Obituaries

of Chestnut Hill, on August 23, 2015. Services at the Wilson Chapel on the campus of Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School, 234 Herrick Rd., Newton Centre, on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 12 noon.

Complete notice to follow.

of Brookline, formerly of Newton, on August 22, at the age of 86, surrounded by her children. Born September 17, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of Bessie and Jacob Etscovitz, a potato farmer and auto dealer in Fort Kent, Maine. She was married for 65 years to Albert J. Kazis, a noted prosthodontist and professor of dental medicine at Harvard Dental School, who died on April 23, 2015. She was devoted mother of Lewis E. Kazis and his wife Beatrix S. Thomas, Joel D. Kazis and his wife Sara E. Nathan, and Ellen B. Kazis-Walker and her husband Don L. Walker. She was the loving grandmother of David Kazis, Josh Nathan-Kazis and his wife Emily Seife, Saul Nathan-Kazis, Rebecca Kazis Walker, and Ben Kazis Walker and cherished sister of the late Harry and Eli Etscovitz. Services at Cong. Mishkan Tefila, 300 Hammond Pond Pkwy, Chestnut Hill, on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 12 noon. Interment will follow in Cong. Mishkan Tefila Memorial Park, West Roxbury. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the charity of your choice.

of Newton, on August 22, 2015. Beloved wife of the late Jack Spitzer. Devoted mother of JoAnn Freedman and her husband Victor, and Hermine Craven. Dear grandmother of Seth Craven. Grandma Harriet to Lori, Richard, Samuel, and Olivia Maddams, David Freedman, Nina Park, and Eric Freedman. Graveside services at Montefiore Cemetery, 600 Church Rd., Jenkintown, PA, on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at 1 pm. Family and friends are invited to gather at the home of Lori and Richard Maddams on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 from 7:30-9:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The ALS Hope Foundation – Sharon Balick Fund, P.O. Box 40777, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

of Newton, on August 21, 2015. Beloved husband of Delores (Director) Kimmel. Devoted father of Shelby Hess and her husband Paul and Deena Kimmel. Dear son of Marilyn Kimmel and Robert Kimmel and his wife Bobby. Loving brother of Jeanne Waterman, Todd Kimmel, and Nicole Davis. Services at Temple Shalom, 175 Temple St., Newton, Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 1:00 pm. Following burial in Beit Olam – East Cemetery, Wayland, memorial observance will be at the Kimmel home until 5 pm and continue from 7-9 pm with a minyan service at 7:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the MGH Melanoma Center, 32 Fruit St., Yawkey Center, Suite 7E, Boston, MA 02114.

of Framingham, on August 19, 2015. Beloved husband of Gerda (Studencki) Chalfin. Devoted father of Morris Chalfin, David Chalfin, and Ann Giusti. Dear grandfather of Sam, Elizabeth, Emily, Sarah, and Katie. Loving Brother of Arlene Grusby, Barbara Ochs, and the late Harold Chalfin. Services at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, (gather behind administration building), Friday, August 21, 2015 at 11:45 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of choice.

Weinberg-Louise (Radlo), of West Roxbury, formerly of Newton, on August 17, 2015. Beloved wife of the late Leonard Weinberg. Loving mother of Jane Radlo and her life partner Chalee Trainor, and Peter Weinberg and his wife Denise. Dear grandmother of Daniel and Katherine Gulas, Jeff and Lauren Weinberg, and Brett and Mallory Weinberg. Great grandmother of Jacob, Calla, and Lila Gulas, and Elijah Weinberg. Loving sister of Murray and Rita Radlo, and the late Janet Marcuse. Also survived by loving Nieces and Nephews. Services in the Dana Chapel, on the grounds of the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, 350 Grove Street, West Roxbury, on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 10:00 am. Remembrances may be made to Good Shepherd Community Care, 90 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459.

Bryan Max Bernfeld, a man who squeezed every ounce of living out of his short life, died on Sunday, August 16. He was just 26.

Diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare childhood cancer, at age 13, he endured years of excruciating treatment – not that many knew it. Bryan didn’t let anything as trivial as a disease in his way. He graduated from F.A. Day Middle School, Newton North High School and Boston College, acting in plays, working on school newspapers, participating in sports and engaging in all of the typical nights of mischief.

Bryan found every day an opportunity to learn, to experience, to connect. He revered great works of art, from Homer to Shakespeare to the Hold Steady to Vin Diesel. He was as wise as a man who read more in a day than most do in a month, and he was never shy.

Bryan was an artist. A talented actor, he was never so alive as when he was on stage. He thrilled audiences at Newton North, Boston College and in professional productions, and he trained at the Moscow Art Theater School and at the American Repertory Theater Institute at Harvard University.

Bryan was a great optimist whose spirit rarely flagged. While undergoing cancer treatment, his rare disappointments were mostly tied to his beloved Red Sox and Tottenham Hotspur. Bryan and the Patriots saw eye to eye in success.

Bryan loved his friends and family deeply. He is survived by his parents, Jeff Bernfeld and Mary-Kathleen O’Connell; his brother Jeremy and soon-to-be sister-in-law Kelsey Borner; as well as his loving girlfriend, Jessie O’Hearn.

He is the grandson of Wilson and Dorothy O’Connell, Doris Bernfeld and the late Hyman Bernfeld.

Bryan is also survived by a huge circle of friends and loving family including aunts and uncles Randye Bernfeld, Mikey and Nancy O’Connell, and Kerry O’Connell-Vale and Hubert Vale, and his four first cousins, Meghan O’Connell, Caitlin O’Connell, Daniel Hilleman and Maddy O’Connell-Vale. He had a soft spot for an Italian Spinone named Harper, whom he would swear to you is well-behaved.

Unlike most of us, Bryan actually lived his motto. In typical Bryan fashion he tattooed it to himself. In the ancient Greek. Attributed to Homer, this is what Bryan lived: “Ever To Excel.”

Services at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Rd., Wellesley, MA, Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 1:00 pm. Memorial observance will be held at the Bernfeld home, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 7-9 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in support of four important elements of Bryan’s life:

• The Bryan’s Bikers team of the Pan Mass Challenge, which benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Visit: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/TB0076; By check made payable to “Pan Mass Challenge” and sent to Beth Fredericks at 28 Duffield Rd, Auburndale, MA 0246
• The Bryan Bernfeld Theatre Ink Scholarship Fund at Newton North High School, a new scholar ship created in Bryan’s name that will be awarded annually to a senior who embraces life both on and off stage. Checks can be made payable to “Theatre Arts Opportunity Committee, Inc.” and sent to Adam Brown at Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, MA, 02460.
• The Theater Department at Boston College. Visit: www.bc.edu/give.  At this site, choose “Other” and write in “Theatre Department.” There is also a section to dedicate the donation to Bryan. By phone with credit card at 888-752-6438. By check payable to “Boston College Theatre Depart ment” and sent to: Boston College, Office of University Advancement , Cadigan Alumni   Center, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
• The A.R.T. Institute at Harvard University. Checks can be made payable to “ART Institute” and sent to ART Institute, Attn: Julia Smeliansky, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138.

of Brookline, on August 15, 2015. Survived by son Peter Golden and his wife Tina; daughter Meredith Golden and her partner Nancy Marsh; granddaughters Rachel (Golden) Sklar and her husband Andy, and Danielle Golden; and great-granddaughters Ella and Sasha Sklar. Predeceased by her brothers Francis Ulman and Ted Ulman. Services at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA (gather behind administration building), Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 1:45 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 2 Brattle Sq., #6, Cambridge, MA 02138.

The educator and social activist Ruth Ulman Golden passed away on August 15^th at the age of 96. At the time of her death she was a resident of Sherrill House in Jamaica Plain, where lived for many years. Born in Boston in 1919, she was a graduate of Girls Latin School and Radcliffe College. After completing her undergraduate studies in biology in 1939 she became a laboratory research assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her marriage to the industrialist Gerald Maxwell Golden ended in divorce. In later years she attended graduate school at Simmons College and studied as a DuPont Fellow at Harvard University in preparing to become a teacher of life sciences. Subsequently, in Boston-area private schools she taught at Woodward in Quincy, Walnut Hill in Natick and the Buckingham School in Cambridge. In the mid-1960s she spent a year abroad as a teacher at the International School in Frankfort, Germany. Subsequent to her retirement she was a book buyer at the Boston Museum of Science. She served for decades as an elected member of Brookline Town Meeting. An intrepid activist on behalf of women’s rights, affordable housing and the environment, she was a founder of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, belonged to the Union of Concerned Scientists and for many years was associated with Brookline PAX. Her daughter Meredith and son Peter along with nieces Laine Pasuit and Cindy Ulman as well as her devoted cousins Truda Bloom and Robert Spiegelman survive her.

Alan Alford -of Marlborough, MA , on August 12, 2015. Beloved husband of Diana(Whitsit) Alford. Devoted father of Philip Alford, Ilene C. Delaney, and Dr. Stephanie Terry Alford. Dear grandfather of Andrew E. Delaney. Loving brother of Harvey Alford and his wife Myrna, Robert Alford and his wife Eleanor, and Leonard Alford. Services in the Dana Chapel, on the grounds of the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, 350 Grove St., West Roxbury, on Friday, August 14, 2015 at 11:00 am. Following interment memorial observance will be at the home of Larry and Jordana Alford until sundown, and then continuing Sunday, 11:00 am-8:00 pm.In lieu of flowers remembrances to Buddy Dog Humane Society Inc., 151 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776.

84, of Naples, FL, formerly of Newton, Peabody, Lynnfield and Middleton, MA, died Sunday, August 2, 2015 in Naples, FL. Born in Boston, the daughter of Joseph and Lillian (Kapstein) Rubin. Joanne had been an elementary school teacher for Peabody South Memorial School for many years. She was alumni of Brown University and Framingham State College as well as the executive secretary of (CJP) Combined Jewish Philanthropies. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Arthur J. Doxer, daughter, Mary (Christopher) Davies of Ellenburg Center, NY, four grandchildren: Anthony, Glenn, Branden and Aren, four great-grandchildren: Alex, Nicole, Antonio and Cassidy, and her dear friend, Gersha Bayer and her children Wallis, Eric and Lauren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, James Rubin. A graveside service will be held in Sharon Memorial Park, 43 Dedham St., Sharon,  on Sunday, August 9, 2015 at 10:45 am.(Please gather at the rear of the Administration Building ).  A Memorial service in Naples/ Marco Island, FL will be held on a date to be announced.