Obituaries

Martin Wenick, 80, leader of Soviet Jewry fight

Martin Wenick, a leader of the fight to free Soviet Jews who was later instrumental in helping them resettle in the United States, died on May 7 due to complications of COVID-19. He was 80.

Wenick spent 27 years as a State Department diplomat before taking over in 1989 as the head of the National Conference for Soviet Jewry, a coalition of Jewish organizations working to support Jews struggling to survive under Communism. A fluent Russian speaker, Wenick had been stationed in Moscow in the early 1970s, where he followed the plight of Jews denied visas to emigrate. After his retirement from the State Department, Wenick spent three years leading NCSJ. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of restrictive emigration policies for Russian Jews, Wenick became the executive director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the lead Jewish agency helping to resettle 140,000 Soviet Jews in the United States.

“He was a great leader of HIAS, and I will always be grateful for everything he taught me, for the example he set, and for the opportunities he gave me,” said Mark Hetfield, HIAS’ president and CEO.

—JTA News and Features

Beth Susan “Susie” Abramowitz

Beth Susan “Susie” Abramowitz Beth Susan “Susie” Abramowitz passed away on May 12 after a sudden illness. She was 54.

Susie was born on Nov. 25, 1965, in Washington. A 1983 graduate of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Susie excelled both academically and athletically, despite being born with impaired vision, just one of the many obstacles that she would overcome during her lifetime. After high school, Susie attended The George Washington University where, as an honors student, she earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical and computer engineering while also being captain of the gymnastics team. After college, Susie attended the University of Southern California, where she completed a master of science degree in biomedical engineering/imaging technology. She went on to become a senior principal systems engineer for Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems where she served as a lead analyst, developing equipment and technology that has saved lives.

Susie is survived by her parents, Rabbi A. Nathan and Dr. Barbara Abramowitz; her brothers, David (Allegra) and Daniel (Wendi); her nephews, Gadi, Rafi, Zack and Josh; her niece, Marli; and aunts, uncles, cousins and an amazing group of loving and caring friends.

Saul W. Brusilow Dr. Saul Brusilow, a pediatrician and biochemical geneticist who developed groundbreaking therapies to treat the

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complications of rare and often fatal genetic defects, died on April 19. He was 92, lived in Bethesda and taught at Johns Hopkins University for more 50 years. The cause was complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Brusilow was internationally recognized in the field of pediatric inherited diseases of metabolism, most notably for his research and successful therapies to treat a group of genetic and biochemical

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disorders of the urea cycle, a metabolic process that uses six enzymes to rid the body of excess nitrogen. If any of the enzymes fails to function properly because of a genetic mutation, nitrogen builds up in the form of ammonia that can damage the brain and cause death.

The treatments developed by Dr. Brusilow were among the first smallmolecule drug therapies to effectively treat any disease produced by a genetic disorder.

Dr. Brusilow was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1927. After graduating from Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, he enlisted in the Navy in 1945 and was honorably discharged the following year. He graduated from Princeton University in 1950 and then received his medical degree from the Yale University School of Medicine in 1954, where he began his training in pediatrics. After completing both an internship and one year of his residency training at Grace-New Haven Community Hospital, he completed his residency and a fellowship in pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in 1959.

He is survived by his children, William (Cynthia) of Grosse Pointe, Mich., and Susan (Stephen) Solomon of Chevy Chase; his grandchildren, Evan Solomon and Nicholas, Samuel and Isabelle Brusilow. He was predeceased by his wife, Sallie (Evans) Brusilow, and his son Alexander Brusilow.

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Lenora Rita Lassen Lenora Rita Lassen Lenora Rita Lassen, of Boca Raton, Fla., passed away on April 23, at the age of 84. Born and raised in the Washington area, beloved wife of the late Raymond Lassen; devoted mother of Mitchell, Lori Albert (Leonard Dack) and Terri Gober; loving “Ooma” of Jaclyn (Ari Schwartz), Melanie, Brian, Brett and Madison; great-grandmother of Adrian. Donations can be made to National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Martin L. Lipso Dr. Martin L. Lipson, of Potomac, died on April 27. Marty was born in Detroit on March 27, 1942, the son of Beatrice and Jack Lipson. He finished his undergraduate work in three years at the University of Michigan, and then received his medical degree there in 1966. After an ophthalmology residency at the University of Colorado, he established a general ophthalmology practice in Frederick, Md., in 1970. He retired in 2017 after 47 years

He was the beloved husband for 52 years of Wendy (Perlman) Lipson; devoted father of David Lipson (Amy), Marc Lipson (Jill) and Robyn Minkoff (Gregory). He adored his grandchildren, Rachel, Jamie and Spencer Lipson, and Hayden and Alex Minkoff. He is also survived by his brother, Laurence Lipson, his sister, Andrea Lipson, and nieces and a nephew.

Donations can be made to the ALS Association DC/MD/VA chapter or JSSA Hospice of Montgomery County.

Gloria Irene Lubin Gloria Irene Lubin, of Silver Spring, died on May 14. She was the beloved wife of Myer Lubin; dear daughter of the late Abraham and Rebecca “Babe” Jaffe Goldwater; devoted mother of Cheryl (Howard) Udoff and Brian (Melanie) Lubin; loving grandmother of Eric (Jennifer), Marc (Marisa) and Jason (Danielle) Udoff and Russell Lubin; and cherished great-grandmother of Olivia Udoff. She was predeceased by her brothers, Donald and Leonard Goldwater. Contributions may be made to B’nai Shalom of Olney. Arrangements entrusted to Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home.

Debra Ann Millenson Debra Ann Millenson, of Bethesda, died May 12 at home. She was 72. A retired senior trial attorney at the Department of Labor, she oversaw significant employment discrimination cases for the Office of Federal Contract Compliance’s (OFCCP), winning $14 million from Harris Trust & Savings Bank, the largest monetary recovery in OFCCP history.

Previously, at Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she litigated complex discrimination cases nationwide. Ms. Millenson was a fellow emeritus of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers and longtime National Institute for Trial Advocacy faculty member.

After retiring from the Department of Labor, she was senior counsel at a prominent Washington firm and established her own practice. Ms. Millenson earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and her juris doctor degree from University of Michigan Law School.. The daughter of the late Morton B. and Judith Rehmar Millenson, Ms. Millenson grew up in Skokie, Ill. She is survived by her sister, Leslie Millenson of Chicago; by many loving cousins, including Janet Millenson (Herb Edelstein) and Elliott (Wendy) Millenson of Potomac; and a wide circle of caring friends. Donations can be made to National Institute for Trial Advocacy Foundation or Israel Cancer Research Fund.

Eric ‘Ric’ L. Okin Eric “Ric” L. Okin, of Rtockville, died on April 30, at age 75. While recuperating from surgery after a fall in March, he died of respiratory failure from COVID-19 pneumonia.

Born and raised in Arlington, the son of the late Jeannette and Julius Okin, he attended both Dean College in Franklin, Mass., High Point University in High Point, N.C., receiving a bachelor of science degree in accounting.

He worked at the Department of Education and for the Department of the Navy in the Naval Audit Service. His career with the federal government lasted more than 40 years.

Ric was the president of the Arlington Fairfax Jewish Congregation (now Congregation Etz Hayim) serving two terms. His family were founding members there and his bar mitzvah and wedding also took place there. Ric was the lifetime president of the Men’s Club. He is survived by his best friend and wife of 53 years, Sonya M. Okin; and his daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and Michael Gemma and Rebecca and Sam Levy. He leaves three grandchildren, each of whom he adored, Jacob and Alana Gemma and Ian Levy.

Madeleine Sigel Madeleine Sigel, née Bartfeld, died peacefully at her home in Bethesda May 3. She was 96. She was born on Feb. 16, 1924, Madeleine Sigel

in Vienna, into a family deeply involved in Viennese cultural and theatrical life. She often described her childhood as a perfect fairy tale.

In 1939, just before her 15th birthday, the worsening Nazi threat forced Madeleine and her parents, Melitta and Albert Bartfeld, to flee Austria. They traveled through Italy, Switzerland and France before booking passage to Cuba, where the ship’s refugees were denied entry. The refugees were subsequently denied entry to several other Central and South American countries before being accepted on the Pacific coast of Panama, where they were quarantined on an American military base for 18 months. The Bartfelds finally arrived on Ellis Island in 1942. Mrs. Sigel met her future husband, then an officer in the Navy, via pen pal. She was married to Stanley Jordan Sigel in 1947. The couple settled in Washington.

Mrs. Sigel was active in local Democratic politics and served for almost 50 years as precinct chair of the Montgomery County 7-22. She also served in officer roles at the Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club. Mrs. Sigel worked for Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was first lady.

Survivors include daughters, Karen Sigel, M.D. (Harold Perl) and Joan Sigel; grandson, Benjamin Schwartz (Whitney Schwartz); and great-grandson, Sheffield. Mrs. Sigel was predeceased by her husband. The family wishes to express their gratitude to Bernadette Cole and Sandra Page for their care of and kindness to Madeleine Sigel. Donations may be made to the Jewish Social Services Agency.