Obituaries

Minette “Ruthie” (Jacobs) Sigel, of Framingham, formerly of Cambridge and Malden passed on May 10, 2021 at 86 years old.  Beloved wife of the late Martin Sigel. Loving sister of the late Ida Dorenfeld, Bertha Bletstein, Phil Jacobs and Charles Jacobs. She leaves her loving niece Arlene and her husband Larry DeHaan and nephew Jeffrey and his wife Cheryl Dorenfeld.  Also survived by several other loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.  She worked for many years at the Cambridge Jewish Community Center and Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston.  Donations in her memory may be made to Temple Ner Tamid, 368 Lowell St., Peabody, MA 01960.

Florence Morton passed away on Friday, May 7, 2021, three weeks short of her 97th ­birthday.  She spent her last days surrounded by her family and left us peacefully.

With her sister Bea and her brother Irving, she grew up in the Bronx in NYC.  She graduated near the top of her class from Morris High School and then received a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College.  While working at the NYC Department of Welfare she met her future husband, Arthur.  After getting married and starting her family, she worked as an elementary school teacher for many years, surrounding her students with love and support.  Her passion for books lead her to work as a librarian, and she then received her Master’s in Library Science while working full time and raising her family.  She finished her career as librarian in a NYC high school.  She and her family split their time between Douglaston, NY during the school year and Smallwood, NY in the Catskills during the summer months.

In retirement she and Arthur relocated to Lauderhill, Florida and continued to spend their summers in Smallwood; they loved travelling and ultimately visited numerous Elder Hostels to continue their education and enjoyment of the outdoors.

After Arthur’s passing she relocated to Coconut Creek, FL.  Making many new friends, she continued her passion for teaching, books and libraries, running the North Regional Broward County Library Tutoring Program which matched senior citizens with inner city elementary school students to help with their reading.  She tutored Russian immigrants in English, and continued to be very active with the local B’nai Brith.  These activities led to many honors and awards, including an invitation to the White House to meet the president.  She discovered that she loved telling jokes, and many dinner parties would find her telling stories to surprised friends.  She loved watching the news and engaging in political discussions, and proudly voted right through the 2020 election.

Florence was passionate about her family and extremely proud of her children.    She instantly fell in love with her grandchildren, and was an incredible grandma.  She loved making Halloween costumes for them, and helped them develop a love of reading, sharing stories and books.  Holidays together were always special events.

She ultimately moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts to be closer to her family.  She is survived by her daughter, Susan Morton, along with her son Paul Morton, his wife, Jayne Dorfman, and her grandchildren, Melissa Morton and Matthew Morton.  Her warmth, kindness, humor, intelligence and good spirits are already missed.

The funeral will be private.  In lieu of flowers, she would have appreciated a contribution to any charity of your choice that focuses on enriching libraries or improving the lives of children.

Donald Irwin Orenbuch, 87, died Friday, May 7th at his home in Sandy Springs, GA. Don is survived by his beautiful wife of 55 years, Billie Lee, his son, Tim Orenbuch, and his daughter, Evelyn Orenbuch. Don will be laid to rest at the Baker Street cemetery in Boston, reunited with his sister, brothers, and parents.

Don grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, MA, graduating from Boston Latin High School in 1952. He graduated from Harvard in 1956, with a degree in Chemistry and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1960. For the majority of his life, Don lived in Gladwyne and later, Bala Cynwyd, both in suburban Philadelphia, PA.  Don and Billie moved to the Atlanta area in early October, 2020 to be near their daughter and son-in-law.

Don worked at ARCO Chemical Corporation for 15 years, finishing his career as Manager of Strategic Planning. After retiring from ARCO, he began his second career as a small business owner, running a Partyland Store in Wayne, PA for nearly 30 years.He helped many people create meaningful celebrations with just the right advice, from balloons to decorations.

This business fit his personality perfectly, as laughter was important to Don. He was quick with a joke and wasn’t shy to tell them to a customer, stranger, soon-to-be friend, or to his family – repeatedly.

The son of Polish immigrants, he started mapping his family tree well before there were internet resources, writing hand written letters to obtain birth certificates from small villages in Poland. This led him to become active in the Philadelphia Jewish Genealogical Society and enjoyed teaching about the Jewish American immigrant history.

A lifelong learner, Don took a variety of classes, most at the Main Line School Night, including one called “Great Discussions,” which turned into a weekly conversation with a special group of friends lasting nearly 15 years. In his 60s, he studied Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, and reached the level of Master. His creations were often presented at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

He learned to play the mandolin as a young man and loved to sing.  No family car ride was complete without lots of folk songs, which he knew by heart, such as a full throated rendition of “My father was the keeper of the Eddystone light.” He often attended the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and took great joy in participating in a monthly sing-along on Sunday afternoons with friends.

Don enjoyed travel, having the chance to see Korea, Japan, most of western Europe, Russia, China, Thailand, Bali, Tibet, Canada, Peru, and Israel.  He enjoyed exploring the culture and getting to know the people of that country.  A favorite activity on any trip was to walk into the heart of the city and central market to be a part of the throng.

Throughout his life, Don enjoyed close friends and long term relationships, playing in a standing poker game with the same group of guys, for 20 years.

Don played the game well and left the game smiling, having made some good bets and a few chips up.

Services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be can be made in Don’s name to the Dementia Society of America, P.O. Box 600, Doylestown, PA 18901 or the Chron’s and Colitis Foundation National Headquarters, Attn: Financial Operations, 733 Third Ave., Suite 510, New York, NY 10017.

Robert Weller of Canton, MA, formerly of Newton, MA, entered into rest on May 6, 2021 at the age of 92.  Beloved husband of Gloria Crane Weller for 63 years.  Loving father of Daniel Weller and his wife Lisa of Westwood, MA and Linda Weller Gulman and her husband Max of Newton, MA.  Proud grandfather of Jessica and Paige Gulman, and Sophie Weller.  Dear son of the late Michael and late Pauline Weller, and brother of the late Herbert Weller and late Theodore Weller.

Bobby served in the U.S. military after being drafted during the Korean War.  He was quickly promoted to sergeant and ran a deployment section where he was stationed in Virginia.  Upon his return to Boston, he founded Robert Weller Corp. DBA Weller Carpets, where he continued to work until 2020.  He built the business, which is now over 60 years old and run by his son, Dan.

Bobby and Gloria shared a love of golf, skiing and bridge.  In the 60’s, he co-founded a family ski club in Franconia, NH from which he enjoyed lifelong friendships.  Bobby was known for his sense of humor, his loyalty and commitment to honesty in both his personal relationships and in business.  Both Bobby and Gloria enjoyed traveling in Europe and Israel, and for 19 years enjoyed a winter residence in West Palm Beach, FL.  Funeral arrangements will be private.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hebrew Senior Life (https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org/giving) or the Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine (https://lunderdineen.org/support-us).

David T. Zussman passed away at his residence in Chestnut Hill surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. He was 90 years old. Born in Boston to the late Irving and Jeannette (Rubin) Zussman. He was a leader and pioneer in residential and commercial real estate. He founded Creative Builders which became Boston Development Group (BDG) in 1956. He was the first to convert apartments into condominiums. He won ten national awards for excellence in design, construction and development. In 1975 Mr. Zussman created First General Realty Corp., a management and leasing company that manages Boston Development Group’s diverse portfolio of buildings. His firm has developed, constructed, marketed and managed apartments, condominiums, offices, hotels, senior communities and retail spaces along the East Coast of the United States from Buffalo, NY to Florida. Mr. Zussman graduated Lawrence Academy and he received his BA in economics from Tufts University. He attended graduate school at NYU School of Business and Harvard University School of Design.
Mr. Zussman served as President of The National Kidney Foundation and served on the Board of Overseers at Tufts University and The Presidents Circle at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He established The Social and Emotional Learning Alliance at the Tisch School at Tufts University. In addition to Dana Farber, his philanthropy included Mass General Hospital and Morse Geriatric in Palm Beach, FL.
He is survived by his beloved wife and best friend of 64 years, Randi (Kliger) Zussman,  his daughters Debbie Peck and her husband David, Jodie Zussman, and Amy Pates and her husband Chris. He is also survived by his grandchildren Alexis, Cole, Jake, Charlie, Lauren, Lindsey, Haley, and his great- grandchildren Skye and Zion. He was the brother of the late Arlene “Sis” Barrow.
Mr. Zussman was a mentor and a friend to many. His legacy will live on to those he touched.
Services will be private. Remembrances in his memory may be made to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284.

Miriam London, age 90, of South Dartmouth, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday, May 2.

Miriam was born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Jenny and Morris Handler. One of 11 children, she remained close to her siblings throughout her life. She was happily married twice. Her first husband was Stanley Gilbert, whose sudden death at 37 left her to raise their three sons alone. Her second husband was District Court Judge Jack London, who died in 1996 after 25 years with Miriam.

She lived a long and active life, and, as her friends and family knew so well, she was remarkably strong. She pushed through tragedies, including the deaths of both parents in the same weekend when she was 15, with courage and determination. She was also armed with a great sense of humor, as well as a solid golf swing. She loved her morning coffee crowd, and her regular dinners with dear friends.

Miriam is survived by three sons, James, David, and Matthew, son-in-law Thomas McNaught, and two step-daughters, Martha Nephew and Joan Orlofsky. She remained close to her devoted –brother-in-law Harvey Mickelson and sisters-in-law Lois Handler and Selma Handler, and many, many loving nieces and nephews.

A service will be held on Tuesday, May 4, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue at 11 a.m. Masks are required. Visiting hours are at Miriam’s home on Tuesday and Wednesday from 3-8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Miriam’s memory may be made to Tifereth Israel Synagogue, c/o the Handler Family Endowment Fund, 145 Brownell Ave., New Bedford, MA 02740.

Susan Frances Cole

Born August 4, 1948

Died May 1, 2021

Wife to David Eisen, principal at Abacus Architects & Planners in Boston. Mother to Ben Eisen, a reporter at The Wall Street Journal in New York. Mother-in-law to Emily Cohn, deputy editor in chief at Insider in New York. Sister to Stuart Cole, a retired ophthalmologist in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

She grew up mainly in Macon, Georgia, the daughter of a school-teacher mother and a bacteriologist father who later opened a local toy store. Her childhood in the Deep South when schools were still segregated sparked her passion for a more just education system.

She moved north to finish college, then became a special education teacher. After getting a law degree, she worked for a nonprofit now known as Massachusetts Advocates for Children, representing kids who had been expelled from the Boston Public Schools. A common theme emerged through her work in the ’90s: Many of the kids experienced trauma outside of school, such as homelessness or domestic abuse, and that impacted their ability to focus in school. Thus began her life’s work trying to make the public school system more attuned to these issues.

In 2004, she started the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative in partnership with Harvard Law School and Massachusetts Advocates for Children. She and her team trained students to handle legal casework related to school expulsions, worked with schools to adopt new practices, pushed for legislative change and published three books on trauma’s impact on education.

Her expertise took her all over the world, speaking to and working with educators about how to make schools sensitive to trauma. Her pioneering work in Massachusetts has gained more national attention recently as legislators and school administrators around the country focus on childhood trauma.

Donations in Susan’s memory may be made to Steven Oliveira, Dean for Development & Alumni Relations, Harvard Law School, 1563 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138. On the memo line please note, “Susan Cole/Trauma & Learning Policy Initiative.” Donations can also be made online at hls.harvard.edu/give Under “Select a Fund” choose “Other” and please type in, “In Memory of Susan Cole/Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative.”

Live stream link to view the graveside for Susan:

https://www.harborview.live

Lois B. Oxman 6/3/39- 4/30/2021

“Mrs. O,” Lois, Mom, “Grandmom,” you touched so many people throughout your life. You were a teacher through and through and that part of you shined through decades of teaching, first as an elementary teacher in Philadelphia and then as a lunch lady, an aide for hearing impaired students and finally as a Special Ed teacher in the Newton Public School System. Your intensive work on political campaigns throughout our childhood impressed upon both of us the importance of being involved in our communities, and the friendships you forged made our small family of 3 feel so much larger. You were a friend and mother figure to even our friends, an amazing mom, and a wonderful grandmom to Jackson, Ethan, Carlos, and Alejandro.

You put so much passion into everything you did, and fought tooth and nail for what you believed in.  You taught us to be strong, independent women, independent thinkers (much to your chagrin at times) and that if we put our mind to it, we can get it done. Thank you, Mom, for your love and guidance, we will love you forever.  Rest in peace now.

Lois leaves behind her two brothers, Marc and Allan, her two daughters Robin and Debbie, her two sons-in-law Daniel and Jim and three of her four grandsons, Jackson, Ethan and Carlos. Ale now has grandmom all to himself.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Stillbrave Childhood Cancer Foundation, 145 Whites Landing Rd., Linden, VA 22642 or The Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation (CNCF), 360 W. Schick Rd., Suite 23, #211, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 or Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, 111 Presidential Blvd., Suite 203, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.

SLADE, Herbert Lewis, April 29, 2021.  Beloved husband of Carol.  Devoted father of Frederic (Janet), Lawrence and Audrey (John) and proud grandfather of Alexander (Rachel), Lesley (Brett) and James.

Services are private.  Donations in his memory may be made to the charity of your choice.

Barry Steinberg of Boston, MA, passed away after a long battle with prostate cancer on April 27th, 2021. He was 75 years old.

Barry was born in Port Chester, NY in 1945 to Pearl and Meyer Steinberg. He graduated Port Chester High in 1963 and completed two years of college before being drafted into the Army, serving in Thailand during the Vietnam conflict. After his service,  Barry began a lifelong career in the auto business, initially working for Duddy Kravitz at Duddy’s Tire. In 1974, he partnered with his friend, Albee Stone, founding Direct Tire and Auto Service in Watertown. After six months he bought Albee’s share and they remained lifelong friends. Barry went on to build one of the most well-known businesses in the Boston area, specializing in high-end custom wheels and winning over customers with great service, echoing his father’s motto: “the customer is always right.”  Direct Tire grew to five locations, earning the distinction of receiving the first-ever “Tire Dealer of the Year” by Modern Tire Dealer Magazine, and made Inc. Magazine’s list of “26 Most Interesting Entrepreneurs” for helping to initiate the National Retail Tire Network, a trade group that turned competitors into peers. An advocate for the small business community, Barry helped drive the “Right to Repair Act” into law.

In the 80’s, Barry’s clever marketing phrases, “We’ll Fix It So It Brakes” and “We’ll Brake, Shock & Exhaust You” became hallmarks on Mass Pike billboards. Anyone listening to the radio in Boston was familiar with Barry’s trademark voice touting ads for “Dye-Rect Tire”. Barry broke the mold by working with the Department of Corrections Work Release Program, giving former inmates a chance at employment and livelihood. He was a strong believer in mentoring and training young men and women, folding them into his Direct Tire family, which earned him fierce loyalty over four decades. Many of his friends’ kids got their first job at Direct Tire, including his own three sons.

Support for the community was also close to Barry’s heart. He spearheaded charitable drives for the Boston Food Bank, the Jimmy Fund, Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as Watertown High Robotics Team and Peabody Little League. Barry was a well-known fixture in the Boston area, rarely going out on the town without running into a customer or friend. Barry was the person you called when you were in a jam or just needed advice. He was a hero to his four kids, and it wasn’t just because he doled out free ski lift and concert tickets. He always put everyone else’s needs before his own. Barry had a great sense of humor, and even as a child, he loved entertaining people and making them laugh. He was always a gentleman and positive role model. Up until the end, he maintained a positive outlook on life.

Barry’s greatest passion was his family.  During the blizzard of ‘78, Barry met his beloved wife and best friend, Penny, sparking a 41-year marriage that was the epitome of a joyful, loving, respectful relationship. They shared a love of travel, fine dining (always sitting at the bar!) and a blended family that included his two children – Jason and Matthew and Penny’s – Dan and Sara.  When the grandkids came along, they stole Barry’s heart.  His most treasured moments were time spent with Miranda, Gabriel, Isabella, Claire, Noah, and Logan at the family lake house in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Swimming, boating, fishing, treehouse building — so many great times over the years. Barry’s happy place was driving his boat at top speed on Thorndike Pond. Then he would cut the motor, sit back with a martini, and watch the sun set behind Mt. Monadnock.

Barry is survived by his wife, four children, and six grandchildren.

Due to Covid, graveside service and burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Barry’s memory may be made to Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln or Dana Farber Cancer Institute.