to several nieces and nephews, Shirley’s extended family includes siblings including Arlen Temeles and his wife Marlene, the late Roy Temeles, Bernice Geffner, and the late Joseph Geffner.

As a result, the family tree goes well beyond the well-known Goldblum name. A woman who lived most of her life away from cameras is at its core.

Shirley Goldblum Timeline

FAQ

Who was Shirley Goldblum?

Shirley Goldblum was an American radio broadcaster, entrepreneur, wife, mother, and the mother of actor and jazz musician Jeff Goldblum.

When was Shirley Goldblum born?

Shirley Goldblum was born Shirley Jane Temeles on October 30, 1926, in West Virginia, with family connections to Ohio.

Who was Shirley Goldblum’s husband?

Her first husband was Dr. Harold Leonard Goldblum, a Pittsburgh physician and World War II veteran. After his death in 1983, Shirley married Harvey J. Tyson.

How many children did Shirley Goldblum have?

Shirley and Harold Goldblum had four children: Rick, Lee, Pamela, and Jeff Goldblum.

What happened to Rick Goldblum?

Rick Goldblum died in Morocco in 1971 at age 23 after developing kidney failure secondary to dysentery while traveling.

What did Shirley Goldblum do for a living?

Shirley worked as a radio broadcaster in the Pittsburgh area and later operated a kitchen equipment and appliance sales business.

Where did Shirley Goldblum live?

Much of Shirley’s adult life was connected to Pittsburgh and nearby communities, including Highland Park, Homestead, and West Homestead.

When did Shirley Goldblum die?

Shirley Goldblum died on January 9, 2012, in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh at the age of 85.

Did Shirley Goldblum meet Jeff Goldblum’s children?

No. Shirley died in 2012, while Jeff’s son Charlie Ocean Goldblum was born in 2015 and his son River Joe Goldblum was born later.

What connection did Shirley Goldblum have to Jeff’s jazz career?

Shirley’s family environment helped expose Jeff to music, while a Pittsburgh friend of hers, Mildred Snitzer, later provided the unusual name for Jeff’s Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.