Obituaries

from Jewish News - September 7, 2020

by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

Jewish campus life goes virtual

Dr. Irvi n J. Coin

Portsmouth —Dr. Irvin J. Coin, 97, passed away August 28, 2020.

A native of Portsmouth he was the son of the late Robert and Rebecca Coin. He was predeceased by his wife, Shirley Nachman Coin, his brother Ernest Coin, and sister Sophie Block.

He graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry and served in the US Army in WWII .

He is survived by his daughter Nancy Unger (Howard) and son, Dr. Richard Coin (Nina). His grandchildren are Dr. Keith Unger (Emily), Dr. Suzanne Unger Freeman (Mathew), Dr. Eric Unger (Leslie), Blair Burdette (David) and Teddy Coin. His nine grandchildren are Bennett, Stella, Violet and Saul Unger, Garrett and Henry Freeman and Andrew, Hunter and Jackson Burdette. His nieces are Leslie Klavan and Barrie Smullian.

A private graveside service was held at Hebrew Cemetery.

Online condolences may be offered to the family at HDOliver.com.

Leah Belle Sachs Gardner

Silver Spr ing , Md.—Leah Belle Sachs Gardner, 89, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2020. A memorial service for immediate family was held at Beth Joseph Agudath Sholom Cemetery in Madison Heights, Va.

Leah Belle was born and raised in Lexington, Va. She was the neighborhood’s fastest running back, lettered in basketball in high school, and was a skilled equestrienne. She earned a bachelor of arts in Fine Arts from Mary Washington College, where she served in the Cavalry during WWII .

She met the love of her life, Dr. Robert D. (Bob) Gardner, when her brother brought Bob home from UVA for Thanksgiving dinner. After their marriage, Leah Belle became a homemaker, and while raising four children, she volunteered her time and talents to many organizations, including the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center, Agudath Sholom Synagogue, and the Virginia School of the Arts. Her talents were many: artist, sculptor, costumer, seamstress, actress, writer, and teacher. She was honored by the YWCA Academy of Women with the Arts and Culture Award, and received the Humanitarian Award from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.

Survivors include her sons Todd (Lori) Gardner of Silver Spring, Md., Greg (Debra) Gardner of Lake Lure, N.C., and daughter Shayne Gardner of Arlington, Va. She is predeceased by her husband Robert D. Gardner, and daughter Jill Gardner. She is also survived by her brother, Leonard “Bert” Sachs of Norfolk, Va.; three grandchildren, Joshua (Maya) Gardner, Alana (Akiva) Landsman and Jake Gardner (Bethany); and two great-granddaughters Yves Gardner-Barak and Sage Landsman. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jill Gardner Memorial Scholarship Fund through the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation and Agudath Sholom Synagogue. To send a condolence to the family, visit whittenfuneralhome.com.

Dr. Warren G. Karesh

Rockv ille , MD.—Dr. Warren Karesh of the North End of Virginia Beach, passed away Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

Beloved husband of Mimi Sunshine Karesh for 57 years. Caring father of Michael (Gayla Bassham) Karesh and Sara Karesh (David) Coxe. Also survived by sister Maxine (Mike) Kibler. Loving grandfather of Lena, Benton, and Judah Karesh and Sadie Coxe. Devoted to his miniature poodle, Pierre, with whom he took long walks on the beach they both loved. He was predeceased by his parents, David and Sarah.

Warren grew up in Bamberg, SC. There he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the BSA and was elected president of his senior class. He earned a chemical engineering degree from Clemson, where he was a member of the Pershing Rifles, then served in the U.S. Army to fulfill his ROTC commitment before working at DuPont in Martinsville. Next, Warren studied dentistry and orthodontics at MCV, then built a thriving orthodontic practice with Robert Rubin, Sherry Hamilton (deceased), Walker Shiver, and Anthony Peluso in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake.

Warren was deeply committed to the Tidewater Jewish community and to Israel, serving as president of the beach’s Temple Emanuel.

All services were private. The family requests donations to Operation Smile or the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Funeral services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg, Rockville, Md. (sagelbloomfield.com).

Lois Ei n Legum

Norfolk —Lois Ein Legum passed away peacefully at age 89 on Monday, September 1, 2020.

A native of South Orange New Jersey, she attended Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She married her husband of 56 years, Stanley, settling in Norfolk, Virginia.

She was a very active member of the community and enjoyed her volunteer work. Having modeled in her younger years, she was a woman of style, stature, and flair. She was also an avid and competitive athlete and excelled at every sport.

She is survived by her children Diane Legum of Scottsdale, Az; Peter Legum of Rockville, Md; and her grandsons Zachary Legum and Drew Legum. A private graveside service was held.

Online condolences may be offered to the family at HDOliver.com. Contributions can be made to Feeding America or the charity of one’s choice.

Ina Levy

Sarasota , Fla .—Ina Rae Burdman Levy, age 91, passed away peacefully at the Sarasota Bay Club on Sunday, August 30, 2020.

Mrs. Levy was born on July 22, 1929 to Harry and Doris Burdman, in Youngstown, Ohio. Each of her parents immigrated to the United States from Russia in the 1920s. Mrs. Levy was raised in Youngstown, and in 1957, she married the love of her life, Rabbi Theodore S. Levy. Together for 48 beautiful years, they lived in Huntington, W.Va. and Waterbury, Conn., and then settled with their family in Syracuse, N.Y. for 30 years. After Syracuse, they spent 10 years on Hilton Head Island where Rabbi Levy died in 2004. Ina Rae moved to Sarasota, and into the Sarasota Bay Club, where she enjoyed continued community work, new friends, and being closer to her children and grandchildren.

Mrs. Levy’s life was full of educational pursuits, community involvement, philanthropic work, family, and travel. Ina Rae Levy earned her B.S. in Education in 1967 and an M.S. in Family Therapy in 1972, from Syracuse University. Her relationship with Syracuse University continued throughout the 1970s while she worked as an assistant professor and assistant to the dean in the College of Human Development.

Mrs. Levy was involved in innumerable local and world-wide organizations and received many awards as a result of her impact in those organizations. She was vice president of the New York State Federations of Women’s Clubs and was the first president of the Women’s Assembly of Syracuse Jewish Federation. Levy was also active in the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods and was the president of her district. As a vicechair for the World Union for Progressive Judaism, she traveled extensively with her husband, visiting member Reform congregations around the world. While in Syracuse, Mrs. Levy was also the president of the prestigious Upstate Medical Center. Levy once received the Hannah G. Solomon Award from the National Council of Jewish Women. Mrs. Levy was also tireless in her devotion to the equality and advancement of women. She was named by the Syracuse Post-Standard as the Woman of Achievement in Career Development in 1972 and again in 1985 she was named the Overall Woman of Achievement. In addition, she was always involved in and passionate about Planned Parenthood and The League of Women Voters wherever she lived. One of Ina Rae’s proudest achievements was being the only woman invited to participate in the first ordination of Rabbis since the Holocaust in Dresden, Germany.

When Mrs. Levy moved to Sarasota, she once again became active in her synagogue, became an active member of

American Jewish Committee (AJC), chairing fundraising events in both Sarasota and Tampa. Always concerned with the plight of Jews around the world, In 2005, Mrs. Levy, was instrumental in the donation of a Holocaust Torah from a synagogue in Youngstown, Ohio to a small synagogue in a small Russian community. She regretted not being able to attend the Torah dedication herself.

Despite all the accolades and achievements, foremost for Mrs. Levy was her love for her family. She had three younger brothers, Ronald, B. Richard Burdman, and Kenneth Burdman, all who pre-deceased her. She leaves behind two sisters-in-law, Babette Burdman and Marsha Burdman, and their families. In addition to her children Seth (and wife Alice), Cyndi, Jonathan (and wife Karen), she leaves five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They were all the joys of her life.

Funeral services were held graveside at the Temple El Emeth Coitsville Cemetery in Youngstown, Ohio. Mrs. Levy was buried next to her beloved husband and her parents and brothers.

Memorial donations may be made to: Rabbi Theodore S. Levy Endowed Fellowship at the American Jewish Archives, Hebrew Union College, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220 or to the AJC West Coast Florida Chapter, 1605 Main Street, Suite 612, Sarasota, FL 34236

Lorence “Ozzie” Roger Osmunson, III

Virg in ia Beach —Lorence “Ozzie” Roger Osmunson, III , 75, died after a short illness on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, at Virginia Beach General Hospital.

He was born January 22, 1945, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Lorence R. and Etta Mae (Phillips) Osmunson.

Ozzie graduated from Norview High School, class of 1963. Following graduation, he served with the U.S. Navy as a Submariner for six years. Ozzie filled his lifelong calling as a Fire Fighter. He retired in 1996 after 25 years with the Civil Service Fire Department aboard Norfolk Naval Base. He most recently retired in January 2020 from Dante Valve of CA.

Ozzie loved his community. Within the past few years, he had begun to take a more active role in his local synagogue, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash, Kempsville Conservative Synagogue and held a position on their board until his passing. Ozzie finished his Citizen’s Police Academy with the Virginia Beach Police Department this month.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Jimmy. Surviving in addition to his wife, Hedy (Massey), are his daughter, Rebecca Harper and her husband Michael, of Hanford, Calif. and his son Shneur Steven Osmunson and his wife Rina, of Chicago, II ll.; five grandchildren, Malka, Zack, Menachem Mendel, Shayna Bryna, and Yaakov. Ozzie also leaves one brother, Robert Osmunson (Patricia) and three sisters, Susan (Hal), Debbie, and Gale, as well as many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service took place. Altmeyer Funeral Home.

Southside Chapel • 5033 Rouse Drive Virginia Beach • 757 422-4000

Chris Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner

• Family owned and operated since 1917