Obituaries

Lila Goldstein passed away on May 4th at the age of 92. She was a creative, sharp, hilarious woman with a generous heart. She was a book brimming with life, filled with stories, and memories. Her children and her grandchildren were her absolute greatest pride and joy until her last day.

Lila was consumed by her love for adventure, her love of family, and by the pride of the legend she left behind which exists in each of us that carry the Goldstein, White, Theriault, and Macklin names.

Known as Nana to her grandchildren, Lila was a spitfire. A timeless comedienne who served as President of her own country. She was born and raised in New York City. Her parents, Harry and Sarah Sherry, emigrated from Russia and sold linens at their modest shop in the Bronx. They taught her patience, hard work, and Jewish values which she carried with her throughout her life and passed on to her children and grandchildren. Her prowess as a teacher, artist, life-long learner, adventurer, and grandmother showed us how important laughter is in a world plagued by divisive politics, societal inequities, and international conflict. She consumed knowledge at an incredible rate for a woman 92 years young – loving her news channels, but most of all, her exclusive time with Lester Holt as he hosted the evening news.

Lila knew the importance of travel and cultural immersion and spent every opportunity encouraging her family to explore – nurturing a curiosity for life within each of us. She was brave and fearless. And she instilled those same qualities in those closest to her.

She attended Brandeis University and Hunter College to become an elementary school teacher, later putting her skills to use teaching English as a second language and at Jewish religious schools where she made life-changing impacts on young lives. She created a prolific collection of beautiful paintings that are exhibited in the homes of friends and family across the globe. They fill us with pride and they will live on in her honor.

Lila is predeceased by her devoted husband of 47 years, Dr. Harold M. Goldstein and her sister Miriam Blaustein. She is survived by her four children – Debora (Peter), Mark (Amy), Seth (Genalin), and Michelle (Matthew), her nine grandchildren – Hallie (Michael), Kayla, Noah, Sam, Rachel, Michael, Kelly (Adam), Jessica, and Brendan, and her great granddaughter, Gayle. She touched the lives of our family, friends, and strangers as she even recently rolled up to any location in her wheelchair, whether it be her favorite cafe, opera or dialysis, dressed to the nines and exuding confidence and charm. Thank you to all of Nana Lila’s care takers, drivers, physical therapists and doctors – “Team Lila” – for keeping her comfortable and nurtured, and for extending her life so we could enjoy her eternal optimism. We are forever grateful to you: Rita, Joyce, Sophia, Dawn, Gurzel, Diana, Donavan, Rosie, Joe, Gerard, Tina and Dr. Ronald Goldin.

Lila’s funeral will be at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Rd, Wellesley, MA at 10:30am Friday, May 9th. Burial will then be at Westview Cemetery, 520 Bedford St, Lexington, MA.  After the burial from 1:30-4:00pm friends are invited to join the family for an informal lunch and Shiva at the home of Debora and Peter White.  We also invite Shiva visitors on Saturday May 10th from 5:00-8:00pm. Lila was an incredible woman who will live forever in our hearts.

Donations in memory of Lila Goldstein may be made to Wellesley A better Chance.

Aviel Klausner, April 26, 2025, beloved husband, father, brother, son, uncle, cousin and friend, and Distinguished Systems Developer at InterSystems, died early Saturday morning while folk dancing. Born in Israel in 1956 to a loving family and kind and brilliant parents Yehudah z”l and Yocheved, he was instilled with a deep love of learning and of his Jewish heritage, overflowing kindness, and a desire to connect with people. He had an intellectual and curious mind, and a sweetness and purity of heart with which he approached all things throughout his life. Aviel grew up and spent his time between Israel and the U.S., living a child in Princeton, New Jersey and Detroit where his father studied and worked as a professor. The family returned to Be’er Sheva, their home in the Negev desert, where Aviel attended Ben Gurion university after serving in the Israel Defense Force. He later moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where he received his PhD in computer science from Harvard. There he fell in love with and married his cherished wife Andrea, whom he endlessly adored, who was pursuing her master’s degree in education at Harvard. In the Boston area Aviel also fell in love with the Harvard Hillel community, the Israeli folk dancing community, and his job and colleagues at InterSystems, where he held the most senior developer position in the company, and always looked forward his work, which continued to stimulate him for over 38 years. In 1990, Aviel moved back to his hometown of Be’er Sheva with his wife and children, where he lived a short walk away from his parents and enjoyed being able to spend more time with his three brothers, David, Meir, and Moshe, his nieces and nephews, and extended family. Upon returning to Boston in 1996, Aviel built a warm and loving home in Newton with Andrea and their three children, Zak, Yael, and Ben, and became a beloved fixture in the Newton Center Minyan (now Walnut Street Minyan) community, as well as in the Israeli folk dancing community. Aviel died while folk dancing, an activity that he loved passionately. Aviel engaged in every activity he did with deep enthusiasm and a childlike delight and curiosity; he was endlessly optimistic, giving and loving unconditionally. Avi filled each moment of his life with people and pursuits that brought him delight and so much joy, everything from Torah study and communal prayer, celebration of holiday traditions, family dinners and time spent time with his beloved wife and children, helping friends and community members without hesitation, playing with and embracing babies and young children, writing code and connecting with colleagues, participating in the annual Walk for Hunger (which he completed over 24 times), treasure-hunting at yard sales, editing Wikipedia articles, dancing multiple nights a week, doing yoga, tending to his plants and spending time in nature, telling jokes, solving puzzles, or enjoying good scotch or a cup of coffee. His sudden loss is felt immensely by his family and the countless people and communities he touched. Immense too is the gratitude, honor and love felt by those who had the privilege of knowing this kind, unique and joyful soul.

Funeral Service will be held 11 am, Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at the Walnut Street Minyan, 858 Walnut St., Newton, MA. Burial will follow at Independent Pride of Boston, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, MA.

Shiva minyanim will be at the Klausner home, 90 Westminster Road, Newton Centre at the following times:

Wednesday: Mincha/Maariv 7:30 pm

Thursday Shacharit 7:15 am and Mincha/Maariv 7:30 pm

Friday: Shacharit 7:30 am

Sunday: Shacharit 8:30 am and Mincha/Maariv 7:30 pm

Monday: Shacharit 7:15 am and Mincha/Maariv 7:30 pm

Tuesday: Shacharit 7:30 am

Visiting hours during the week are from the end of Shacharit until 3 pm and from 6:30 pm until after Maariv.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Walnut Street Minyan Tzedakah Fund

Edward William Jay, Jr. of Brookline, Massachusetts, died at home on April 29, 2025 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s. Loving and beloved husband of Heidi (Shuman) Jay. Adoring and adored father of Samantha (Jay) Crane and husband Nick of Delray Beach, FL, and Molly Jay and husband Kyle of Brookline, MA. Doting grandfather (Crummy) of River Jay.

We will always remember Ed and his razor sharp wit, singing and dancing throughout the house with the kindest smile, and making us laugh with the smartest dumb jokes we’ve ever heard.

Funeral services were private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research. To honor Ed, please vote Democrat.

It is with shattered hearts that we say goodbye to Florence Wiener, 93, of Needham, MA. Preceded in death just one year ago by her husband of 64 years, Herbie Wiener, Florence is survived by her daughters Michele Sharaf and Beth Wiener, her grandsons Benjamin and Daniel Sharaf and her brother, Marvin Weinstein.

Florence lost a short battle with complications associated with Leukemia just two days after the first anniversary of her beloved Herbie’s death. Florence was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter and aunt.

Her grandsons, in particular, were a great source of  her pride and joy. But she was more than a doting grandmother, she was the family’s matriarch in every sense of the word. Omniscient and omnipotent, Florence was the conductor who made beautiful music out of cacophony, the captain who calmed troubled seas and the bright light that illuminated otherwise treacherous roads ahead.

A Holocaust survivor, Florence came to the United States after WWII in 1947 with her father and brother. After surviving the murder of her mother and grandparents at the hand of the Nazis and the horrors of living in the forests of Belarus for five years, Florence was not deterred.

While looking after her father and brother, she managed to teach herself English by sitting in on five high school English classes a day and simultaneously become a skilled bookkeeper.

Florence became a US citizen in 1954 and met her beloved Herbie soon thereafter and they married in 1960. Best friends for life, they were the perfect ying to each other’s yang, but Florence defined the family. A force to be reckoned with, Florence didn’t pull any punches. She told it to you straight and could be as tough as nails. At the same time, her empathy was palpable. If you hurt, she bled. She was a hard shell and a cotton candy middle, a drill Sargent with a heart of gold, a lion tamer without a whip.

For most of her life, she worked in a local print shop and loved every minute of it. Outside the shop she seemed to know everyone and they knew her. A bit of a yente, she loved to chat up her customers whenever she ran into them. A real celebrity around town. She was devastated when she lost her job at age 70, but turned lemons into lemonade and got healthy. For many years you could find her on the elliptical machine at the JCC on level 8 or walking around the track at the high school.

Sharp as a tack until her final hours she knew every bill coming due, every dollar owed and the cost of grapes at every supermarket within a ten mile radius. There was no putting one over on Florence. We should all aspire to be just a fraction of the woman she was.

Words cannot express how deeply she will be missed. There was no one like her, as unique and wonderful as they come. This world will seem a bit duller without her shine. Our only solace is that she is now reunited with her beloved Herbie.

Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 10:45 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Holocaust Legacy Foundation.

Herbert J Zarkin, age 86, of Boca Raton, FL and Mashpee, MA, died on April 25, 2025.

He was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1938, son of Bernard and Dorothy Zarkin, née Simon.

He graduated from Lowell High School in 1956 and attended the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Zarkin spent his entire professional career with one organization, beginning as a stock boy for Zayre Stores in 1961 and moving his way up the corporate ladder to store manager and then to the the home office. In 1988, he was promoted to Chairman and Chief Executive of Zayre Stores.  In 1990, Mr. Zarkin became the President of BJ’s Wholesale Club and in 1993, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Waban Inc. He retired in 2010.

Mr. Zarkin was well known for his philanthropy, in particular to Dana Farber Cancer Institute where he established the Zarkin Family Foundation to encourage cancer research as well as to support the nursing staff.

In addition to his success in business, he is most fondly remembered by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Susan Zarkin, née Bell, and his daughters, Amy Reiner (Neal) and Beth Ann Ditkoff (Charlie), his four grandchildren, Allyson, Michael (Jayme), Andrea (Andrew) and Julia (Andrew), as well as his brothers Gerald (Phyllis) and Norman.

Services will be private. The family will hold Shiva on Wednesday April 30^th at the Reiner residence from 3-7 pm and on Sunday May 4^th at the Ditkoff residence from 3-7 pm.

Donations in memory of Herbert Zarkin can be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, www.dana-farber.org or to the charity of your choice.

Frances Pinsky Goroll of Whippany, New Jersey died peacefully on April 24, 2025 reaching her 104th birthday, at Lester Senior Housing.

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey to Benjamin and Celia Pinsky, the oldest of 3 girls (Iris and Pauline).  Frances lived in Jersey City until she met Jacob Goroll, married and moved to Irvington, New Jersey and finally settled in South Orange, New Jersey.

Mother to Barbara Sternfield, Dr. Allan Goroll (Phyllis Wasserman), grandmother to Brett Sternfield (Michele Esposito) and great grandmother to Jules Arielle Sternfield and Remy Noa Sternfield.  Frances and Jacob were dedicated to the continuity of the Jewish community through their tireless volunteer efforts and charitable donations.

Frances was president of the Irvington Chapter of Hadassah and chairman of her Jewish National Fund chapter.  For almost 20 years Frances worked for New Jersey Food Stamps helping to assist new Russian immigrants who escaped the Soviet Union.

Frances leaves a gaping hole at her senior housing and a legacy of feistiness and determination—her famous expression was “push”.  The family is deeply indebted to Sharon Creary who devoted her caring and kindness to Frances.

Graveside service will be held at 1 pm Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at Zviller Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, MA in the Beth Zion section. Rabbi Moshe Waldoks will officiate.

Following services, the family will receive guests at the home of Dr. Allan Goroll and Phyllis Wasserman until 6 pm.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made Hadassah, where Frances was a lifetime member.

To view the recorded funeral service please click here.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Myrna Franzblau, age 87, on April 23, 2025.  A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, she will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Myrna was married to Carl Franzblau, and together they built a life full of love and laughter. She was the devoted mother of William Franzblau and Debra Fisher, and Rachel and Scott Weiss, and the proud grandmother of five cherished grandchildren (Andrew, Sarah, Zachary, Ethan, and Stephanie). Her family was the center of her world, and her love and support shaped their lives in countless ways.

Born with a passion for learning and nurturing others, Myrna dedicated her career to teaching. As an educator, she touched the lives of many students with her warmth, patience, and wisdom. Outside the classroom, she found joy in painting and spending time on the golf course, where her creative spirit and competitive edge both found room to shine.

She was known by all for her sharp sense of humor, unwavering loyalty, and strong will. These traits made her a pillar of strength to her family and a trusted friend to many. Her presence lit up every room, and her laughter was both unmistakable and unforgettable.

A funeral will be held on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at Temple Reyim 1860 Washington Street, Newton MA, at 11:30 AM. All who knew and loved her are welcome to attend and celebrate her remarkable life. Following interment at the Beth El Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, MA, family and friends are invited to the Clubhouse at the Gables 407 Dedham St., Newton, MA until 4 pm. Memorial observance will continue at the Franzblau home that evening, 7-9 pm, Monday and Tuesday, 1-3 pm and 7-9 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to be made to the Myrna and Carl Franzblau Fellowship Fund at Boston University School of Medicine.

To view the service, please click Zoom link .

Surrounded by close family, Terrie M. Winograd of Acton, Massachusetts died peacefully on April 21, 2025 at the age of 74. She is survived by her husband Mark, her children Joshua and Leah, their spouses, Catherine and Nicholas, as well as her grandchildren Julian, Roslyn, and Solomon.

Born in the Bronx, raised in Westchester, Terrie always had a soft spot for New York City. After high school, she went to University of Buffalo, then worked in Vista, before moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts and getting her Masters degree at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Set up by a mutual friend, Terrie married Mark and built a life of fifty years together in Acton, Massachusetts alongside her in-laws.

For Terrie, there was nothing greater in life than her family — the whole family, including all the distant, extended family. She was known for making great feasts, but most of all, for making great feasts of dessert. She was a baker who crafted intricate cakes, a locally famous banana bread, and more cookies than you could ever imagine. Though nothing gave her greater joy than the hours she spent on the grandkids’ birthday cakes — from a race car cake, to a rainbow, sparkle, unicorn, princess cake, her happiness was always in the awe on her grandchildren’s faces.

If Terrie wasn’t hosting at her home in Acton, she was hosting down in Bradenton, FL where she loved to winter with her husband. She loved her toes in the sand of Coquina beach during the day and friends over at night for a smattering of always too much food. Even as she bravely battled pancreatic cancer, even in her final months and weeks, she made sure that where she was, her friends and family were there too with a feast.

Terrie will be remembered for her warm and loving spirit as a friend, a wife, a mom, and a grandmama. In her honor, a funeral will be held at Congregation Beth Elohim 133 Prospect St., Acton, MA  on April 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM.

Shiva will be observed at the family residence, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 from 5-7 pm, with Minyan at 6 pm.

Donations in Terrie’s honor may be made to the ACLU or Household Goods.

Mark Greenberg passed away on April 19 at the age of 94.   Born in Boston on October 15, 1930, he grew up in the Dorchester section of the city, son of Ruth and Jack and brother of Gloria.  He was a proud alumnus of Boston Latin School and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  While stationed in Rochester, NY in the Air Force, he met Norma Fishman. Mark and Norma lived in Newton nearly all of their married life and there raised three children, Susan, Richard, and Louis.  On April 17, Mark and Norma celebrated an incredible 70^th wedding anniversary.

Mark was a devoted husband and father, and grandfather to Sam, Eliza, and Harry.  He loved all kinds of card and word games, playing and watching sports, planning road trips to beautiful places in New England and beyond, and taking frequent trips to Ogunquit beach in Maine, a tradition his parents began when he was a child.  After retirement he and Norma travelled extensively in the U.S. and Europe, and spent winter months in Sarasota, Florida.

Mark had a remarkable memory and capacity for mastering complex subjects.  This served him well in his long and successful career in the field of accounting, working for several corporations before concluding his career with Ernst and Young as a nationally recognized expert in government accounting practices and regulation.

Mark had a natural gift for making people feel comfortable, and all enjoyed his company.  He made many friends in his community and workplace and maintained those friendships for decades.  In his later years, he combined his love of challenging games and what he might call “kibbitzing” by becoming a regular bridge player with several groups.  For both his skill and camaraderie, he was in great demand as a player.

Mark took great joy – and sometimes heartache – as a passionate fan of all the Boston sports teams.  His greatest love was the Boston Celtics, for which he had season tickets in some of the Bob Cousy and Bill Russell years, and to which he brought Norma and his children to hundreds of games across championship eras, creating lasting family memories.  He attended the 1967 Red Sox World Series and the famous Game 6 of the 1975 World Series and watched or listened to most of the Patriots game since their founding.  But as passionate as he was to see Boston teams victorious, in the end it was always good sportsmanship and the fun of competition that mattered most to Mark.

Elaine, born March 16^th,1926., daughter to Alick and Ethel Rosenblatt, grew up in Everett, Massachusetts with her sister Inez Burgin.  Elaine was married to her beloved husband, Edward Groipen for 67 years and resided in Newton, MA.

Elaine was hard-working, had endless amounts of energy and was always ready to help anyone in need. She loved to work.  She spent 40 years as a market researcher then immediately following retirement, she stepped right into a new role volunteering at the Day Surgical Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital. Here, she spent over 25 years volunteering well into her 90’s.

She was a devoted mother, wife, nana, and GG. Elaine was happiest when she was surrounded by her grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.  Elaine was loving, generous and always ready to take her loved ones on an adventure. You could always count on Elaine for a good laugh with her quiet sarcastic sense of humor which was always full of surprises.

The family would like to thank the staff at the North Hill Retirement for their attention and care for the past 8 years. Her presence left a lasting and memorable impact on everyone she met, both at work, home and with friends.

Elaine is survived by children Beth Melnick, Paul Groipen & Todd Satterlee, and Larry & Lori Groipen. Her grandchildren Julie Groipen Herzlich, Jennifer & Nick Jasilli, Jamie & Sam Korman, Allie Melnick & Benjamin Hendel, Rosalynn & Andrew Baker and Bradley Satterlee. Her great grandchildren AJ, Zachary Edward, & Aliyah Jasilli, Piper, Bennett, & Oakley Baker, Liam Korman and Nico Groipen. She leaves behind a beautiful legacy of kindness and strength.

Memorial service will take place Thursday April 24,2025 at the Chapel at Sharon Memorial Park at 1PM. Following interment family and friends with gather at the home of Paul Groipen and Todd Satterlee until 9:00 pm. Minyan service to begin at 7:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Emanuel, 365 Ward St. Newton, MA 02459, Congregation Shirat Hayam, 55 Atlantic Ave Swampscott, MA 01907, or Epstein Hillel School, 6 Community Rd. Marblehead, MA 01945.