24 minute read
Obituaries
An Inspiration to Many
Dr. Abner “Ab” Ragins, 92, died May 29, 2022, peacefully with his children nearby.
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Ab was born in 1929 and often joked that he brought on the Great Depression. He lived a Jewish life growing up in Grand Rapids and excelled in academics and debate.
He graduated from the University of Michigan and earned an MD at Wayne State Medical University. He went on to specialize in gastroenterology. Before starting private practice, he enlisted in the Army and served as a captain at the Pentagon.
In 1954, Ab married Alice Rabin of Flint and together they started a family: Naomi first, then Michael and finally Dan. They moved from Oak Park to Franklin in 1968 and established themselves in the community. Involved in many civic and religious organizations, they were active members of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
Ab was in private practice and served as chief of gastroenterology at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac. He was known to his colleagues, residents, nurses and patients as a compassionate, caring physician who always brought a smile to all with his legendary joke telling. This came in handy as he was often recruited to be the emcee of many social and professional events. He also was a devoted and inspiring teacher and was honored by his fellows at the hospital on numerous
occasions. He shared his love and frustration for the Detroit Lions with Michael and Dan and good friend Murray and his sons. They were season ticket holders for 40+ years. Sadly, Alice passed away in 1992. Ab remarried in 1996 to Helen Brodley. They enjoyed their retirement years, spending winters in Long Boat Key, Fla. Golf became a late addition to his Dr. Abner Ragins lifestyle, and he took great pleasure in playing with friends and family. Ab will truly be missed by his children and their spouses, Naomi and Jerry Senser, Michael and Linda Ragins, and Dan Ragins. He was known as Zeydah to his grandchildren, Aviva, Aaron (Marybeth), Ethan, Jake, Lauren (Ryan), Allison, Andrew, Robyn; and his great-grandchildren, Elan, Noa and Asher. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Barb, and her sons along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and members of the Kaczander and Brodley families, who will miss him dearly. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association-Greater Illinois Chapter, 8430 W. Bryn Mawr, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60634, alz.org/Illinois; or Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation-National Headquarters, Attn: Financial Operations, 733 Third Ave., Suite 510, New York, NY 10017, ccfa.org/chapters/ newyork. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
GLORIA
DWORMAN, 90, of Farmington Hills, died May 26, 2022. She is survived by her daughters and sonin-law, Kathleen Dworman, Marcia and Stephen DeSilva; son and daughter-in-law, James and Heidi Dworman; grandchildren, Andrew (Lauren Tang) DeSilva, Lauren (Xabriel Collazo Mojica) DeSilva, Gina (Matthew) Zafran, Alex (Tania Lopez) Dworman, Ryan Dworman, Elena Dworman, and great-grandchildren, Sydney DeSilva and Luz Collazo DeSilva.
Mrs. Dworman was the beloved wife of the late Thomas Dworman; sister of the late Edverna Gilbert; grandmother of the late Eric Dworman.
Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Forgotten Harvest or Little Traverse Conservancy. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
DR. MICHAEL
FAUMAN, 79, of Ann Arbor, died May 31, 2022. 2022. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Dr. Bonnie Fauman; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Eric Fauman and Dr. Cristina Lete; daughters and sonin-law, Susan Fauman, Dr. Karen Fauman and Matthew D’Ambrosio, and Lisa Fauman; grandchildren, Jacob, Charles, Alexander, Benjamin and Leo Fauman, Milo Haggard, and Sora and Arlo D’Ambrosio; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, Richard and Ilana Freedman, and Jane Freedman.
He was the dear brother-in-law of the late Robert Freedman.
Interment was at Washtenaw Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047, lbda.org; Mazon, 10850 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90024, mazon.org; or Arbor Hospice Foundation, 2366 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, arborhospice.org/donate/ donation-form. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
BESSIE “BESS”
FRUMIN, 94, of Long Island, N.Y., died May 23, 2022. She is survived by her son, David Frumin; daughters and sons-in-law, Judith and Joel Levy, Mindy and Arbey Arce; grandchildren, Samuel, Eva (Serge), Sarah (Sergey), Elizabeth, Daniel, Maureen (Jorel); great-grandchildren, Damien and Luna; many other loving family members and friends.
Mrs. Frumin was the beloved wife of the late Murray Frumin; sister of the late Milton (the late Ruth) Madoff.
Interment took place at Beth Shmuel Cemetery in Mount Clemens. Contributions may be made to Naamat USA. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
HELEN
GOODMAN, 96, of West Bloomfield, died May 26, 2022. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Walter and Harriet Goodman of Farmington Hills, Dennis and Denise Goodman of West Bloomfield; brother, Bernard Kessler; brother-in-law, Louis Schwartz; grandchildren, Danielle and Aaron Berman, Zachary and Alex Goodman, Evan and Laurie Goodman, Arianna Goodman; great-grandchildren, Elle Hudson Berman, Penelope Goodman; many loving nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
Mrs. Goodman was the beloved wife of the late Ralph Goodman; dear sister and sister-in-law of the late Michael and the late Jenna Kessler, the late Magda Kessler, the late Shari Schwartz.
Contributions may be made to Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334; Jewish Family Service, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or Congregation B’nai Moshe, 6800 Drake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. A graveside service was held at Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
RUTH
GREENBAUM, 99, of Bloomfield Hills, died May 29, 2022. Mrs. Greenbaum was the beloved wife of the late Arnold Greenbaum; sister of the late Sarah (the late Paul) Agree and the late Bertha (the late Morris) Berry; sister-in-law of the late Eleanor (the late Melvin) Nord and the late Helen (the late Earle) Kanners; loving aunt of Sheldon and Barbara Berry, Sandra Reva (Jim) Hendin, the late David and the late Patricia Agree, Karen (Dr. Jeff) Kraft, Ken Kanners (Diana), Donald Nord (Karen) and Edward Nord (Barbara); great-aunt of Paul Agree, Mark Agree (partner, Anita Salayon), Gary Hendin (Tara), Steven Hendin (Kolleen), Lisa Littell, Aimee (Matthew) Spatzner, Elissa (Chet) Evans, Rachel (Scott) Robbins, Amanda Kanners, Jaclyn (Russ) Coskey, Ilene (Rick) Honis and family, Cheryl Nord and family, and Rick Nord and family; great-great-aunt of Katelyn Littell, Jessica Littell, Alex Littell, Sarahfay Hendin, Drew Hendin, Cole Hendin, Mason Hendin, Madison Salayon, Andrew Spatzner, Margot Spatzner, twins Ales Evans and Ivy Evans, Milo Robbins, Noah Robbins and Grant Coskey; longtime friend and business partner of the late Calvin Gonek. She is also survived by dear friends Margaret and William Yee, Kim and Menish Baxi and family, Lisa and Tom Desjardin, Teresa and Stefan Tomaszewski, and Maxine Ricketts; Dakota, “the best dog ever.”
Interment was at Oakview Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Leader Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 5000, Rochester, MI 483085000, leaderdog.org; or to any animal rescue league. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
A True People Person
Lois Fishman, 87, of West Bloomfield, died surrounded by her loving family shortly after sunset on May 25, 2022. Lois was predeceased five months by her husband of 67 years, Nat Fishman.
Growing up in Detroit, Lois took two buses to school at Central High School each morning. Her family was no stranger to long journeys: Her father, Harry Goldberg, immigrated from East Europe to Galveston, Texas, before landing in Detroit and marrying Jeanette (Katz) Goldberg who “went the distance” as a strong balabusta.
Lois’ ease with people and entrepreneurial streak took her everywhere from working in a bakery as a teenager, to co-founding a retail business called My Sister’s Place, to a matchmaking business called Your Dateline and to a charity in honor of her parents that distributed complete Thanksgiving meals to families in need. She also volunteered for the PTA and the National Council of Jewish Women’s CASA program.
She married Nat in 1954 and they raised their four children amongst a village of extended family and close friends — hosting holidays, simchas and poolside parties, all with incredible home-cooked food.
While she liked nice things, Lois felt people meant more. Her friends were a huge part of her life; and when not with family, she was with “the girls” on the phone, playing tennis or having lunch. Lois was a middle daughter in a tight-knit family, including the late Edward (Miriam) Goldberg, the late Herbert (Irene) Goldberg, Madeleine Rosenfeld (and her late husbands, Irwin Lois Fishman c. 2014 Posner and Jerry Rosenfeld), Sharon Balamut (and her late husband Michael Balamut and current partner Dave Moran) and Nate (Nancy) Goldberg. She was the beloved mother of Graham (Sue) Fishman, Jill Farber, Jodee (Roy) Raines and Jayme Fishman; wholly adored grandma of Jarrett Fishman, Amanda (Ben) Lesnick, Brandon (Erin) Fishman, Justin Farber, Hailey (Jordan) Farber, Merrick Hirschman, Ayla Raines, Jasmine Hirschman and Zoe Raines; and great-grandmother of Oakley Fiona Lesnick. She is also remembered by many loving nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held at the Ira Kaufman Chapel. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Those wishing to honor Lois’ memory may make a contribution to the Jewish National Fund Plant a Tree in Israel program, National Council of Jewish Women or a charity of one’s choice.
A Dedicated Scientist
Miriam Brysk, 87, of Ann Arbor, drew her final breath on May 28, 2022.
She joins her parents, Bronka and Heniek Mason, and her beloved family lost in the Holocaust.
Miriam was born March 10, 1935, in Warsaw, Poland. Her childhood was one of war-time survival in the Lida Ghetto and with the Russian Partisans in the forests of Belarus. She and her family were refugees for two years after the war before coming to the United States to restart a life with the help of Bronka’s older brothers who had come to the U.S. before the war. They became proud citizens of the U.S., enjoying the freedoms this country offered.
She started school at 12, not knowing English or a normal life. Despite that, she graduated high school at 18 and went on to college.
Miriam was introduced to Henry Brysk through her mother’s cousin who was in the ILGWU with Henry’s father. Henry was seven years older and had gotten his Ph.D. in physics at 23, having also been a child survivor of the Holocaust in France. He valued her curiosity to learn and encouraged her to pursue her love of science. As a result, she went on to get her M.A. and, while raising her daughters, got her Ph.D. in microbiology. Miriam and Henry would have been celebrating their 67th anniversary this June.
Miriam ultimately became a research scientist with her own research lab and became a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, doing skin disease research. She published 87
scientific papers and was a champion of women trying to get ahead in science and medicine. She was an artist as well, having done painting, stained glass work and photography as hobbies. She was fascinated with computers and became a digital artist after retiring. Miriam took a trip shortly after retiring to see where her family was killed in Poland, and she devoted much of her retirement to creating art and books Miriam Brysk memorializing the 6 million. Her art was displayed in several communities around the country. Her autobiography sold on Amazon and was awarded two medals for excellence. Despite all her accomplishments, Miriam’s proudest achievement and greatest love was her family. Her daughters, Judy Brysk and Havi Mandell, were encouraged to develop their minds and value family. Being a Holocaust survivor, she stressed the importance of persevering and being worthy of the gift our family had in being here. Miriam also adored her grandchildren, Josh and Ben Rocher, Hannah (Sean) Korcal, David (Taylor) Mandell, and Sarah (Edward) Hambleton. She felt blessed to have lived long enough to have three great-grandchildren, Elian and Reid (Mandell) and Arielle (Korcal). Interment was at Washtenaw Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Hadassah, 40 Wall St., New York, NY 10005, hadassah.org; or Pardes Hannah of Ann Arbor, c/o Oran Hesterman, P.O. Box 511322, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051, pardeshannah.org/contribute-omena. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
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ANDREA
JEROSS, 76, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died June 1, 2022. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Michael Jeross; son and daughter-in-law, Mark Jeross and Alona Sharon; daughter and son-in-law, Laurie and Sam Zeidman; grandchildren, Jacob and Madison Zeidman; brother and sister-in-law, Stuart and Debbie Weisblatt; sister and brother-in-law, Denise and Jerry Thrope.
Mrs. Jeross was the devoted daughter of the late Harold and the late Ethel Weisblatt.
Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 733 Third Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10017, nationalmssociety.org; or Yad Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072, yadezra.org/ donate. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
FLORENCE
LEVY, 92, of West Bloomfield, died May 27, 2022.
She is survived by her daughter, Carol Berger; son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Jill Levy; grandchildren, Joey (Jillian) Berger, Shelby (Maria) Berger and Nicole Levy; adoring great-grandchildren, Carson Berger, Cameron Berger, Phoenix Berger and Nelli Berger; many other loving family members and friends.
Mrs. Levy was the beloved wife of the late Ira Levy; the mother of the late Howard Levy; daughter of the late Rose and the late Sam Sisskind.
Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
VERONICA HILDESHEIM
LEYDESDORFF, 106, of Brussels, Belgium, died May 28, 2022. She lost 114 relatives in the Holocaust, including her parents and siblings, and yet, throughout her entire life, she remained optimistic and kept a positive attitude.
She loved her family and proudly displayed family photos and stayed in touch via Facetime.
Mrs. Leydesdorff is survived by three daughters, Sonja (Robert) Kass of Huntington Woods, Sara (Michel) Guillaume (of Belgium) and Maya (Jaap) Schilo (of Amsterdam); seven grandchildren, Jeremie (Sheri Rosen) Kass, Elias Kass, Adena (Jeffrey) Rose, René (Yael) BenHaim and David (Anne-Catherine Goor) Guillaume, Danny (Esty) Schilo and Tanya (Yaakov) Safir; 17 great-grandchildren, Corban and Dara Kass, Arlo and Abel Kass, Anna and Nolan Rose, Yoav, Rafael and Avigail BenHaim, Noah and
Mila Guillaume, Avrumi, Duvi and Chaim Schilo, Gabrielle, Jonathan and Benjamin Schilo.
Mrs. Hildesheim was the beloved wife of Abraham “Henk” Hildesheim.
Burial took place in Putte, the Netherlands, at the cemetery of the Frechie Foundation. Contributions may be made to the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills or to a charity of one’s choice.
GARY R.
MILLER, 75, of Milford, died May 30, 2022. He was a world- recognized photographer and had been flown around the world by clients with a career spanning more than 50 years.
He had a love for comedy and was known as the “Jewish Cowboy” when up on stage. Gary shared a love for life, daily Torah learning, animals of all kinds and a love of nature and the outdoors. He especially loved to ride horses and could be found daily at Kensington Park with his dog.
He also had a love for fast cars and motorcycles, and he spent days traveling the USA on his Harley; he was an extreme Corvette fanatic.
Gary was loved by so many and will be extremely missed by all who had the opportunity to know him. May his memory be only for a blessing.
Mr. Miller is survived by his wife of 48 years, Sandy Miller; sons and daughters-in-law, Aaron and Lori Miller of Chicago, Ill., Adam and Rachel Miller of OLD TRADITIONS. NEW TRADITIONS.
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OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
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San Diego, Calif.; brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and Sandy Miller; sister and brother-in-law, Margo and Larry Jacobson; grandchildren, Aviva Miller, Noah Miller, Shia Miller, Levi Miller.
He was the treasured son of the late Florence and the late Mike Miller.
Contributions may be made to Chabad of Farmington Hills, 32000 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334; or to a charity of one’s choice. A funeral service was held at Davidson/Hermelin Chapel at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
DORIS PASTOR, 83, of West Bloomfield, died May 27, 2022. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Steven and Suzette Repitor; daughter, Julie Repitor; grandchildren, Charles, Lauren and Hannah; great-grandchildren, Pax and Liv; sister and brother-in-law, Roseann and Frank Bucherri; many other loving family members and friends.
Mrs. Pastor was the beloved wife of the late Wilbert Pastor.
Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Michigan Animal Rescue League. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MELVIN POGER, 91, West Bloomfield, died May 24, 2022.
A native of Detroit, he graduated Central High School.
Mr. Poger is survived by his wife, Janice; son, Joel; daughter, Susan (Mickey) Szerlag; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brother, Leonard (Judy); brother-in-law, Michael Anspach, several nieces and nephews.
STEVEN RICHMOND,
57, of Berkley, died May 30, 2022. He is survived by his beloved wife, Jody Richmond; son, Daniel Richmond; parents, Gene and Claire Richmond; sister, Sierra Richmond; many other loving family members and friends.
Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the American Brain Tumor Association. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
SHAINA
STRASBERGER, 22, of Farmington Hills, died May 28, 2022.
She is survived by her parents, Dr. Robert Strasberger and Julie McGill; brother, Matthew Strasberger; many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Ms. Strasberger was the cherished sister of the late
Rachel Strasberger; and the loving granddaughter of the late Shirley Strasberger, the late Morey Strasberger, and the late Edward and the late Vivian McGill.
Interment was at B’nai Israel Memorial Gardens. Contributions may be made to Temple Shir Shalom, 3999 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, shirshalom. org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
LAWRENCE R.
TRAGER, 90, of Farmington Hills, died May 30, 2022.
He is survived by his companion, Cyma Carn; daughter, Toni Trager Bradley; daughter-in-law, Marcy Trager; grandchildren, Rob Trager, Ryan (Laura) Trager, Jamie (Dr. Solomon) Amster, Max (Lauren) Bradley and Sam Bradley; great-grandchildren, Avery, Scotland, Paxton, Sloane and Ford; sister, Beverly Krause; many other loving family members and friends.
Mr. Trager was the beloved husband of the late Toby Trager; the father of the late Scott A. Trager; brother-inlaw of the late Earl Krause.
Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or to the Alzheimer’s Association. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
HERBERT
WOOLMAN, 91, of West Bloomfield, died May 29, 2022. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Marla and Jim Gartrell, and Linda and Rick Weinerman; son, Rick Woolman; grandchildren, Jason and Nikki Gartrell, Heather and Rudy Travis, Karli and David Brown, Jared Weinerman and his fiancee, Amy Hurwitz; Zach Weinerman and Bekah Lear, Tyler Woolman and Julia Woolman; great-grandchildren, Sydney and Brady Gartrell, Gavin and Caylee Travis, and Masyn and Jadynn Brown; sister-in-law, Ilene Gittleman. He is also survived by Rita Foon; his devoted caregivers, Darryl and Sharon; many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Mr. Woolman was the beloved husband for 60 years of the late Gloria Woolman; the loving brother of the late Sheila and the late Art Schussler, and the late Barbara and the late Irv Cohen; the dear brotherin-law of the late Murray Gittleman, and the late
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Skippy Gittleman; the devoted son of the late Louis and the late Evelyn Woolman; the loving son-in-law of the late Hymie and the late Pearl Gittleman.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Michigan Parkinson Foundation, 30400 Telegraph Road, Suite 150, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, parkinsonsmi.org; or to any Israeli charity. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
BEVERLY
WORONOFF, 82, of West Bloomfield, died May 25, 2022. She is survived by her beloved husband, Ralph Woronoff; sons and daughters-in-law, Steven and Sharyl Woronoff, Alan and Shira Goodman Woronoff; daughter and son-in-law, Marcy and Phil Epstein; grandchildren, Daniel Wasserman, Ilana Woronoff, Scott Wasserman, Rachel Wasserman, Jason Woronoff and Brandon Woronoff; sister and brother-in-law, Ilene and Benjamin Monast. She is also survived by her caregiver, Sharon Salina; and many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.
Mrs. Woronoff was the adoring daughter of the late Hyman and the late Dorothy Sweet.
Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Adat Shalom Synagogue, Jewish Senior Life, the Woronoff Family Fund at JARC or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
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A Lifelong Optimist
Aviva Sandler (neé Thatch) died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on June 1, 2022.
Born during the Holocaust on March 4, 1942, to parents Benesch and Riva Tkatsch (later Thatch), Aviva spent the first two years of her life in a few cramped rooms in the Kovno Ghetto (Kaunas Lithuania) with seven additional family members. When the SS would come to inspect, Riva and baby Aviva would hide in a hole dug in the dirt beneath layers of sofa, rug and floor, where she was trained to be silent.
Two years later, fearing what was to come, her parents made the difficult decision to smuggle her out of the ghetto. A plan was hatched. Sedated by a Jewish doctor, she was bundled into layers of clothes, padded with hay, wrapped in a distinctive blanket from her father’s textile import business and dropped from a wagon under cover of darkness at a pre-determined spot on a road, where a gentile woman had agreed to take her to safety.
Shortly thereafter, the ghetto was liquidated and Aviva’s family was transported to the concentration camps: Shtuthoff for the women, Dachau for the men. Thankfully, both parents survived the war. In a movie-worthy twist of fate, Aviva’s original rescuer was unable to safely keep her and, when approached, was unable to name the second rescuer. It was Aviva’s sharp-eyed grandmother who spotted a woman in the village square wearing a shawl made of Aviva’s unique blanket that enabled the reunification of the family in spring of 1945 after the liberation. Aviva’s personal experience of kindness and hope at such a young age was reflected in her kindness toward others and in her lifelong optimistic outlook.
Aviva enjoyed a long career as a clinical social worker in the Detroit area, helping hundreds of clients piece together the puzzles in their lives. It was a career to which she was well-suited and one that she loved.
A generous hostess, Aviva loved nothing more than filling her home with friends, flowers and family, serving an abundance of food that tasted as scrumptious as it looked. Her 4th of July parties were legendary, as were her Passover seders.
An adventurer, Aviva traveled with her husband, Bob, all over the world: Egypt, Morocco, Italy, England, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Africa, Cuba and Colombia, among others. She enjoyed skiing and SCUBA diving excursions. An artist, Aviva created beautifully knit clothing, wool-felt art, fused glass and handmade paper 3-D artworks. Her gardens were living art throughout the seasons. Aviva amassed legions of lifelong friends with whom she enjoyed life’s adventures. Her life, bookended between the most horrific of wartime experiences and an international pandemic and the heartless war between Ukraine and Russia, nevertheless was filled with love, beauty, gratitude and adventure.
Mrs. Sandler is survived by a host of beloved relatives: her loving husband of 60 years, Robert; her devoted children, Elizabeth, Eric and Jennifer SandlerBowen; her son-in-law, Lance Bowen; her treasured grandson, Ian SandlerBowen, who loved his Uma; her best friend and sister, Rhoda (Michael) Kamin; loving brother, Dr. Leonard Thatch; sister-in-law, Susan (Isidore) Bass; nieces and nephews, David (Megan) Bass, Michael (Edit) Bass, David (Jolene) Kamin, Carrie (Christopher) Swan; loving cousins, Gloria Zimet, Jefferey and Lisa Mark, and Dr. Polina Davidson; Gloria’s children and their partners, Yaniv (Sivane), David (Antonio) and Noam (Coleen) and little Eli. She was a greataunt to Naomi, Clara, Aron, Lainey, Henry, Laurel, Francis and Emma.
She was the cherished daughter of the late Benesch and the late Riva Thatch; treasured granddaughter of the late Emma Frank; niece of the late Samuel and the late Rose Mark; sisterin-law of the late Marshall and the late Judith Sandler; cousin-in-law of the late Natan Zimet.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to HIAS, Development Dept., 333 Seventh Ave., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001, hias.org; Freedom House Detroit, 1777 N Rademacher St., Detroit, MI 48209, freedomhousedetroit.org; Together Rising, 800 W. Broad St., Suite 6409, Falls Church, VA 22040, togetherrising.org/ give, or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.