Obituaries

Peter Zimmerman, of Hudson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 20, 2025. He was born on a chilly Boston January day in 1940, the son of the late Joe and Evelyn (Teperow) Zimmerman.

Peter met the love of his life, Ellen Shafran, on a blind date in 1964. The two were married in June of 1965 and went on to share more than six decades together. Peter was a proud graduate of both the undergraduate and law programs at Boston University. During his final year in law school, Peter became one of the original Roxbury Defenders.

Peter and Ellen raised their two children, Susan (Olshanski) and Michael Zimmerman, in Framingham. A devoted father, he welcomed his children’s friends with open arms and a “funny” joke, making their home the neighborhood gathering place. He was always present at Susan’s field hockey games, and never far from the sidelines of Michael’s soccer games and countless tennis matches.  When Susan married her husband, David and Michael married his wife, Ali, Peter instantly felt like he gained two amazing new children.  He cherished his role as “Zaydie” to his four grandchildren—George, Rachel, Stella, and Gordon—who brought him endless joy.

Peter shared a lifelong closeness with his brother Paul, Paul’s wife Barbara, and their children, Eric and Robin. They traveled together, celebrated holidays side by side, and helped raise each other’s families.

Growing up in a close-knit neighborhood in Mattapan, Peter cultivated his lifelong passion for Boston sports. As a boy, he snuck into Boston Braves games before their move to Milwaukee, and he later became a diehard Red Sox fan. He was an original season ticket holder of the Boston Patriots and, according to family lore, co-created the legendary Celtics “Beat LA” chant.

Peter found joy and companionship on the golf course, where he spent countless cherished hours. As a longtime member of Nashawtuc Country Club, he deeply valued the enduring friendships and camaraderie that grew from years of play.

A graveside service will be held at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon, MA on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 12:45 p.m.

The family will be sitting Shiva on Thursday from 6pm-8pm and Friday from 10am-3pm at the Landing at Sauta Farms, located between 20 and 22 Hummock Way, Hudson, MA.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Peter’s memory may be made to: Better Day, 195 Reservoir St., Marlborough, MA 01752 and/or Good Shepherd Community Care, 160 Wells Ave., Newton, MA  02459

Linda Scheib of Newton, MA. passed away September 17, 2025. Beloved wife of Marc Bloom. Dear sister of Alan Scheib.

Graveside funeral service at Beit Olam East Cemetery, 42 Concord Rd., Wayland, MA on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The GroundTruth Project, 68 Harrison Ave., Ste 605, PMB 46837, Boston, MA 02111, or the ACLU, 1 Center Plaza, Ste 800, Boston, MA 02108.

Richard Allen Gilman of Weston, MA passed away on September 16, 2025 after a valiant battle with Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinson’s Dementia.

Richard was born on November 27, 1940, and grew up in Malden on Essex Street with his parents, Edward and Ruth, as well as his older sisters, Phyllis and Beverly. He loved to regale his children with fond stories from his youth. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, and eventually earned his Doctorate from Boston University.

Richard was a life-long educator. He spent most of his career teaching 8th grade English and serving as team leader at the Clarke Middle School in Lexington, MA. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Massachusetts Department of Education where he met Bob Watson, with whom he formed a close friendship that they both cherished.

However, Richard’s passion for educating spanned much farther than the walls of the classroom. He loved teaching his children and grandchildren new things every chance he could. Whether it was pushing them the find the etymology of a common expression at the dinner table, or quizzing them on their math facts, Richard created a sense of inquisitiveness and passion for knowledge within his family.

Richard fiercely loved his family, Judaism, the Red Sox, the Celtics, music, puns, and good books. In his later years, he adored walking up the street to visit his friends and the horses at Beechwood Stables. He also became an accomplished watercolor painter in retirement.

Richard had boundless love for his wife of 60 years, Barbara Brenner Gilman, whom he leaves behind. He is also survived by his sister Phyllis Magerer, his children and their spouses, Joshua (Wendy) Gilman and Rebecca (Bob) Scott, and his three grandchildren whom he adored, Nate Scott and Courtney and Bryce Gilman. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Beverly Sidel, and his daughter Candice Brenner Gilman.

A service celebrating Richard’s life will be on Friday, September 19 at 11:00 am, at Congregation Or Atid in Wayland, MA. Burial will occur in Lindwood Memorial Park in Randolph, MA directly following the funeral. Shiva will be observed Friday after interment and Sunday from 2-4 pm at Richard’s former residence.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations are made in Richard’s memory to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY, 10163-4777 (on-line at Michaeljfox.org), to Congregation Or Atid, 97 Concord Road, Wayland, MA, 01778, or a charity of your choice.

Toby Frances Ulman Grandberg, 81, of Sharon, MA, passed away peacefully on September 15^th, while surrounded by her loving family.

Toby was born on February 20, 1944, to the late Eli and Pearl Carpenter Ulman in Canton, MA, where she grew up, and then pursued her dental hygiene certification at the Fones School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT. Toby was married to her beloved husband, Martin, for almost 57 years, and they created a beautiful family and life together. Toby was a devoted mother to Harris Grandberg and his wife, Elana, and to Rachel Grandberg Weinstein and her husband, Shad. She was the cherished Bubbe of Isabella and Sarah Weinstein, and Jeremiah Grandberg.

Toby is a past president of Sharon-Stoughton Hadassah and has also been very involved with Temple Israel in Sharon, MA.  She is a past president of the South Shore Dental Hygienist Association. She loved bringing people together and being part of these special communities. Toby gave so much to her friends and family, always putting others before herself. She was a constant source of strength, warmth, and kindness, a role model for what it means to offer unconditional love and support. She was so generous to everyone she met, and her presence made others feel seen, valued, and loved. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion and grace that will continue to inspire those who knew her.

Toby is survived by her husband, Martin, her son Harris and his wife Elana, her daughter Rachel and her husband Shad, and her grandchildren Isabella, Sarah, and Jeremiah.  She is also survived by her sister Debra and her husband Eric Zornberg and her nieces, Elana and Delia Zornberg, and Pamela Eaton and her nephew Jeffrey Kerner.  She was predeceased by her sister, Roberta Kerner.

The funeral will be held on Wednesday, September 17^th, at 11:30 am at Temple Israel, 125 Pond Street, Sharon, MA 02067. Burial to follow at Sharon Memorial Park, 120 Canton Street, Sharon, MA.

Livestream access will be available here: www.tisharon.org/livestream

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Temple Israel, 125 Pond Street, Sharon, MA, or Hadassah.

George Farkas, 88, of Newton, MA.

Né Jorge, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Elizabeth and Zoltan Farkas. He grew up in Las Pampas, in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. George was an accomplished graduate of the Buenos Aires Yeshiva Academy and later received his Baccalaureate at the University of Buenos Aires in Electrical Engineering. George and his wife emigrated to Massachusetts in 1969, where he attended Northeastern University for a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and Babson College for an MBA. From 1980-2015 George worked as a Communications Engineer within Global ASNT and MSI, part of the Air Force communications network.

George is survived by his wife Claire, sister Norma, daughter Valerie, son Eric, grandchildren Gabriella and Samantha, and sons-in-laws Mark Pirri and Viktor Horvath.

The funeral will be held at Temple Emanuel in Newton, Sunday, September 14th at 1pm.  Burial to follow at Mishkan Tefila Memorial Park at 2605 Centre Street, West Roxbury.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Magen David Adom

Israel’s Emergency Services System.

To view the live stream service, please click here.

Lois Lee Kretzer Solomon of Brookline, MA, passed away peacefully on September 11, 2025. Born in 1943 in New York City to the late Syde (Sarah) and Sol Kretzer, Lois spent her early years in the city before her family moved south to Mobile, Alabama, when she was 12. She later said it was “like moving to Mars.”

She began college at the University of Alabama and graduated with a BS in Education from University of Illinois. Shortly after graduating from Illinois, Lois reunited with an old boyfriend from Camp Blue Star summer camp, Harold Solomon of Savannah, Georgia, who was finishing medical school at the University of Georgia. They were married in Augusta, on the weekend of the Masters golf tournament, in 1965. They settled in Boston and despite later divorcing, Lois made Greater Boston her home for 56 years.

Lois’s impressive career in Human Resources and Training & Development spanned decades and included such business powerhouses as Polaroid, Wang Laboratories, and Tyco International. She was also dedicated to lifelong learning, earning a master’s in education degree from Harvard in 1980 and an executive MBA from Babson College in 1985. Her first love, however, was for art and culture, and that led to her favorite and final role of her career, as the Head of Lectures and Courses at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

What made Lois special was her enduring beauty, endless curiosity and energy, sense of adventure, and her propensity to have fun. She traveled the world and made art and music central in her life, inspiring her children and grandchildren to do the same. She was a voracious reader and loved going to the movies with friends. Her travels took her to all corners of the globe, including her final international trip to see the famed Vermeer exhibit in Amsterdam in 2023.

Lois’s life was indelibly enriched by the hundreds of friends she made, notably her 40+-year-old Chavurah and her book club of 36 years. She had a gift for bringing people together, introducing many couples to each other and forming affinity groups – all while making countless lifelong friends along the way. Many of Lois’s friends and family recall having long conversations with her and benefiting from her life-altering advice.

She was a remarkable lady of beauty, charm, grace, and intelligence. All of us who knew and loved her were blessed and positively impacted by her presence.

Lois is survived by her children, Lara Cohen of Wellesley and her husband Craig Cohen; and Jeremy Solomon of Medfield and his wife Michelle Solomon; and her six grandchildren Dara Cohen of Somerville, Morgan Cohen of Quincy, Sadie Cohen of Wellesley; Maxwell Solomon, JJ Solomon, and Mason Solomon of Medfield; and her sister Barbara “Babs” Feibelman and brother-in-law Jef Feibelman of Memphis, TN and their children. She is also survived by countless friends, many of whom were like family.

Memorial service will be held at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA on Friday, September 19, 2025 at 10:00 am with shiva at temple immediately following until 12:45pm. Her friends and family knew her many passions; in lieu of flowers please make a donation in her honor to the charity of your choice.

To view the livestream of the service, please click here.

Courtney Elizabeth Stano, age 48, of Bow, NH, died peacefully on September 11th, while surrounded by her loving family.

Courtney was the beautiful daughter of Sue and Mark Misselbeck and the loving wife of Matthew Stano. She leaves her uncle, Frank Rudnick, her parents-in-law, Mary Lou and Tom Stano, cousins, and many loyal and loving friends.

Courtney graduated from Watertown High School in Watertown, CT, in 1994. She graduated from Bentley University in 1998 with a degree in Marketing.  Inspired by her own personal experiences, she subsequently returned to school to earn her RN in Nursing and was a dedicated nurse in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at noon at Temple Israel of Boston.  A Shiva will follow at the Temple. There will be parking on the Riverway.

Donations can be made to organizations supporting organ donation, a cause very close to Courtney’s heart and of which she was a fierce champion.

A Link to view the livestream funeral service can be found here.

Phyllis S Sage, age 96 passed away on September 10, 2025. Born October 12, 1928, in Waltham MA to the late Abraham Caplan and Lottie (Lubarsky) Caplan, Phyllis was married to her beloved husband Robert Sage for 76 years. Phyllis is survived by her husband Bob, the love of her life and their three great children and spouses Marjorie and Mitchell Muroff, William and Marci Sage, and Jane Rosenthal and her companion David Welton. Phyllis had seven beautiful grandchildren, Zachary Muroff and his wife Sarah, Brandon Muroff, Whitney Muroff, Alissa and her husband Joey Sherman, Shayna and her husband Ethan Selinger, Jennifer Rosenthal, Samantha and her husband Ryan Kelly. She also had four great grandchildren, Harrison, Madeline, Leia, and Jackson. She is also survived by her nieces Carol Cushner, Joyce Caplan, Martha Eisen, Marcy Prager, her nephews Mark Sage, Brad Sage, Michael Sage, Richard Sage, her brother-in-law Norman Sagansky and her sisters in law Fredda Sage and Priscilla Kay. She was pre-deceased by her sister-in-law Marilyn Riseman, her brother-in-law Burton Sage and her niece Linda Mills. Phyllis was the beloved sister of her deceased brothers, Sam (18 years older), Pat (15 years older) and her sister Sylvia (10 years older). Phyllis was the baby sister.

The Early Years

The Caplans were a very close family and Friday night dinners were a special occasion. Phyllis herself was a very elegant and loving young lady. She had a great sense of style and often would accompany her mother to various clothing stores in Waltham and Boston. She had a penchant for meeting and making many friends at Waltham High School, where she was a drum majorette and voted Best Dressed Student of her graduation class. She attended Mount lda College where again she was voted Best Dressed Student of her graduation class.

Love at first sight

Phyllis met Bob on the beach in Nantasket during the summer of 1947. This was the beginning of what would be a long and loving life together. After being discharged from the Army, Bob attended Colby College. But wanting to spend more time with Phyllis, he began taking more classes at Harvard during the summer. With the additional courses Bob was able to graduate in three years and married Phyllis after his graduation from Colby. In June of 2024, they celebrated 75 years of marriage at the Belmont Country Club with family and friends.

Travel, sports, and fun

Phyllis lived up to her reputation of being a woman of style, and elegance. She and Bob were inseparable and they did most of everything together, living, laughing, and shopping in the Boston area and in Palm Beach Florida where they enjoyed their winter home. They traveled together for business and pleasure, attended Jazz concerts. and loved going to sporting events. They enjoyed going on cruises with friends and visited many countries including Israel, England, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Bermuda, St Martin, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. On one of her more memorable trips, she celebrated a birthday in Venice with their travel friends. They also attended hundreds of sporting events and had season tickets with premium seats including for the Boston Bruins (behind the Bruins bench), Celtics (center court), and the Patriots (45-yard line). But her favorite seats were those they enjoyed sitting only 6 rows behind the Red Sox dugout for over 50 years at Fenway Park.

A Beautiful Soul

There are not enough words to describe how much Phyllis was loved by her family and friends. She was soft-spoken, kept herself in good health and good shape. and hardly ever yelled or complained, even though her health began to decline in her later years with arthritis and macular degeneration. She had a fulfilling life and always maintained that beautiful smile. Together with her husband Bob, they donated much of their time and money to numerous charities, and made donations to hospitals, college, medical organizations, and various other institutions throughout their lives.

Funeral Service at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA (parking on the Riverway), on Friday, September 12, 2025 at 12:30pm. Interment to follow at Sharon Memorial Park. Memorial Observance will be held at the Great Meadow Hall at Newbridge on the Charles, 5000 Great Meadow Rd., Dedham, MA, following interment, and on Sunday, Sept 14, 2025, 11 am – 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Phyllis’ memory may be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Ctr., 330 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215.

Michael Hart of Easton passed away peacefully on September 3 after a brief illness. He was 81.

Beloved husband of 58 years to Eileen (Bernstein) Hart, Michael was a devoted father to Matthew Hart and his wife Lisa, David Hart and his wife Melissa Ackerman Hart, Stacey Hart and her partner Mikk Barinov.He was the cherished grandfather of Lexi, Ruby, and Sam Hart. He was predeceased by his sister, Mildred (Hart) Quint.

Born and raised in Boston, Michael earned both his B.S. and M.Ed. from Boston State College. He began his career as a teacher in Quincy, where he taught for 12 years before transitioning into nonprofit leadership. For 28 years, he served as executive director of Congregation Mishkan Tefilah in Chestnut Hill, where he was deeply respected by colleagues and congregants alike.

Michael found joy in simple pleasures—time with family and friends, traveling, cheering for the Red Sox, and watching the sunset from his patio in Panama. His kindness, humor, and unwavering love for those around him will be remembered always.

Graveside service, Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 1 pm at Mishkan Tefilah Memorial Park, 2605 Centre St., West Roxbury.

Shiva at the Hart residence following interment through Wednesday.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice in Michael’s memory.

To view the funeral service recording, click here.

Nechama Suconick Myrvaagnes, known to most as Naomi, was a poet, feminist, violinist, and student of Torah and of movement. 

She was born in Central City Philadelphia, and made lifelong friends at the Akiba school and through her violin teacher. She obtained a PhD in Old English literature, but her heart was more drawn to creative writing. She was especially glad to have a chance to tutor and to teach poetry in public schools as a visiting teacher. She was a scholar in the Brandeis Women’s Studies program and helped create the visiting scholars program.  

She also supported and curated her husband Eric‘s photography, and her son’s many creative projects.  She touched the lives of many friends over many years as well. 

In her last days, she wrote about the value of Hesed, of simple caring. A heart that doesn’t know the rules but simply operates from love, as exemplified by Rivka watering Isaac’s camels. 

She wrote:

Rifka saw, and Rivka acted.  Rivka was impelled forward by the simple motion of her heart.  She is known as the embodiment of Hesed, the loving-kindness that one could say redeems our world.  It is pure, spontaneous, instantaneous.

In her last week, she let go of giving priority to external measures of whether her poems were worthy of publication, and simply shared what she had to share. And that is how she wanted to be remembered. 

She is predeceased by her father Motel Suconick and her mother Estamalka Suconick, and is survived by her husband, Eric Myrvaagnes, and her son Joshua Myrvaagnes, born Yoho.

Services Friday, September 5, 2025 at 10 AM at Shir Hadash, 1310 Centre St., Newton, MA.  Interment to follow at Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, 350 Grove St., West Roxbury.