Obituaries

Edward Sternfield-Of Newton,October 11, 2020. Services are private.

Leon Parkin-Of  Maynard, MA, on October 10,2020.Private graveside services were held on October 13, 2020.

of Canton, MA, Stoughton, MA, formerly of Randolph, MA, passed away on October 7, 2020. Beloved husband of Joan (Jacobs) Brown. Devoted father of Ellen Brown-Schwanke and her husband Todd, and Robert Brown and his wife Marci Wendroff Klein. Proud grandfather of Leah Schwanke, Lexi, and Haley Brown. Dear step grandfather of Melanie and Kelli Klein. Loving brother of the late Abraham, Calvin, Sylvia, Ruth, and Dorothy Brown. Loving uncle to many nieces, nephews, and greats. Private funeral services will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lenny’s memory may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, MA/RI Chapter, 220 N. Main St., #104, Natick, MA 01760.

Annette Zimmerman Singer-Of Brookline,Age 101.Born in Baltimore, MD, she was a graduate of Eastern High School class of 1935, just prior to her sixteenth birthday; and she graduated from the Maryland Institute of Art in 1938.She was the first civilian woman staff photographer at the Holabird Signal Depot in Baltimore during World War II.In 1976, she moved to Florida with her husband Milton Singer, who died in 1988.Annette worked at and enjoyed art for all of her life. Her art was exhibited in numerous juried shows, including the Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland Federation of Art Gallery in Annapolis, and the Norton and Flagler Museums in Florida.In 2004, she left Florida for Massachusetts to settle near her beloved children.She was a member of the National League of American Pen Women, the Newton Art Association, the Needham Art Association, and she was a life member of Hadassah.She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Ginger and Dan Kenney of Corte Madera, CA; a son and daughter-in-law, Neil and Rhonda Singer of Lexington, MA; four grandchildren: Adam Kenney, Margot Kenney, Rebecca Lewis, and Morris Singer, and spouses; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Pauline Chapin of Baltimore, MD.

Shirley Richie Robinson born in Detroit, MI October 6, 1924 died peacefully at home on October 1, 2020 surrounded by her loving family in Brookline, MA. She was a teacher, a learner, a good friend to many. She leaves behind her husband of 72 years, Berol Robinson, her children David Robinson, Judith Robinson Levine (Daniel) and Joanne Robinson (Alan Adamsky), her grandchildren: Ben (Laurie), Hephzibah, Keziah, Hannah, Nat (Ali), Sarah Levine Woodard (Chadwick), Amy Levine (Jamie Schuster), Rachel and Naomi Adamsky. Her great-grandchildren Chaya, Ziva and Ada Robinson. She is mourned by her family, friends and the whole House of Israel.

Affectionately known to friends and family as Geri or Gigi, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones on October 6, 2020. Beloved wife of the late Samuel Gerson, she is survived by her 3 daughters, Dana Unger and her husband Jeffrey, Michelle Wartell and her husband Robert, and Jill Mark. Also survived by 5 grandchildren, Grayce, Spencer, Sammy, Lily, and Finn, her sister-in-law, Wendy Cheever, and her niece, Andrea Sklar. The family will be holding a private graveside burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., SW120, Boston, MA 02215. https://fs2.formsite.com/0Cm5y0/form1/index.html

Sandy Noymer, 89, of Newton, passed away peacefully September 28, 2020. Beloved wife of the late Bernie Noymer and sister of Judy Walker. Caring mother of Ruth Budelmann & Sam Silverman, James Noymer, Karen Noymer, and Michael Noymer & his wife Carol. Loving grandma of Jason Budelmann & his wife Cecile, Leah Budelmann, Jennifer Noymer & Craig McLaughlin, Greg Noymer & his wife Lindsay, Nicole Sprenger, Alexandra Noymer, and Sydney Noymer. Also survived by four great-grandchildren. In addition to her family she enjoyed many years with her late friend Joe. Sandy had a life-long commitment to teaching. She taught in both Framingham and Dover-Sherborn as a reading specialist. After retiring, Sandy was a dedicated volunteer and continued to tutor well into her eighties. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Tippett Hospice Home, 920 South St., Needham, MA 02492, or to the charity of your choice. Due to COVID restrictions, burial and shiva will be private.

Bernard Berkman, age 89, loving husband, devoted father of 4, grandfather of 10, successful businessman and philanthropist, passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer on September 25, 2020 at his home in Newton surrounded by three generations of his loving family.

Bernard George Berkman was born in Roxbury and lived as an adult in Brookline, Wellesley, Newton, and in Florida near Sarasota.  He attended public schools in Roxbury and Cambridge until asthma and an independent streak brought him to Arizona for middle school and high school and then Florida to attend the Admiral Farragut Academy.

He acquired his interest in business from his father, Samuel R. Berkman, a successful businessman in his own right, who offered his son opportunities to meet interesting and famous people like the heavy weight champion boxers Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey. He honed his natural entrepreneurial acumen at Babson College (where he remained as a Trustee Emeritus).

Strong-willed, whip smart, confident, persistent, with an abiding fairness and good humor, along with a strong sense of loyalty to friends and family, Bernard struck out on his own in his twenties, like a man on a mission. Confident in his vision and skill, he pursued several areas of commerce over a very successful and diverse 70 year career including Schrafft Candies, liquor sales and distribution, real estate sales/financing, health care and nursing home ownership/management, property management, venture capital, and perhaps most prominently investment finance – most of which ran through Bernard G. Berkman Associates based in Brookline.

A devoted father and husband, whose fervent wish was to support, encourage, take care, and guide his children and their children.  His family was his whole world.  He planned several family trips and cruises, generously creating time and space away together for family memories and to help its members build bonds that will last forever. He was often heard to encourage his children and their spouses to “take care of each other” and to lovingly admonish “may your tribes increase.”

He often shared his wisdom about life and business.  Regaling listeners with stories – amazing tales of investments that through some wonderful alchemy of intelligence, knowledge, and foresight, that  yielded healthy returns and lasting relationships. Patient but smart and diverse capital were his watch words, surpassed only by his motto:  early to bed early to rise, work like hell and amortize.

A true mensch, he was also committed to Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, through his compassion and philanthropy.  Among many other causes, he supported the efforts of low-income young people to pursue high school and college education, he supported the arts and medical science, and he helped young Israelis to learn how to play tennis and succeed in school through support for the Israeli Tennis Center.

He leaves his loving and devoted wife Nancy of Newton, MA; his daughter Debra Berkman of Westford; his son Robert Berkman and daughter-in-law Hilde Berkman of Wellesley; his daughter Linda Diamond and his son-in-law Joseph Diamond of Westford, MA; his daughter Jennifer Berkman of Newton; his grandchildren Stefanie Sparrow and her husband Steve Varney of Chelmsford, Shayna Sparrow of Cambridge and her husband Nick Aguilera, Lauren Berkman of New York City, Barrick Berkman of Scottsdale, AZ, Lindsey Berkman of Apache Junction, AZ, Sydney Diamond and her husband David Edwards of Burlington, VT, Ellie Diamond of Burlington, VT, and Samantha, Carly, and Talia Saada of Newton, MA.  Bernard also leaves his beloved havenese dog Karma who helped Nancy through her battle with cancer and comforted Bernard over these past difficult days. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bernard Berkman’s memory to: The Mass General Cancer Center MGH Cancer Center At Newton-Wellesley Hospital www.giving.massgeneral.org ,MGH Development Office, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 54, Boston, MA  02114 ,The Babson College Fund www.givecampus.com , or The Israeli Tennis Center www.itecenters.org.

SALWEN, Howard Telecom Titan, co-inventor of the internet router Howard Salwen died on Friday, September 25th of complications from Alzheimers at Rogerson House in Boston. He was born in New York in 1937, son of Norman and Hannah (Bernstein) Salwen. He was a graduate of the Horace Mann School and received bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in engineering from MIT. He was widely considered to be “the father of the token ring,” an early internet router technology, which evolved into founding his company, Proteon, where he was Chairman and CEO and took public in 1992. After ethernet technology became the standard, Howard went on to become CEO and Chairman of Telco systems, Chairman of Ultranet, Chairman of Scaleable Display, and a board member at Marathon Technologies as well as many other technology companies. Howard was a major force in Massachusetts’ then burgeoning telecom industry and became Chairman of the Mass Telecom Council in 1995, where he worked on Net Day, the effort to computerize and connect all the state’s schools to the internet. He also worked nationally to set standards for the telecom industry. Always ready to share his knowledge, he preferred making his points by telling stories, simplifying sometimes very complex ideas. He lectured, wrote and presented white papers all over the world for the IEEE. A music lover and gifted piano player, he served on the board of the Celebrity Series of Boston for many years. Other philanthropic board service included the American Technion Society, the DeCordova Museum, and MIT’s class of 1958, for which he served as Treasurer. He was known for his colorful bow ties and his big smile He was always ready to share his knowledge and mentored countless young MIT grads on their start-ups. He loved to race his Porsche and play tennis. He was an avid skier at his second home in Jackson Hole, where he took great pleasure in showing friends around the mountain. He is survived by his wife, Sheryl Resnick Marshall; his son David Salwen and his wife Barrett Tilney of Washington D.C.; his daughter Andrea Salwen Kopel and her husband Ed Kopel of New York; step daughter Dana Fisher and her husband Matt Fisher of New York; his grandchildren Madeleine and Camilla Salwen, and Ruby Salwen Kopel; his stepgrandchildren Keaton and Ezra Fisher; his sister Joan Salwen Fields of New York and brother-in-law Jay Lief of New York. The family is grateful to everyone at Rogerson House and his longtime caregivers, Lilian Assuncao and Juan Gonzalez. Donations in his memory may be made to the American Technion Society, Celebrity Series of Boston, or the Alzheimer’s Association. Funeral services were held.

of Boston, formerly of Newton, passed away peacefully September 24, 2020. Beloved wife of the late Melvin Adelson. Loving mother of Merle Adelson and her partner Paul Freedman, and the late Frederic Adelson. The family gratefully thanks Valerie Webbe for her loving care of Henriette in her final years. Henriette will be remembered for her love of family, food, and great wit. There will be a private service at Sharon Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Mass General Hospital, c/o Geriatric Department, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114.