9 minute read
Obituaries
OSCAR BROWN
BRICK, NEW JERSEY—Oscar Brown, 95, of Brick, N.J. (formerly of Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Norfolk) passed away peacefully at home on May 27 after a battle with cancer.
Born in Norfolk to Israel and Gussie Brown (of blessed memory), the youngest brother of Rose Brown Mensh, Betty Brown Segal, and Leah Brown Abramson (all of blessed memory). Oscar lived most of his life in the Tidewater area. He was a Boy Scout and became an Eagle Scout.
He attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech) and Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University) School of Pharmacy, earning the degree of Bachelor of Science and became a Registered Pharmacist from the Virginia Board of Pharmacy.
He owned Brown’s Pharmacy on High Street in Portsmouth. He served as the director of Pharmacy Services at Maryview Hospital (now Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center) in Portsmouth. He worked as a state employee in the Portsmouth Health Department. He was a past president of the Virginia Society of Hospital Pharmacists. He also became a licensed HVAC contractor.
Oscar served in the United States Navy during World War II, including on the battleship USS North Carolina BB-55 and was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Electronic Technician’s Mate Third Class.
Oscar was active in his community. He was a past president of Gomley Chesed Congregation, then in Portsmouth. He was honored by the Men’s Club with the Blue Yarmulka Man of the Year Award.
Oscar was extremely talented in many fields, particularly with a great ability to fix things. He enjoyed using many different tools and always looked for the next project to be worked on.
Oscar was predeceased by his wife, Elaine Bennett Brown (of blessed memory). Oscar is survived by his children, Susan Brown Rubin (Robert) and Michael Bradley Brown; his grandchildren, Daniel Rubin (Miriam), Jonathan Rubin, Greg Brown (Chelsea) and Jeff Pate Brown (Kayla), his great-granddaughter Elaine Lucille Pate Brown, and his many nieces and nephews.
The funeral was graveside at Chevra Thilim Cemetery, Portsmouth. Shiva was observed in New Jersey.
Donations in Oscar’s memory may be made to a charity of your choice.
Funeral arrangements by Belkoff Goldstein Funeral Chapel in Lakewood, N.J. and by Sturtevant Funeral Home in Portsmouth, Va.
TERRY JEAN KOENIG
CHESAPEAKE—Our beautiful mother, Terri Jean Koenig, 62, went home to be with her Lord on May 18, 2022, with her family and friends surrounding her in love.
Terri was born in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin on April 4, 1960, to Audrey and William. Her main goal in life was to raise a family and she excelled and fulfilled it beyond expectation as evidenced by her children and grandchildren. Terri was the most loving soul you could meet and when you spent a few minutes with her, your life was instantly better. She was kind, generous, uplifting, and funny, even when she did not understand the joke! She had an affinity for making people happy with her smile and bubbly personality, and her laughter was contagious. Terri loved her family and friends fiercely and always filled her home or other homes with warmth and happiness.
Terri enjoyed blessing those around her by cooking for them, whether it was her famous lemon bars or some other specialty that her family and friends came to know. She enjoyed watching football, specifically the Green Bay Packers. Terri was known to shop for the best bargain around town and would drive to every store she could to find one. She loved to play board games with her grandchildren, continuing the family tradition she started with her children when they were young.
Terri was a member of Freedom Fellowship Church and loved worshiping the Lord with her friends. She was especially fond of worship music.
Left to cherish her memory are her loving children, Amy (Tomer) Yashaev of Norfolk, Sarah (Andrew) Wyatt of Chesapeake, and Christopher (Kristen) Koenig of Norfolk; father, William F. Miller of Wausau, Wisc.; siblings, William “Billy” Miller of Germany, John, Mark and Timothy Miller of Wausau, Wisc., Constance Ledford of MN, and Dan Johnson of Wisc.; grandchildren, Xander, Geoffrey, Avi, Liam, Andrew II, Sawyer, Kadence, Sierra, Aiden and Preston; and countless other family and friends.
She is predeceased by her loving mother, Audrey, her cherished daughter, Jennifer, and her beloved Yorkie, Hummer.
Her family received visitors at Altmeyer Funeral Home, Chesapeake. A celebration of life service immediately followed. Committal services were held at Chesapeake Memorial Garden. Express condolences to the family at www.altmeyerfh.com.
BRIAN ANDREW SCHIFF
NORFOLK—Brian Andrew Schiff, 41, of Norfolk died May 28, 2022.
Brian was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in Norfolk. He was the son of Janet Norkin Schiff and Dr. Ivan Rubin Schiff and grandson to the late Harry and Rosalind Norkin and to the late Mendel and Gertude Schiff.
Brian worked for several local security companies and was a former volunteer with the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Survivors include his mother Janet Norkin Schiff, father Dr. Ivan Rubin Schiff and his wife Amelia, a brother Reid Schiff, two sisters, Dr. Lauren Schiff Weber and her husband Dr. William Weber, Leslie Schiff McLain and her husband Jason McLain. Brian is also survived by his nieces and nephews, Charlotte, Eleanor, Teddy, and Benny, as well as his extended family and friends. Brian tried to be a true friend to everyone he met.
A graveside service was conducted at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk by Rabbi Michael Panitz.
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Donations may be sent to Temple Israel and The American Cancer Society. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.hdoliver.com.
FREDERIC SOMERS SUKOFF
NORFOLK—Frederic Somers Sukoff was born on Long Island, N.Y. on October 15, 1937 and passed away peacefully in the presence of his loving family on the morning of May 24, 2022.
Fred was a gentle giant with a big heart to match. His large stature was necessary because all his love and kindness could not be contained in a smaller frame.
He is survived by his sister, Sandra Nesson of Norfolk, Va.; three daughters, Carolyn Sukoff Jacobs and her husband Mark of Norfolk and Rockledge, Fla., Stephanie Sukoff Trzeciakiewicz and her husband David of Norfolk, and Becky Sukoff Udman and her husband Yerachmiel of Dallas, Texas; and three step-children Randy, Ira, and Emily, affectionately known as “The Bergerettes.” Each of his 22 grandchildren think they are the favorite. In addition, he had 24 great grandchildren, all of whom he adored. He was predeceased in life by his wife Linda Berger Sukoff and granddaughter Lindy Jane Clary.
For the past 20 years, Caroline Shapero has been his companion, best friend, confidante, gin rummy opponent, and most recently, roommate, sharing their new home together in Harbors Edge. Poppa Fred extended his unending love to Caroline’s children and grandchildren, growing his family even more.
As Fred told us many times, he spent 20 years of hell in the retail business, running the family business, Sanfred’s Dress Shops and 40 years of bliss in the insurance business at the Frieden Agency. Although long since retired, he kept his friendships with “the boys,” often sharing a meal and a glass of Pinot Grigio. He was a source of wisdom, wit, and optimism to all that knew him. Poppa Fred was always available for anyone needing advice, a joke, a hug, or a good meal. He created nicknames for everyone and was as silly as he was sentimental.
Graveside services were held at Forest Lawn Cemetery, officiated by Rabbi Israel Zoberman. Poppa, the table has been slapped.
Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.
PINCHAS STOLPER, OU LEADER
Ron Kampeas (JTA)—Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, a pioneer in making Orthodox Judaism accessible to young people, has died at 90.
In a statement released on May 26, the Orthodox Union focused on Stolper’s role in making its affiliated youth organization, the National Council of Synagogue Youth, a national powerhouse. Stolper died May 25; the statement did not identify a cause of death.
“Rabbi Stolper was a trailblazing pioneer in the education of Jewish teens who served as the first full-time national director of NCSY and as the longest-serving executive vice president of the Orthodox Union,” it said. “He created and developed modalities of experiential Jewish learning and living that have become the standard for inspiring commitment in Jewish students around the world.”
Stolper showed his potential for youth leadership when in 1950, at 18, he organized a protest against an official visit of a German soccer team to New York. The horrors of the Nazi years were still being revealed and Stolper was furious that a German delegation would be honored at city hall; he and about a dozen of his friends pelted the team with tomatoes.
According to an account in Matzav, an Orthodox news site, Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner, the director of Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin Yeshiva, read the news of Stolper’s arrest the next morning and declared to a colleague: “This young man has chutzpah. We need him in our yeshiva.”
Stolper became close to Hutner, a leading figure in mid-20th century American Orthodoxy and soon rose to positions of influence within the Modern Orthodox movement.
“During more than 40 years of working with Jewish youth, Rabbi Stolper built the NCSY movement from coast to coast,” the Orthodox Union wrote.
Stolper wrote a stack of books making the holidays at Shabbat more accessible to younger leaders, and also a book of advice on relationships, Jewish Alternatives in Love, Dating and Marriage.
Stolper also was key in advancing the career of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, whose writings on the Torah in the 1970s and 1980s are credited with spurring a return to Orthodoxy among young Jews.
“I…was taken by his unusual ability to explain a difficult topic—one usually reserved for advanced scholars, a topic almost untouched previously in English— with such simplicity that it could be understood by any intelligent reader,” Stolper said of Kaplan. “It was clear to me that his special talent could fill a significant void in English Judaica.”
Stolper is survived by his wife, Elaine, his daughter Michal and his son, Akiva.
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