Obituaries

Sylvia ”Cecelia”(Kaplan)Kramer of Brookline, March 17, 2015.Beloved wife of the late Harold “Hecky” Kramer. Devoted mother of Stanley Kramer and Phyllis Pond. Cherished grandmother of Nicole Shea and her husband Jon, Andrea Payette, and Larry Kramer and his wife Chloe. Loving great grandmother of Olivia, Caroline,Nathan and Patrick. Dear sister of Sidney”Sonny” Kaplan and his wife Pat, Esther Feldman and her late husband Sidney, The late Benjamin “Benny” Kaplan and his surviving wife Barbara, the late Alice Rosenthal and her late husband Samuel” Sammy”, the late Etta Swiecicki and her late husband Stanley. Also survived by loving nieces and nephews. Services private.In lieu of flowers remembrances to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center c/o Development Office, 330 Brookline, Ave. Boston, MA 02215.Sylvia was a proud American, Loyal Boston Sports fan and a faithful West Ender

Blank, Martin T. Of Framingham, on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. Beloved husband of Marcy (Ackerman). Loving father of Cheryl, Dale (Tom Fox), Elyse (Michael Smith) and David (Craig Crawford). Cherished grandfather of Lindsay Yakavonis (Frank Metcalfe, Jr.), Michael Yakavonis and Mackenzie Smith. Son of the late Hyman and Jennie (Grossman) Blank of Bronx, New York. Devoted uncle, cousin, and friend. Korean War era veteran, US Army, 696th Ordnance Ammunition Co. recipient of the Korean Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars and the United Nations Service Medal. Services at Temple Beth Shalom, 50 Pamela Road, Framingham, on Friday, March 20 at 11am. Burial in Framingham-Natick Jewish Cemetery. Memorial observance at his late residence immediately following the burial through 5:30pm and continuing on Saturday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm and on Sunday from 2pm to 4:30 pm and 6:30 to 8:30pm. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Disabled American Veterans www.davma.org or to the Jimmy Fund, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284.

Hilda (Gardy) Silberman-of Brookline, MA, passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on March 17, 2015. Beloved mother of Marcelle Watkin and her husband Arnold, Rena Lieberman and her husband Aubrey, Mervyn Woolf and his partner, Angela Thomas, and Laurence Woolf. Also survived by her former daughter-in-law, Jennifer Woolf. Cherished grandmother of Heath Watkin and his wife Katie, Charla Turgel and her husband Michael, Ryan Lieberman and his partner Chris Allen, Jarod Lieberman and his wife Karen, and Danielle and Jason Woolf. Loving great-grandmother of Ella and Abigail Watkin, Jeremy and Eli Turgel, and Jackson Lieberman.
Hilda was passionate about many things….bridge, music, dancing, travel, game shows, telling anyone who would listen about her life, and telling jokes. But most of all she loved being surrounded by her extensive, devoted and loving family, as well as her extended family at Goddard House. She will be sorely missed. Graveside service on Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 11:00 am at Lindwood Memorial Park, 490 North St., Randolph, MA. Memorial observance at the home of Marcelle and Arnold Watkin on Sunday and Monday 7:00-9:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Goddard House, c/o Employee Appreciation Fund, 165 Chestnut St., Brookline, MA 02445.

Miller-Lissa G., of Canton, formerly of Randolph, on March 11, 2015. Dear daughter of Arthur J. Miller and the late Roberta (Kriedberg) Miller. Devoted mother of Justin L. Miller of Canton. Loving sister of Michele B. Miller of Canton and Jami L. Miller of Walpole. Services in the chapel at Sharon Memorial Park, 43 Dedham St., Sharon, on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 12 Noon. Following services, memorial observance will be at the Clubhouse of Greenbrook ll Condominiums, 400 Island Street, Stoughton. Memorial observance will continue on Thursday at the home of Arthur and Barbara Miller, Canton, from 1-4 & 6-9 pm. Remembrances may be made to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, PO Box 849168, Boston, MA  02284.

Loving husband of 60 years to Rosamond (Flash) Grant of Newton. Devoted father of Michael S. Grant and his wife, Susan, and the late Michele E. Grant-Epstein. Dear grandfather of Shayna, Eli and Netanya Epstein and Rachel and Jacob Grant. Dear brother of the late Charlotte G. Carpenter. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Harvey was a WWII veteran, a  graduate of Bentley College and Boston University. He was a practicing C.P.A. for over 65 years in Newton and Worcester. Services at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward Street, Newton, on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 11 am. Following interment at Sharon Memorial Park, the family will return to Temple Emanuel until 5 pm. Memorial observances will continue at his late residence on Thursday 2-4 &  7-9 pm, Friday 2-5 pm and Sunday 2-4 & 7-9 pm. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to the Rosamond and Harvey Grant Fund in memory of Michele Esta Grant-Epstein, c/o Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward Street, Newton, MA, 02459.

Thelma E. Goldberg of Cambridge and Centerville, formerly of Brookline, died peacefully on March 14, 2015 after bravely living with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Disease for a number of years.

She was born in London in 1934 and was sent to the countryside to escape the German bombing of London in World War II.  Her family moved to New York at the end of the war and she attended school in the United States, graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 1955, the first in her family to graduate college.

She was passionately engaged in the Boston musical world — as chair of the Brookline Youth Concerts, Executive Vice President and Trustee of the New England Conservatory, and as an active member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra community for over 50 years, starting as a volunteer.  There she was elected to the Board of Overseers in 1982, served as the Chairman of Overseers from 1992 to 1995, was elected a BSO Trustee in 1994, and become a Life Trustee in 2010.  At the BSO, she established the Archives Committee which now serves as the advocate for the BSO archives, resources, preservation and outreach activities.  Her work there was featured on an October 2000 WCRB broadcast.  Active on the Education and Buildings & Grounds Committees, she was also intensively involved in planning the BSO’s centennial celebrations.   Mrs. Goldberg is credited with conceiving of the idea for “Salute for Symphony” and was the creator and founder of the Symphony Shop at Symphony Hall.  Mrs. Goldberg was the co-author of the guidebook for Symphony Hall and was a noted tour giver.  According to the BSO, “in her eyes no task was too small – no request too daunting – no goal too impossible to reach.”

In addition to the BSO and the New England Conservatory, Mrs. Goldberg held numerous other leadership roles at musical organizations including Longy School of Music, Project STEP, Boston Music Education Collaborative, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and Spoleto Festival, USA in Charleston, SC.  During her lifetime, two traditions were established in her honor at Harvard University – an annual undergraduate composers’ concert and an award for Arts-In-Education.

She was also an intensely creative person, producing sculptures, paintings, needleworks and calligraphy, often for her family who were central to her life.

She is survived by Ray, her husband of 58 years, her son Marc and his wife Lorri, her daughter Jennifer and her husband Bill, her son Jeffrey and six grandchildren – Rick and his wife Amy, Alyssa, Meredith, Michelle, Nicole and her fiancé Pablo, and Gabrielle – as well as her sister Patricia Main.

Burial will be private; a memorial service will follow at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Richard Giesser- of Newton, on March 12, 2015. Beloved husband of Connie (Silverman) Giesser. Devoted father of James Giesser, Eric Giesser and his wife Janet, and John Giesser and his wife Erin. Loving grandfather of Ella, Hadley, Benjamin, Aidan and Neil Giesser. Services at Temple Shalom,175 Temple St.,West Newton, Monday, March 16, 2015 at 11:00 am. Interment at Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery,147 Wordsworth St., East Boston. Memorial observance at the residence of Eric and Janet Giesser on Monday 7-9 pm and Tuesday 2-4 & 7-9 pm. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to Dartmouth College Fund, Class of 1953, Hanover, NH 03755; Anti –Defamation League, 40 Court St., Boston, MA 02108 or a charity of your choice.

Seltzer-Victoria (Jacobs), of Newton, formerly of NYC, on March 12, 2015. Loving sister of Sally Abrahams of Newton. Loving aunt of Marc Abrahams and his wife Carol, and their children,  Michael and Marie, and loving aunt of  Gary Abrahams. Graveside services at Sharon Memorial Park, Sharon, on Friday, March 13, 2015 at 1:45 pm. Memorial observance will be omitted. Remembrances may be made to a charity of your choice.

Dr. Morris Stone, DMD, of Newton, on March 12, 2015. Beloved husband of 66 years to Gail (Rogers) Stone. Devoted father of Beverly Stone Ash and her husband Dr. Paul Ash and Dr. David Stone and his wife, Dr. Marguerite Ricciardone. Loving grandfather of Dawn Ash, Alexander, Samuel and Sophia Stone. Dear brother of Dr. Joseph Stone and his wife, Helene Stone and the late Eva Kaplan. Beloved brother-in-law of Jeanne and Charles Rosengard. Cherished uncle of many nieces and nephews.  Dr. Stone was a proud veteran of WWII and The Korean War, achieving the rank of Captain. He was a past Master of Noddle’s Island Lodge of Masons and a member of Moses Michael Hays Lodge of Masons. He was also a Shriner. Services will be held at The Wilson Chapel, 234 Herrick Rd., Newton Center, on Monday, March 16, 2015 at 2:45 pm. Family and friends are invited to attend. Memorial week observance will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Morris Stone’s memory may be made to a charity of your choice.

The Honorable Norman S. Weinberg, lifelong resident of Brighton and a product of the Greatest Generation, died peacefully on March 6, in his 96^th year.  A devoted son, brother, husband, father and grandfather, his life and career reflected his bias for action, devotion to duty and passion for helping others.  A confident and willing leader, he held himself and those around him to exacting standards, expecting and accepting only the highest level of character and effort.  As a soldier, he excelled at organization, coordination and preparedness.  As a legislator, attorney and member of the judiciary, his philosophy was to build relationships and work with people to establish consensus.  As a parent and friend, he emphasized knowledge, virtue, humility and friendship as the pillars of a successful and fulfilling life.  Always fair, unapologetically stern and never ruffled, he believed in integrity above all.  He pushed himself the same way he pushed others, working hard, persevering, getting the job done – not for himself, but for those people and communities in need of the help and support that only he could deliver.  Polite, witty, urbane and always well-dressed, in personality he was a throwback to another era, a simpler time when a bowl of soup cost a nickel and a man’s word and handshake really meant something.  Well-read and possessing a sharp intellect, he could engage in deep and nuanced conversation on a broad range of issues of global and national significance.  His vision, judgment, loyalty and unimpeachable character endeared him to Governors, Congressmen, Mayors and colleagues on the bench, at the bar and in the legislature.  He lived a remarkable life, and, not surprisingly, his energy, drive, intellect, wit, confidence and magnanimity will be missed by all who knew him.

Norman Weinberg emerged from humble beginnings to accomplish great things – achievements that, in large part, continue to benefit the residents of Allston-Brighton and citizens of the Commonwealth: establishment of a new home for the West End House Boys & Girls Club, greening of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, sustainable funding for programs to support Massachusetts veterans, construction of housing for the elderly, engagement of local colleges and universities in the life of the community and passage of seminal legislation to benefit tenants and consumers.  Whether writ large or small, helping people, contributing to community – leading, mentoring, counseling, advising, advocating – was his life’s work.  No task was too small or trivial; no responsibility or obligation was too large.  If asked, he would not and could not say ‘no’. His work energized him and he thrived on getting things done – in Allston-Brighton, on Beacon Hill and in the South Pacific where he served during World War II.  As he often said, “From beginning to end, I have been thrilled to be in on the action.”

Born on Idlewild Street (now Royce Road) to Ukrainian immigrants Mary and Myer Weinberg, Norman’s large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins stretched to the North End, West End and Revere, at the time heavily populated by immigrants from Eastern Europe.  Always an avid reader and conscientious student, Norman attended local elementary schools.  He was a member of the first graduating class of the Thomas Edison School in 1933, after which he entered English High School.  Leaving Boston for the first time in 1936, he matriculated to The College of William & Mary in the sleepy pre-war hamlet of Williamsburg, Virginia.  A member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity, he enjoyed college for the intellectual challenge and opportunity for independence.  During high school and college, summers found Norman in Bethlehem, New Hampshire as a bellman and busboy at the Hotel Sinclair, a kosher resort that drew visitors from Canada New York and New England.

Returning to Boston at the dawn of World War II, Norman joined a surveying crew supporting construction of the Charlestown Navy Yard.  Enlisting in the Army shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Norman entered military service as a private at Ft. Devens.  Assigned to the Army Air Corps, his wartime service took him to the far corners of the United States and eventually the South Pacific.  Following intensive training on the B-29 Superfortress at The Boeing Company in late-1944, Norman and his unit, the Ninth Bomb Group, travelled to Tinian, a small atoll in Marinas Islands.  Norman spent the remainder of the war on Tinian, where he served as the Ninth Bomb Group’s Chief Maintenance and Engineering Officer, supervising several hundred mechanics and support staff responsible for the daily maintenance and operational readiness of 50 B-29 aircraft.  From February – September 1945, B-29 aircraft under his supervision flew 2,000 combat missions and 32,000 flight hours with 93% effectiveness.  His commanding officer quickly recognized his leadership potential and contributions to the success of Pacific bombing campaign, promoting Norman from 2^nd lieutenant to captain and later to major.

After returning from the war, Norman decided upon a career in law and politics.  Taking advantage of the G.I. Bill for returning soldiers, Norman completed his law degree in two years at Boston University, finishing 4^th in a class of 100.  Shortly thereafter, he entered practice with two law school colleagues, Richard Wien and Albert Rosen.  Mr. Wien left after a few years and the firm, known as Weinberg & Rosen, continued the practice of law at 20 Beacon Street until 1981.  Norman enjoyed the practice of law, as it enabled him to use his intellectual energy to think through complicated issues, solve problems and bring equality to people and institutions that had been treated unfairly.  Norman was particularly enamored by the law of evidence, a subject for which he authored many articles and several chapters in legal texts.

Intrigued by politics and seeking an opportunity to contribute to the Allston-Brighton community, Norman made his first run for public office in September 1952.  Campaigning tirelessly door-to-door, he finished first in a crowded primary field.  In November 1952 Norman, won a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, an office he would hold for the next 26 years.  The State House was Norman’s second home and he thrived on the give-and-take of the legislative process.  Yet, for Norman, politics and the legislative process were a means to an end: an opportunity to enrich the lives of the people he served.  A quiet but steady contributor, Norman sponsored a substantial body of progressive social legislation in the areas of tenants’ rights, consumer protection, housing, veterans’ benefits, healthcare policy, education, environmental protection and judicial process.  Norman’s most significant legislative achievement was the establishment of rent control laws designed to protect elderly and lower income citizens.  Among the highlights of Norman’s political career was his attendance at the 1960 presidential nominating convention where he pledged his support to Sen. John F. Kennedy.

Following his retirement from the Massachusetts legislature, Norman was appointed to the bench by Gov. Edward King in November 1981.  Taking his seat as Associate Justice of the Brighton District Court, he traveled throughout eastern Massachusetts, often sitting on criminal cases in Chelsea, East Boston, South Boston, Roxbury and Lynn.  Through his many years on the bench, he established a close and enduring relationship with state and local law enforcement, county prosecutors and District Court personnel.  Gracious and impartial, he believed that beyond protecting society, the purpose of the judicial process was to reform and rehabilitate those who had broken the law.

Ultimately forced to retire from the bench due to his age and budgetary restrictions, he joined with several judicial colleagues to establish the New England Association for Mediation and Arbitration or NEAMA.  For 15 years, NEAMA worked closely with local attorneys to resolve complex civil litigation, in the process gaining an impeccable reputation for thoroughness and impartiality.

Throughout his long life, Norman’s greatest passion was the West End House, an organization with which he first became affiliated at age 11 in 1930.  Spending time at the West End House Camp in Maine and the Club’s first facility on Blossom Street, he developed lifelong relationships with Jimmy Smith, Manny Brown, Barney Yanofsky, George Kane, Michael Cataldo and other West Enders.  His association with his friends and colleagues from the West End House provided a lifetime of memories and personal fulfillment.  The West End House is also the source of Norman’s greatest accomplishment: the establishment of the Boys and Girls Club in Allston in 1971.  For 20 years following the demise of Boston’s West End, the organization sought a permanent home and a place to re-establish its core mission.  Working closely with community leaders and fellow legislators, Norman secured a site and the funding needed to construct a state-of-start facility on the edge of Ringer Playground in Allston.  Today, the West End House is a thriving organization, serving 1,500 boys and girls from across the City of Boston, transforming the lives of and providing leadership and educational opportunities for the children of immigrants, as it has done since 1906.

While Norman’s passing represents the end of an era, his memory will live on through his contributions to his Country and community.  His vision, energy, selfless effort, loyalty and values are reflected in the people he mentored, the legislation he sponsored, the causes he advanced and the institutions he developed.  His passion for people and community will be long remembered among his surviving friends and colleagues and the boys and girls of the West End House who share his determination and ambition for a better life.

Norman greatly admired former President and fellow Mason, Harry Truman, with whom he met during the 1948 presidential campaign.  Norman admired President Truman’s courageous decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan and his support for the rebuilding of Europe following World War II.  Norman’s favorite words from President Truman reflected his own philosophy of leadership: ‘Men make history and not the other way around.  In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still.  Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.’

Norman’s survivors include his wife of almost 66 years, June (Fine); his children – James and Denise Weinberg, Nancy and Carl Sheffres, and Joan and Matthew Hayes; and his six  grandchildren – Meryl and Robert Hayes, Michelle and Erica Sheffres, and Todd and Matthew Weinberg; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to his current position as Clerk of the Board of Directors of the West End House, Norman was a board member of the Vocational Adjustment Center and a proud member of The Consolidate Lodge, A.F. & A.M.; Jewish War Veterans, Post 211; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 669; The American Legion, John F. Kennedy Post 17; B.P.O.E., Lodge 2199; the Allston Civic Association, and the Boston and Massachusetts Bar Associations.

Services at the Sharon Memorial Park Chapel, 43 Dedham St., Sharon, MA on Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 2 pm. Memorial observance at the home of Joan and Matthew Hayes on Sunday, March 22 from 5-8 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Judge Weinberg’s memory may be made to the West End House, 105 Allston St., Allston, MA 02134.