Obituaries

from Jewish News April 27, 2020

by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

Who Knew?

Irwin “Jerry” Epstein

Norfolk —Jerry Epstein, 94, passed away on April 8, 2020. He was born on November 29, 1925 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Nathan and Sadie Epstein.

Jerry met the love of his life, Geraldine Epstein after leaving the Navy. Together they had a lifelong relationship working together and a marriage of 66 years. Their marriage brought forth two loving children, Lance and Ronnie Epstein.

Jerry and Geraldine founded Toppers Menswear, where they served the Norfolk community for 35 years, before founding Marc Lance Menswear in Virginia Beach.

He had a full life, centered around his family, friends, customers and relatives. Left to cherish his memory are his children; grandchildren, Nathan and Natalie Epstein; nieces, Meril Hearst (Joe) and Loren Nelson (Edward); and many lifelong relatives and friends.

A private graveside was held at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens.

Irvin “Buddy” Holzsweig

Newport News —Irvin “Buddy” Holzsweig, 93, of Newport News passed away peacefully April 15, 2020, at his home.

Born in Portsmouth, Va. to Fannie Banks and Philip Holzsweig, Buddy grew up in Newport News within a close community of family and friends.

From his first job at age 14 as a Paramount Theatre usher until his last as a product sampler at Costco at age 87, Buddy valued work. He attended Newport News High School during World War II and entered the Army at age 18. As an entertainment specialist, he served in General MacArthur’s music corps in Tokyo, Japan, playing the drums for dignitaries and military events. Upon returning home, Buddy continued drumming in numerous bands at local clubs and venues, including the Saturday night “Dime a Dance” events at Buckroe Beach, and the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corp.

As vice-president of Golden Foods, Buddy’s professional career consisted of more than 40 years in the snack food business. He served as president of the Tidewater Food Dealers Association (Man of the Year 1987) and the GMRA of Tidewater. Buddy was a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason with Warwick Lodge 336 and a member of the Shrine Club and Oriental Band (president, 1981). Buddy was a member of Temple Sinai for more than 50 years and named Man of the Year in 1975.

Buddy enjoyed playing golf and keeping up with news in his hometown. He said he read the obituaries every day to make sure he wasn’t in them. Though quiet in demeanor, Buddy’s love for his family was evident in all that he was. Always kind, patient and selfless, he was everybody’s “buddy.”

Having lived such a long life, Buddy said goodbye to many of his dear relatives and friends. Buddy is survived by his loving family: Lorraine, his wife of 58 years; daughters Elisa Finneran (Pat) and Linda Grovenburg (Virgil); son Gary Klatz (Ruth); grandchildren Alex Finneran, Carly Finneran, Paul Berger and Sara Berger Meloni; great-grandchildren Brooke, Micah, Gabi and Ryan; sister, Regina Weinstock; and nieces, nephews and cousins.

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Due to current conditions, a private graveside service was held at the Jewish Cemetery of The Virginia Peninsula and a Celebration of Life gathering will be announced at a later date.

The family requests donations to Temple Sinai (Newport News) or Shriners Hospitals for Children. Peninsula Funeral Home.

Jack Burt Jacobson

BOCA RATON, FLA—Jack Burt Jacobson, 90, of Virginia Beach passed away peacefully at home on April 18, 2020.

Jack is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 64 years, Suzanne Snyder Jacobson, four daughters, Maryann Jacobson (Angela), Carol Diamonstein (Jamie), Janie Craig (Jim), Betty Jacobson, and two granddaughters, Claire and Alyson Diamonstein, along with several nieces and nephews.

Jack was born September 19, 1929, in Portsmouth, Virginia, to the late Ben and Rose Jacobson. He was the youngest of four siblings, all of blessed memory: Buddy Jacobson, Evelyn Salasky, and Fred Jacobson. Jack graduated from Augusta Military Academy and served in the Coast Guard. He then joined his brothers in the family business, Portsmouth Salvage Company. Together, the three brothers enlarged the business, which later became Jacobson Metal, located at Money Point in South Norfolk, one of the largest scrap yards in the Southeast.

Jack retired from the scrap yard to form his own real estate company, Jacobson Construction. He developed, among other things, The Virginia Village on General Booth Blvd. in Virginia Beach as well as investing in apartments and shopping centers. Jack was a true Renaissance man passionate about golf, reading and collecting Handel and Tiffany lamps, pottery, and art. To the end, the game of golf remained a great obsession. He was a champion golfer at both the Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club as well as the Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida.

Known to many as Jackie, he could light up a room with his good looks, ready smile and funny jokes. He was warm and loving to his only two granddaughters, whom he happily spoiled. He could never stop talking about his four daughters, whom he referred to as his four billy goats who liked to eat up all his “green.” He was devoted to the State of Israel, a place he visited many times, and supported Jewish causes by giving generously to the United Jewish Federation.

Jack was blessed to have the devotion of his wife Suzanne, who, for 64 years, put her husband first. Her love for him was especially evident in his last years when illness had weakened him and she never left his side. It was a beautiful and common sight to see Suzanne feeding and fussing over Jack at their favorite restaurants around town.

All in all, Jack was a lucky man in almost every aspect of his life. He was blessed with a devoted wife, four loving daughters and their loyal spouses, two loving granddaughters, a successful business life and lifelong friends such as Marty Brehne, Marvin Resnick, Charles Goldman, Norman Olitsky, and Billy Beard.

A private service for the family will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Suzanne and Jack Jacobson Family Fund at the Tidewater Jewish Federation. Those who wish to share their condolences or a story about Jack with the family can do so online at www.altmeyerfh.com.

Arlene Berman Kesser

Norfolk —Arlene Berman Kesser, 84, passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2020 in a local hospital.

Arlene was a native of Norfolk, Virginia and was the daughter of the late Leonard Berman and Frieda Cohen Berman Amelson. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Laura Kesser and her sisters, Phyllis Kaplan and Suzanne Goldberg.

Arlene graduated from Maury High School, studied art at George Washington University and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979 at Old Dominion University. She was a warm and loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend, an artist, and homemaker. Arlene was beautiful—inside and out. She was a member of Ohef Sholom Temple, its Sisterhood, as well as Temple Israel. She was also a member of Hadassah, ORT, the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society, the Tidewater

Artists Association, the Virginia Beach Artists Association, the Chrysler Museum, the Virginia Museum and others.

She is survived by her loving husband, Howard L. Kesser, DD S of Norfolk, her daughter, Sharon Laderberg of Norfolk, and three grandchildren, Jodi, Danny and his wife Melissa, and Kevin and his wife, Sarah.

A private graveside service was held in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg and Rabbi Michael Panitz officiated.

Memorial donations may be made to Ohef Sholom Temple, Temple Israel, or your favorite charity. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family at hdoliver.com.

Bertrum Norman Leg um

Norfolk —Bertrum N. Legum passed away peacefully on April 23, 2020.

He was born in Norfolk on June 18, 1934 to the late Sol and Sylvia Legum.

Bert attended Maury High School and the University of Virginia. After serving in the Army, he worked for, and retired from the family business, Nesson & Rapoport.

Bert was a lifelong and active member of Congregation Beth El in Norfolk. He supported many local and University of Virginia based charities.

Other than his parents, Bert was preceded in death by his brother, James W. Legum.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Joyce Nesson Legum; son, Ross Legum and wife Anne, and his three beloved grandchildren. He will be remembered for his dedication to his family including many cousins and his lifelong friends.

Please consider a gift for Congregation Beth El, Hope House, or a charity of one’s choice.

A private graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Alex Klein, 70, kosher caterer whose prayers stormed the heavens

Yom Kippur had just ended and the members of his synagogue were preparing to go home to eat after a long day of fasting when Alex Klein walked up to the Holy Ark, placed his hand on it, and began speaking directly to God. He stood that way for the better part of an hour.

“It was descriptive of his belief that you speak to God and God listens,” his daughter, Devora Klein-Freeman, says.

Her father, she says, was “a man of tremendous faith” who went to synagogue three times a day without fail and taught his children to create a personal relationship with God.

Klein died in New York of COVID -19 on March 28. He was 70.

Born in 1949 to Holocaust survivors in what is today the Ukrainian city of Mukachevo, Klein spent his early years living a life of deprivation in the Soviet Union. Soon after his college graduation, Klein fled to Israel to avoid being drafted into the Red Army and ended up working in the hotel industry for several years.

He moved to the United States in 1975, where he built a large Brooklyn-based kosher catering business and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, the youngest of whom was born just two months ago.

“He called his kids three or four times a day, so not to be able to speak to him anymore is very difficult,” another daughter, Ronit Rubinoff, recalls. “He would spend an hour every Friday on the phone with my daughter. It was very special for her.”

Klein’s children weren’t the only one he made time for regularly. Rubinoff says Klein would ask the doorman in his building about his family and wind up talking to him for half an hour.

“He had so much patience and curiosity to learn about people’s lives,” Rubinoff says. “I really admired him for what he accomplished. I would go places and give my name and people would go ‘Alex Klein is your dad?’ I was in such awe of him.”

Klein is survived by his wife, Miriam Gutwein-Klein, three children and four grandchildren. (JTA)

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