Of Sudbury, formerly of Medford and Waltham, on May 26, 2015. Beloved wife of Harold Cohen. Dear sister of Dr. Arthur Bernstein. Judi was well known in the professional audio industry, where most recently she worked for Terry Hanley Audio Systems. She was founding general manager of Hanley Sound, Inc., made famous for its work on numerous concerts where Judi played major roles, including Woodstock 1969, and Festival Express, which travelled across Canada. Judi was founding editor of Pro Sound News. She was also former executive director of Hadassah. Services will be held in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Memorial observance will be at her residence on Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3 from 7-9pm. In lieu of flowers remembrances to Hadassah-New England, 200 Reservoir St., Suite 103, Needham, MA 02494.
Of Brookline, formerly of Chicago, died at age 90 on May 28, 2015. Her lifelong mission was to help others by sharing her passion for healthy living. Known for incorporating stories and anecdotes in entertaining motivational presentations on nutrition, she was a Weight Watchers lecturer, Shaklee products promoter, and volunteer leader for the Food Dollars program of Elder Services ABCD. A resident of Hebrew Senior Life’s Centre Communities since 2010, she served on the resident council, founded and facilitated the Yiddish Group, emceed the fashion show, and adored her white poodle Beau. Wife of the late Bernard Strauss, she is survived by her daughter Bonnie Alpert and husband Nathan Rome; her son David and wife Joyce Krensky; and grandchildren Sivan Ehrlich and husband Scott, Adina Alpert, Jonah Strauss, Eliana Southworth and husband Charles, Micah Strauss and fiancee Maria Cunha. Burial will be private. Memorial observance on Sunday from 6:30-9 pm in the community room of Phyllis’ late residence, 100 Centre St., Brookline. Memorial observance will continue on Monday & Tuesday from 2-4 & 6:30-8:30 pm at the home of Bonnie Alpert and Nathan Rome with evening minyan at 7 pm.
Martin Shapiro- of Lantana, FL, formerly of Boynton Beach, FL and Fall River, MA, on May 25, 2015. Loving husband of the late Bea Shapiro. Devoted father of Kenneth Shapiro and his wife Judy and Fredda Shapiro Zaiger and her husband Robert. Cherished grandfather of Logan Shapiro, Leah Schwartz and her husband Daniel and Aimee Sprung and her husband Eric. Great-Grandfather of Alex and Noah Sprung and Dahlia and Elodie Schwartz. Loving brother of George Shapiro and the late Daniel Shapiro. Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, Sharon, on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 1:45 pm (please meet in back of the Administration Building). Memorial observance immediately following the service until 5:00 pm at Temple Shalom, 175 Temple St., West Newton, and at the home of Leah and Daniel Schwartz on Thursday from 7-9 pm,and Friday 1-4 pm, and at the home of Fredda and Robert Zaiger, New Seabury, on Sunday 1-4 pm. Remembrances may be made to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, PO Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061-0515 macular.org.
Barbara (Mann) Feldman, of Needham, on May 25, 2015. Beloved wife of the late Chester Feldman. Devoted mother of Janet Feldman and her husband Barry Frishberg, Nancy Feldman and her spouse Emily Parker, David Feldman and his wife Dianne, and Robert Feldman and his wife Tera. Dear grandmother of Brooke, Amanda, Allison, Joshua, Tori and Dylan. Dear sister of the late Maurice Mann. Services at Temple Aliyah, 1664 Central Ave., Needham, on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 10:00 am. Following interment at Baker St., West Roxbury, memorial observance will be at the home of Robert and Tera Feldman until 8:00 pm Thursday, and Friday 4-7:30 pm. In lieu of flowers remembrances to the Chet Feldman Jewish Youth Program Fund, c/o Temple Aliyah, 1664 Central Ave., Needham, MA 02492.
Ester Nahum (née Sigura) passed away peacefully in her home on Saturday, May 23, 2015 surrounded by her loving family.
Ms. Nahum was born in Izmir, Turkey to her parents, Rahamim and Rosa Sigura. She graduated from the Alliance Française and the American Collegiate Institute in Turkey. She moved to Framingham in 2003 to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren.
Though she came here later in life, she was admired by all that met her, charming them with her smile and wit. She had a great impact on her grandchildren teaching them family recipes, French and Spanish and attending all their educational and sporting events.
Ms. Nahum is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Rakela and James Aucoin; daughter Rozita Gertner; and grandchildren Yael, Tamar, Benjamin and David.
The burial was private. Expressions of sympathy may be made to:
of Plymouth, passed away peacefully at age 96, surrounded by the family she adored, on May 22, 2015. She was the beloved wife of Dr. Milton Geller (deceased) and cherished mother of Carole Jabbawy and her husband Samuel Jabbawy, Dr. Sherman Geller and his wife Susan Levin, and Dr. Jonathan Geller and his wife Jan Geller. She was the beloved grandmother of Nathaniel Jabbawy and his wife Selena, Michael Jabbawy and his wife Lindsay, Benjamin Jabbawy and his wife Emily, Tobey Parker Geller and her wife Sarah, Jessie Cawley and her husband Kevin, Abby Wein and her husband Spencer, Hayley Geller, Julia Budnick, Lori Geller, and Joshua Geller. Rose adored her great grandchildren Griffin and Ruby Parker-Geller and Olivia and Max Jabbawy. Rose was a well-known, lifelong Plymouthean, known for her red hair, license plate “The Eye”, secretary for her husband Milton’s optometric practice and correspondence with perfect penmanship. As children, she and selectwoman Alba Thompson used to walk together to Cold Spring School, at that time, a one- room schoolhouse. Accomplished in many areas, she was the only member of her family to attend college, quite unusual for a girl at that time, at the University of New Hampshire. While her brothers Louie and Hy ran Sherman’s Furniture, the store that their father Abraham had built, Rose drove the furniture truck when Hy was away during WWII. Even at age 90, when pulling out of her driveway, she still opened the car door and looked back over her shoulder. She owned and managed apartment buildings, becoming close friends with several of her tenants. She was one of the original project members of the book, A History of Jewish Plymouth that documented the impact of the Jewish community on Plymouth’s history. Her family was among the founders of the Beth Jacob Synagogue, in the time when men wore top hats and came to the dedication in horse drawn carriages. Rose was a member of the Presidents Club of the Jordan Hospital, a supporter of the Plymouth Public Library, Pilgrim Hall and many other charities. The essence of Rose is reflected in the yearly scholarship that bears her name, “Given to an outstanding Plymouth high school student who demonstrates acts of caring and kindness to his fellow man.” Her eternal optimism will be missed by those who knew and loved her.
Funeral services at Congregation Beth Jacob, 8 Pleasant St., Plymouth, MA on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 11 am. Burial will take place in Plymouth Rock Cemetery, 1000 Pearl St., Brockton at 2 pm. Memorial observance will be held at the home of Dr. Sherman Geller and Susan Levin, Plymouth, on Tuesday, 7-9 pm, and at the home of Carole and Samuel Jabbawy, Newton, on Wednesday, 7-9 pm and Thursday, 2-4 & 7-9 pm. Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to Congregation Beth Jacob. Please designate “The Rose Sherman Geller Fund for Jewish Family Life” , Congregation Beth Jacob, PO Box 3284, Plymouth, MA 02361.
DeFrancisco- Arlene J., of Falmouth, MA, formerly of Newton, MA, passed peacefully on May 20, 2015 at the age of 60 after a courageous fight with cancer. She is survived by her loving husband, F. Robert DeFrancisco, daughter Juliet J. DeFrancisco, and sisters Glenda Whatley and Beverly Kopp.
She was a wonderful, loving wife, mother, sister, and friend. She regularly entertained friends and family and had a true gift for throwing the most joyous parties. A lover of all animals, she also volunteered at the Friends of Falmouth Dog Shelter and regularly fostered dogs until they found new homes. She will be remembered for her sharp intellect and ethereal beauty, both inside and out.
Services will be held on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 12:00 pm in the Wilson Chapel, 234 Herrick Rd., Newton Centre, followed by interment at American Friendship Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, MA. Memorial observance will be held immediately following at the home of Elise and Mark Lublin in Newton until 6:00 pm. Memorial observance will continue at the DeFrancisco residence in Falmouth on both Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th from 1-6 pm. The family expresses their thanks to the wonderful staff of the Pat Roche Hospice Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Arlene’s memory to the Center, 86 Turkey Hill Lane, Hingham, MA 02043 or, alternatively, to Friends of Falmouth Dogs, 150 Blacksmith Shop Rd., Falmouth MA 02540.
of Arizona, formerly of Needham, on May 19, 2015. Beloved husband of Lauri A. (Cady) Brown. Devoted father of Adam Raphael Brown. Loving brother of Adrienne Brown and Jack Brown. Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, 120 Canton St., Sharon (please meet at the rear of the Administration Building), on Monday, May 25, 2015 at 12:45 pm. Following the service, memorial observance will be at the home of Adrienne Brown through Monday evening only. Remembrances may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 330 Congress St., Boston, MA 02110.
Miriam Rose Linsey-of Columbus, Ohio, on May 18, 2015, age 78 . Preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Ethel Rose. She is survived by her husband, Martin Linsey; sons and daughters-in-law, Larry Linsey and Margaret Furlong, Steve Linsey and Pat Ma; brother, Herman Rose; grandchildren, Moya, Evan and Ryan Linsey. The family expresses their thanks to the staff of Mt. Carmel Hospice, Wexner Heritage House and Freda Margolies for loving and wonderful care. Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, 120 Canton St., Sharon, on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 10:45 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1225 Dublin Rd., #125, Columbus, OH 43215 or Columbus Jewish Foundation for the purpose of early childhood education, 1175 College Ave., Columbus, OH 43209.
Professor Emeritus (Biological Chemistry and Medicine) at Harvard Medical School died on May 16, 2015, at age 86 after a courageous battle with stomach cancer. This condition was diagnosed shortly after the Joslin Diabetes Center presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his research on the relationship of high blood glucose to the kidney damage in diabetes and for his successful management of his own Type 1 diabetes for over 60 years without any complications of that disease, a unique accomplishment.
Robert was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Harry and Kate (Löwenstein) Spiro. After his father was briefly interned in Dachau concentration camp and then released due to his service in World War I, Robert’s parents made arrangements to leave for London with his older brother, Walter, while Robert was sent to school in Gstaad, Switzerland, for two years. In 1940 while World War II was in progress, Robert traveled by train and airplane to London after which the reunited family sailed to New York as part of a slow moving convoy always on the watch for German submarines. Unfortunately, other members of his small family did not survive and his beloved maternal grandmother was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. Robert attended Forest Hills High School, Columbia College and SUNY Upstate Medical University, graduating from all with high honors. After a year’s Medical Residency in Syracuse, he moved in 1956 to the Harvard Medical School in Boston for postdoctoral studies and was associated with this institution for over forty years until his retirement in 2000. After additional training at the Massachusetts General Hospital, his research was conducted primarily at the Joslin Diabetes Center and he focused not only on the kidney complications of diabetes but also on the field of Glycobiology in which he was a pioneer, studying the structure and biosynthesis of glycoproteins. His laboratory trained more than 60 postdoctoral fellows and students, many of whom hold prominent positions in medicine world-wide. He was the recipient of numerous national and international awards in the fields of both Diabetes and Glycobiology. His belief in teaching young people with type 1 diabetes the importance of good control of blood sugar motivated him to found the Robert G. Spiro, M.D., Campership Fund in 2004, upon his receiving the 50-year medal from the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Robert is survived by his wife of more than 62 years, Mary Jane (Paisley), his sons David (Jillian) and Mark (Elizabeth), grandchildren, Alex, Lilia, Joshua, Aleah and Porter, his brother-in-law William Paisley (Matilda), nieces Karen Spiro, Amy Spiro and Pamela Spiro Gowers (Liam), a nephew, Paul D. Spiro, M.D.(Kathy), and a cousin, Herman (Bob) Loewenstein (Lee).
The funeral will be held at Temple Shalom, 175 Temple Street, West Newton, 02465, on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 1:00 pm, followed by interment at the Newton Cemetery. 791 Walnut St, Newton Centre, MA 02459.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Robert G. Spiro, M.D., Campership Fund at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA 02115. Arrangements under the direction of Brezniak-Rodman Funeral Directors – brezniak-staging.fsf6vvja-liquidwebsites.com
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