Obituaries

Wilma (Stone) Uno, 92 years young of Bridgewater, passed away October 27, 2021. Beloved wife of the late Paul Uno. Devoted mother of Stephen J. and the late Stephanie T. (Uno) Couture. Dear Nana of Marni Dunton, husband Scott and Jess Burton. Dear Nonni of Paige Dunton. She was truly a huge Boston sports fan. Watched every game she could to root on her teams. Private Interment. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite animal rescue.

To view a recording of Joan’s service please click here.

Joan Platt (Saxe) Dolinsky, of Hingham, formerly of Lincoln and Swampscott, passed away after a brief illness, but peacefully, on October 25, 2021.  Joan was the daughter of the late Hyman and Sylvia (Allen) Saxe. She was raised in Brookline, and attended Brookline High School, Mt. Ida College and received her Bachelor’s degree from Bentley University.

Joan is survived by her loving husband Larry Dolinsky of Hingham, her 3 children Jeri Smoller (Mark) of Needham, Donna Platt of Southborough and Eric Platt (Pao) of Portsmouth, NH. Her pride and joy were her 4 grandchildren Billy Smoller (Rachel Books), Rachel Beth Smoller, Andrew and Jason Michalik, and 3 cherished great grandchildren (Gabe, Emma and Sophie Smoller). She also leaves her siblings Janet, Judy and John Saxe, as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her first husband, Harvey Platt and her brother Joel Saxe.

Joan had many interests – among them was that she was an avid reader, sports fan, bridge player, and bicyclist, having ridden her bike with Larry around the world for the entire year 2000. There were other bike trips from coast to coast and the length of the Mississippi. She loved to travel with Larry to many different places around the world. Joan was an avid reader, theater fan and also enjoyed sailing.

Family meant everything to her, and she reveled in all of her family gatherings.

Due to the current COVID protocols the funeral service will be a private graveside service and will be live streamed, at 11AM Friday 10/29. Shiva will also be done via Zoom by private invitation.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of Joan Dolinsky to support cancer research and patient care at:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
P.O. Box 849168
Boston, MA 02284
or via www.dana-farber.org/gift

Harry Terban of Randolph,Massachusetts died peacefully on Monday,October 25,2021. Beloved husband of the late Sylvia Terban. Devoted father of Paul Terban, Sherri Laps( Sheldon) and Jeffrey Terban(Susan). Adored Grandfather of Matthew and Allie Laps, Kevin and Katie Terban. Loving brother of Ester Block, Rita Singer and Shirley MCLaughlin and the late Joseph Terban, Jack Terban, Bernard Terban, Frances Green and Eleanor Strauss.

Services will be private.

Memorial Contributions may be made in his memory to Temple B’Nai Tikvah 1301 Washington Street Canton, MA. 02021 or the charity of your choice.

Matthew Tackeff-Passed away on October 24,2021 at his home in Rye Beach, NH, surrounded by his loving family, after a year-long battle with esophageal cancer. Born in Boston in 1952, he was a graduate of The Rivers School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Throughout his life he loved sharing stories about his experiences in the food industry. Matt spent years working together with a management team in a wide range of enterprises which included Genoa Packing Company, Boston Management & Funding, and the Northeast Blueberry Farm, in Maine. He founded Fiscal & Monetary Services in Portsmouth, NH, a gold and silver bullion dealership. He was also an avid investor. Matthew was a passionate scholar of history, global economics,politics, and was a regular, high-scorer at family Jeopardy watching. He also loved playing Jewish geography and would regularly run into complete strangers who turned out to be distant relatives or related to old friends all over the world. Throughout his life, Matt would demonstrate a true gift for expressing himself with the written word and was an accomplished writer. A passionate cook, he could re-create any dish he tasted without a recipe in hand. He loved to travel, including regular trips to Palm Beach, Istanbul, New York City to visit Zabar’s and Montreal to visit Schwartz’s Delicatessen. He also relished fall foliage drives all across New England. He was a consummate consumer of facts, weighty tomes, and great cigars. He was predeceased by his parents, Bertram and Sterra Tackeff, and his sister, Jo Ann Toledano.He leaves behind his beloved wife of 38 years, Elian Gun Tackeff, his daughter, Sam Tackeff, son, John Tackeff, and his beloved grand-dog, Bertram the Frenchie. He also leaves behind his brother, Roger Tackeff and wife Maryanne, of Brookline, MA, brothers in-laws, Allan Toledano and wife Roz Garber of Newton, MA, Derya Gun and wife Süzet of Istanbul, and many loving nephews and niece and their families, cousins, friends, as well as extended family all over the world. The funeral will be private due to covid; a celebration of life to be scheduled in the future. Gifts in his memory may be made to Temple Israel, Portsmouth NH, and The Jimmy Fund.

Robert Ricles passed away on October 24, 2021. Beloved husband of the late Gloria Phillips. Current partner of Mimi Levy. Father of Harrison Ricles. Stepfather of Diana, Alicia and Edward Phillips. A graveside service will be held at Temple Israel Cemetery in Wakefield, MA on Friday, October 29, at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations in Robert’s memory may be made to The National Brain Tumor Society.

To view the service recording please click here.

Gordon, Stuart of Needham, MA formerly of Newton Ctr. MA, passed away October 23, 2021. Dear son of Celia (Elkins) Gordon, and the late William Gordon. Cherished grandson of the late Jacob and Anna Elkins. Stuart is survived by his loving sister Linda Aronson, his devoted niece Jaclyn Rubin, her husband Alex, son Benjamin whom Stuey adored and nephew Michael Aronson and his wife Allie. Stuart also leaves his brother Dr. Richard Gordon and his wife Patricia, and their children Miriam, Paul, Sarah, and Richard. Stuey, the man who gave love to all and was everyone’s favorite, a true inspiration, and the strongest man living. Stuey’s smile is infectious, his laugh brings out the best in people, and his non-stop dance moves light up a room. A man with a heart of gold, the most loving personality, and never gave up, always stayed positive. There truly is no other person like Stuey Gordon. The world was lucky to have such an incredible man. Services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Stuart’s memory may be made to The Charles River Center, 59 East Militia Heights Drive, Needham, MA 02492.

Frederic Lawrence Sternburg,95, beloved husband of Dorothy (Berger) Sternburg died Saturday October 23, 2021.  Born in Boston on July 2, 1926, he was the devoted son of Alexander and Ida ( Paris) Sternburg. Fred was a proud graduate of Boston Latin and Georgetown University, where he played football.  He was a U.S. navy veteran serving during WWII after which he and Dorothy settled in Waltham and then Newton where they raised their 3 boys during their 68  year marriage. He was a Mason and a Shriner 32nd Degree.  When not watching one of his beloved Boston sports teams, Fred and Dorothy loved to travel the world.  Besides his wife Dorothy, he is survived by his three sons.  Scott Sternburg, Wendy Sternburg, Harold and Mary Sternburg and Paul and Lisa Sternburg.  Also, his 5 grandchildren Ali Sternburg and her fiance Jason Stern, Erika Sternburg, Jonathan Sternburg, Andrew Sternburg and Ilana Sternburg.  He was predeceased by his brother Burton Sternburg. A graveside service and memorial observance will be private . In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Frederic may be made to the Carrol Center for the Blind in Newton, or Marist Hill Nursing home in Waltham.

Honora Kaplan, 81, of Newton, a lawyer, local elected official, wife, mother and grandmother passed away at home on October 22, 2021.

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Honora was an extraordinary student at Monroe High School, where she was Daughter of the Flag as the top-ranked female student. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College in 1961 when she was just 20. That year, she married her high school sweetheart, Martin Kaplan, to whom she was married for more than twenty years.

Honora received a masters degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Public Administration at Harvard University in 1964, as one of its few women graduates at the time. She later received her JD cum laude from Boston College Law School while raising a family.

Honora had a successful and varied career. She worked as special assistant to the Massachusetts Commissioner of Mental Health and later practiced law in the private sector until her retirement in 2013.  Active in progressive political causes in Massachusetts her entire adult life, Honora was elected to the Newton School Committee in 1975. She was re-elected twice and served as chairperson, leading the city’s public schools (which all of her children attended).  In that role, she led the coalition advocating for expanding opportunities for students through a period of declining enrollment.

Honora married Dr. William (Bill) Terry in 1984, and together they shared the joys of travel, the birth of grandchildren, summers on Martha’s Vineyard as well as a deep love and respect for one another.  Honora’s family and friends will remember her brilliance, sense of humor, warmth, dedication to liberal causes, love of art, fierce loyalty, rich friendships, joy of reading, competitive Scrabble-playing, and the deepest love for her grandchildren.

Beloved wife of William Terry. Loving mother of Jonathan Kaplan (Jill Wilkins) of Bethesda, MD, Shira Kaplan (Eric Kahan) of Chappaqua, NY, and Benjamin Kaplan (Orietta Barletta) of Lexington, MA. Stepmother of Ellen, Mark, William Dan and Karen Terry. Dear sister of Mary Jane Tucker.  And doting grandmother to Harry, Max, Ruby, Emily, Giacomo, Francesca, Stella, Gus and Haley.

A funeral service for friends and family will be held at Burke & Blackington Funeral Home in West Newton on Tuesday, October 26 at 10:00am. A private burial will be held at Sharon Memorial Park in Sharon. A link to the livestream can be found here.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Honora’s name can be made to The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Breast Cancer Research, 10 Brookline Place West, Floor 6, Brookline, MA 02445.

Dr. Michael S. Porder, a prominent New York City psychoanalyst, passed away after a long illness on October 15, 2021, at the age of 88. Mike was born in Boston, MA, and grew up in Brookline, MA.  In 1954, Mike graduated cum laude from Harvard University, and in 1958 from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Mike became interested in psychiatry because he thought it was the only field of medicine where a doctor really got to know their patients – a philosophy that guided both his professional and personal life. In 1964, Mike began his lifelong work with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, where he discovered his passion for psychoanalysis. He opened his practice that year, and he continued to talk to patients until shortly before his death.

Mike was a widely recognized authority on psychoanalysis. His positions included Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1965-1990), Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine (1990-2000), and Lecturer in Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (1965-1990). He was a member of the Editorial Board of The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, and a Member of the Center for Advanced Psychoanalytic Studies since 1983. As a Training and Supervising Analyst at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, he was a beloved colleague and a mentor to generations of psychoanalysts. With his colleagues Sander Abend and Martin Willick, Mike wrote a well-received treatise on psychological perspectives of treatments of borderline patients. His colleagues recognized his contribution to the field by selecting him twice to give the Institute’s prestigious Brill Lecture (1996 and 2019).

Notwithstanding his professional dedication and accomplishments, Mike considered his roles of husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather to be his most important. Mike leaves behind Dr. Peggy Porder, his wife of 53 years, his children Melissa Heckler (Dr. Frederick Shiels), Deborah Porder (Bruce Wiener), Dr. Joseph Porder (Dr. Kathleen Porder), Peter Lonergan (Cecilia Pinto de Moura), Jennifer Gurvits (Eugene Gurvits), Kenneth Lonergan (J. Smith-Cameron), and Dr. Stephen Porder (Dr. Bethany Gentilesco). He was preceded in death by his brother Lee Porder. Mike’s thirteen grandchildren were a source of constant joy to him, as was his enchanting great-granddaughter. His involvement in each of his children’s and grandchildren’s lives, and his support for their diverse careers were unwavering and unquestioning.

New York City was Mike’s home, but his spiritual home was a summer house on Spednic Lake in New Brunswick.  Every year, he looked forward to re-charging his batteries on the lakeshore, deep in a book, surrounded by the sound of gentle waves, rustling trees, and his family chatting, arguing, and laughing together. He got great pleasure from the loon-call recorded on the lake that became the family ringtone. Shortly before his death, when he was too weak to make the trip by boat, he mused, only half-kidding, that he would like to be lowered from a helicopter so he could be there one more time.

Mike reveled in the fading art of joke-telling and possessed an extensive repertoire of off-color jokes, causing his family to simultaneously groan and burst out laughing. His opening line in many phone calls was “I have a joke for you.” But he didn’t joke about his long suffering as a Red Sox fan, though he was ultimately vindicated for his perseverance during their recent successes. Despite this, he loved New York, and until his last day, Mike’s thirst for human connection engaged his wide-ranging intellect with his fellow New Yorkers. His “backyard”, Central Park, was a source of endless joy. He spent many hours there, sitting on a bench, talking to passing-by acquaintances who stopped by to tell their stories – the doctor was “in”.  Opera, chamber music, and birdsong were the soundscape of his life. The art of relationships, the study of the mind, and the beauty of the seasons were his lifescape.

It is rare for someone to be larger than life to both their family and to so many others. Mike was a father to his children, and a mentor, life coach and lifeline for many, many more. It was not unusual to learn that someone he met, or a relative of some friend, was living with him and Peggy while sorting out a problem or finding their way in the world. Mike experienced the world through such connections with people. Their interests and problems were always on his mind, and he made innumerable lives better through his love, advice, and sometimes pointed commentary. Mike’s children often heard from friends or acquaintances the phrase, “He was like a father to me.”

The celebration of Mike’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Mike’s name may be made to Natural Resources Council of Maine at nrcm.org.

August 28, 1923 – October 21, 2021 Harvey Ralph Swack (née Grundstein) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the first of five children to Arthur Grundstein and Lillian (née Kritzer) Grundstein. Harvey was kind, generous, creative, ingenious, encouraging, loving and the most positive person you’ll ever know. He got up every day and said, “What a great day, and I’m going to make it one.” A truly unique individual, it is remarkable all that he saw, lived, endured, survived, created, contributed, loved and shared over his 98 years.

Harvey met his wife, Lois Swack (née Goldston) in the Hillel House at Ohio State University. He wed at age 24 and was married for over 65 years until Lois passed away in 2013. He received his B.S. and Master’s in Business Education from Ohio State University. He served in the US Navy in WWII, in the South Pacific, as an aircraft mechanic.

After losing his father at age 10, Harvey and his brother Myron, spent five years at Bellefaire, a Jewish orphanage in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he spent his free time pursuing his love of airplanes and cars. When other kids were playing sports, Harvey was building models and reading everything he could find. During this time, his aunt took him to visit the Great Lakes Aircraft Company which later went bankrupt in the depression – an event that would influence him later in life.

After five years at Bellefaire, Harvey and his brother Myron were reunited with his mother and other siblings on a dairy farm in West Salem, Ohio. He lived and worked on the farm until he went to Ohio State in in1941.

After the Navy and college, Harvey started his career in Mansfield, Ohio, opening a hobby shop selling model planes and cars. He also sold the first Barbie and Ken dolls in Ohio. Harvey and Lois then moved to Cleveland where Harvey started his career in parks, first as the Executive Director of Roundup Lake in Mantua, Ohio, where he implemented programs to create awareness of camping, bring scouts and inner city youth to the park. In the mid ‘60s he became the Public Relations Director for the Cleveland Metropolitan Parks where he was responsible for passing the tax levies that paid for the parks. He implemented numerous programs to get people to the parks who wouldn’t otherwise have access, and worked to make important acquisitions, like the Cleveland Zoo. Because of this success, he was tapped by the George Gund Foundation and Ohio congressman, John Seiberling, to lead a citizen’s initiative to establish Ohio’s first National Park in 1973, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Even with all these achievements, Harvey would tell you the thing he loved most was teaching business in community colleges in Cleveland and later in Boston.

In 1962, Harvey acquired the rights from the FAA for the Great Lakes Sport Trainer, a two seat, open cockpit, aerobatic biplane, and built the company selling plans and parts to homebuilders. He also acquired the rights to the Baby Great Lakes, a small and powerful one seat version. In 1972, he sold Great Lakes to a group who put the Sport Trainer back into production. Through this process he became a pioneer in the experimental aircraft industry and an early participant in the EAA AirVenture annual air show in Oshkosh, WI, touching the lives of thousands of people around the world.

Nothing was more important to Harvey than family. He would frequently exclaim how much he loved his relatives and never missed an opportunity to see them. He instilled this love of family into his. Harvey came from a large family and is survived by his sister, Sondra Epstein, and his brother Bernard Swack; his children Judith Swack (Terrence Furman), Michael Swack (Jayne Adelman) and Terry Swack (Louis Weitzman); and grandchildren Laura Furman (Harry Byres), Eric Swack, Jeremy Swack and Rachel Swack.

Harvey will always be remembered for his humanity, humility, positivity and gratefulness which, without a doubt, contributed to his longevity. He passed away peacefully in his home the morning of October 21, 2021. Funeral services will be held at Sharon Memorial Park in Sharon, Massachusetts on October 25, at 12pm ET. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Cleveland Metroparks. clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/support