Obituaries

Elaine Cohen passed on November 12, at 12:12 PM after a short illness, without pain and with dignity. She was proud of her Chelsea, MA hometown and an avid Boston sports fan! A lover of the sun and water, after moving to Delray Beach, FL she spent hours in the pool. She enjoyed the company of her friends playing Canaster over the years, as well as on the bowling team. Elaine attracted three outstanding men in her life. Her first husband the late Charles Elmont, then the late Oscar Cohen, in her last seven years she shared a loving friendship with Warren Weiss. Elaine lost her daughter Marcia Elmont DeVasto last March. She is survived by her son-in-law Pat Devasto, her brother David Brothers, his wife Barbara, her son Alan Elmont, his wife Teri, and her grandchildren, Chani Elmont Dutton, her husband Zak, Monika (aka Moniker) Elmont, and Lee Elmont. Burial is Wednesday November 17, 2021 at 11:00AM at Polonnoe Cemetery in West Roxbury, MA. Elaine lived 92 feisty years, “naturally!”

Of Newton, November 10, 2021, age 93, after a long illness. Born to Ben and Ann Brown on March 10, 1928, in Roxbury, MA. He was the oldest of three siblings, predeceased by his brother Leonard. George was a longtime resident of Newtonville where he resided with his wife Jane. Loving father of Caroline Greenblatt of Framingham and Abby Brown of Weston. Grandfather of Andrew and Zachary Greenblatt. George attended Boston Latin School, Harvard University and Harvard Law School. He served two years as a Marine during the Korean War, and on his return worked as a lawyer for the Thomas Joyce Law Firm. George went on to sell mutual funds, and a few years later founded Brown and Company, the first discount brokerage company. This company was the highlight of George’s life and the business grew to 16 branches. George’s wit and wisdom permeated this endeavor, and his dry sense of humor was displayed when he played the part of Max the Trader. His staff was encouraged to feel that they worked with him, not for him. George was a kind and gentle man. A private funeral service was held for the family. Shiva will be held at his late residence on Friday from 3pm-5pm, Saturday, 1pm – 4pm, and Sunday 1pm – 4pm.

Stephan H. Lewy-on Tuesday, Nov.9,2021. Beloved husband of the late Frances. Devoted father of Ellen (Thomas) Dubie and Arthur (Bria) Lewy. Dear grandfather of Naomi Lewy. Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park on Friday, November 12,2021. He was born in Germany a Holocaust Survivor and lecturer . He was a Veteran of  Army that liberated Buchenwald Concentration Camp and was one of the Ritchie Boys .

NAMYET, Sylvia Brenda (Lieber) of Orchard Cove, Canton, MA, formerly a resident of Sharon, MA for 54 years, and a summer resident of Chatham, MA, on November 8, 2021, at age 97. Predeceased by her beloved husband Saul Namyet of 66 years, from Chelsea, MA. Beloved Mother of Diane Winer and her husband Howard of San Francisco, CA, Sharon Grahn and her husband Richard of Mattapoisett, MA, and Jay Namyet and his wife Lisa of Eugene, OR. Dearest grandmother of Elissa Winer of San Francisco, CA, Adam Winer and his wife Beth of San Francisco, CA, Rachel Sandrew and her husband Robert of San Diego, CA, Michael Grahn and his wife Lori of Bristow, VA, and Rebecca Namyet of Eugene, OR. Doting great-grandmother of Emma and Olivia Sandrew, Cara and Simon Grahn, and Ruth Winer.

Private services and burial will be on Friday, November 12, 2021. The services will be live streaming starting at 10:00am. A link to view the funeral service can be found here.

Sylvia was a graduate of Buffalo State Teachers College (now SUNY Buffalo) in 1943, and later earned a Master’s Degree at Northeastern in 1969. She was a dedicated educator who taught in the Canton and Sharon School districts for more than 20 years. Her passion for community service, education and the arts continued throughout her life, and enriched the lives of all who were fortunate enough to meet her. In celebration of her life, donations may be made to the Orchard Cove Scholarship Fund, I Del Pond Dr., Canton, MA 02021.

Tarryl Lou (Cornis) Saipe, age 71, on November 7, 2021. Beloved widow of Gary Saipe, happily married for 45 years; loving mother of Joshua (Julie) Saipe, Lara (Matt) Durgavich, and Noah (Adriana) Saipe; cherished Mamoo of Henrietta, Magnolia, Zoe, Evan, Vivian, Gwenyth, and Delilah; dear sister of Robert (Susan) Cornis and David (Judith) Cornis. Teri was a superbly talented and dedicated elementary school art teacher with a lifelong passion for creativity and the arts. She was a consummate mother and grandmother and was fiercely devoted to her family and friends, whom she loved beyond measure. She adored few things more than eating chocolate and petting poodles. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Congregation Or Shalom or Wildlife Conservation Society.

To view the service at Temple Israel click here

“…More than a Memory, She is a Living Presence in our Lives and That of Others” 

On Friday, November 5, 2021, Sandra Gusky Krakoff of Palm Beach, FL and Boston, MA passed quietly just after sunset surrounded by her three children. She will always be remembered for her fierce independence, her courage, strength, and force of will which she always used to lift up those in need. Born November 27, 1937 to Jack and Helen Recht Gusky in Pittsburgh, PA, she met the love of her life, Robert L. Krakoff, at Taylor Allderdice High School. Sandy was truly a pioneer of her generation regularly breaking glass ceilings in both her professional and personal life.

Sandy received a Bachelor degree in Journalism and Advertising from the Pennsylvania State University in 1958.  She was the first in her family to attend college.  Graduating in just 3 years, she married Robert Krakoff in 1959.  She always sought to uphold the great Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, “repairing the world.” Her legacy began with the support and advancement of her family, children, and grandchildren. She always strove to better the lives of others with her investment in community and commitment to fighting the scourge of cancer.

Her drive to constantly improve oneself was central to her life, but she also embraced the beauty of the world around her. She not only studied art and design at Penn State, but Sandy stood out as a true style icon and arbiter of taste.  She exemplified a life of: “if you can dream it, you can be it.” In her 50 years with Bob Krakoff, she built a partnership, family, and career that spanned the heyday of motor city to traveling the world with Trans World Airlines. A supporter of the arts and collector, Sandy supported the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, FL.

Supporting her husband Bob through Harvard Business School (‘59), she began her long string of professional firsts working as an office assistant for one of the world’s earliest mainframe companies in Boston. While raising three children in Fairfield County, CT in her position as Director of Public Relations for the local YMCA, she secured the building of a community pool that became the centerpiece of the Westport, CT community and was enjoyed by her own grandson some 25 years later. After receiving a Certificate in Personnel Administration from Fairfield University, she was tapped to become the Managing Director of Katherine Gibbs School in Norwalk, CT in 1983. Sandy managed to uplift a minor secretarial program for women from low-income backgrounds to a noted professional school.

Her success led her upon relocation to Boston in 1986 to the firm, Alan R. Stone, Esq., as senior attorney placement consultant. She built a renowned, professional practice for paralegal placement. Sandra was listed as a noteworthy personnel consultant by Marquis Who’s Who. Alan R. Stone was successfully sold in 1999, whereupon Sandy was able to launch serious advances in her philanthropic work.

Sandy redefined the philanthropic landscape by not only leading by example but leveraging the power of community and relationships. As a consequence, she was honored by many organizations over the years, from the Big Sisters of Boston to 2017 Woman of the Year for the Greater Palm Beach Jewish Women’s Foundation. Some of her most notable work besides orchestrating galas for the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association was the founding and co-founding respectively of chapters in Palm Beach and Boston of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She was also a member of the Board of the MorseLife Health System in West Palm Beach, FL. Most recently, she has been a member of the executive leadership council for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute.

Sandy is survived by her three children (Roger, Hope, and Reed) and seven grandchildren (Alexandra, Justin, Helen, Sophie, Lily, Oscar, and Maude). Her Yorkie rescue, Bijou, will miss her greatly.  A public memorial service in her honor will be held on Friday, November 12 at 11am, Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02215. Parking preferred on the Riverway.

Please honor Sandy by contributing to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, https://give.bcrf.org/SandraKrakoff or

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/SandyKrakoff

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Nov 8, 2021 01:15 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Graveside for Martin J. Shapiro

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83010938636

Or One tap mobile :

US: +13126266799,,83010938636#  or +16468769923,,83010938636#

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

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Webinar ID: 830 1093 8636

International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbSDFK2NT6

Martin J. Shapiro, of Chestnut Hill, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on November 5, 2021. Son of the late Charles Shapiro and Esther (Franklin) Shapiro. Beloved husband of 63 years of Bette  (Perlstein) Shapiro. Devoted father of Susan Casper and her husband Robert , Eric Shapiro and his wife Julie, Jennifer Chisholm and her husband John, Ken Shapiro and his wife Lisa.  Proud grandfather of Charlie, Jessie and Benny Casper, Olivia and Max Shapiro, Jonathan, Michael, Harrison and Aaron Chisholm, and Joshua, Alex and Lily Shapiro. Loving brother of Skip Shapiro and the late Rick Shapiro.

“Marty” grew up in New Bedford MA and received a BA in Math from Boston University. During college he met his beautiful wife of 63 years, Bette ,while working one summer at Camp Young Judaea in Amherst, NH. He and Bette were blessed with their 4 wonderful children and 12 grandchildren.

Marty worked briefly after college at Sanders Associates as a systems analyst until he switched  to a more entrepreneurial track when he went to work for his father in law, a beer and wine distributor in Shirley, MA. There he worked his way through Phoenix Spring Beverage Company, ultimately becoming President and CEO, and then owner of Martin Distributing. Always the businessman, Marty also dabbled in real estate, started and ran Nashoba Trucking Company, and ultimately started the recycling company MASS CRINC when the bottle bill passed in Massachusetts. Marty later became President and CEO of Clean Environment Company, a parent company of MASS CRINC.

Aside from business, Marty was very philanthropic and civic minded. He was President of the board of Leominster Health Systems and served on the board at Temple Agudat Achim in Leominster, MA.

On the personal side, he was a mild tempered man,  extremely thoughtful and profoundly articulate. Many around him held great esteem for his insights and wisdom. His children especially found him to be very impactful in his guidance and nurturing. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Services at Congregation Agudat Achim, 268 Washington St., Leominster, MA on Monday, November 8, 2021 at 12:00 noon. Interment will follow at Agudas Achim Cemetery, 320 Rollstone Rd., Fitchburg, MA. Shiva will be at the home of John and Jennifer Chisholm located at 51 Longfellow Road, Wellesley MA, PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN DRIVEWAY PLEASE PARK ON THE ROAD, on  Monday after burial from 5-8 pm, and Tuesday 5-8 pm.  The family requests that all in person attendees be Covid vaccinated and masks  are required at all inside venues. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Wounded Warriors P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 or The Jaffa Institute, 171-06 76th Ave., Flushing, NY 11366.

Sonya T. Speen, 90, longtime resident of Framingham, entered into eternal rest on November 2, 2021. She was born in Boston, raised in Dorchester and lived in Framingham for over 60 years. Her husband of 61 years, Robert Speen, passed away in 2016.

Following her graduation from the Massachusetts College of Art, she embarked on a lifelong artistic career, first as a teacher, then as a graphic artist and fashion illustrator, working in department stores and advertising firms before starting her own STS Advertising commercial art and design business, working from home as a freelance artist for over 45 years until retirement. This allowed her to be home with her family while maintaining a thriving career. She was a longtime member of Temple Beth Am in Framingham, producing the monthly Temple newsletter for many years.

Sonya was a creative, artistic, flamboyant and loving soul. She loved fashion and the theater, attending shows in Boston as much as possible and discovering, in mid-life, her own affinity for singing and performing through work with a local theater group. She also loved spending time at her home on Cape Cod where she enjoyed gardening and mining antique shops throughout the Cape for hidden treasures and collectibles.

Most of all, Sonya adored her beloved son Jeff and his wife Trish, the center of her life. In addition to her son and daughter-in-law of Hopedale, MA, she leaves many nieces, nephews and cousins, all of whom she cherished dearly, and her best friend Carolyn of Bradenton, Fl.

Graveside service to be held at Sharon Memorial Park, Sharon, MA, Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 11:45 am. Family and friends invited to attend. Due to COVID concerns, the family will not be sitting Shiva. In lieu of flowers, donations in Sonya’s memory may be made to Temple Beth Am, 300 Pleasant St., Framingham, MA 01701.

A link to view the funeral service can be found here.

George Jeffrey Markley-of  Fairfield, CT, on November 2,2021. Services are private. Remembrances in his memory may be made to Congregation B’nai Israel, 2710 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 or Rabbi Markley’s Discretionary Fund at Temple Beth Shalom, 670 Highland Ave., Needham, MA 02494.

BOLDE, Nathaniel J. “Nat”, 88 yrs., of Needham, MA, passed away Monday, November 1, 2021. Son of the late Abraham C. Bolde and Ruth (Flitter) Bolde. Beloved husband of Eleanor S. “Ellie” (Berman) Bolde. Devoted father of Michelle Halet (Scott) and Betsey O’Brien (Kevin). Proud grandfather of Jonathan, Eric, Alexis, and Derek. Loving brother of the late Deborah Friedberg. Services were private. Donations in his memory may be made to the Boston English High School Alumni Association, 980 Washington St. Suite 200, Dedham, MA 02026 or BIDMC-Needham, “Anticoagulation Clinic”, 148 Chestnut St., Needham, MA 02492.