Obituaries

Roberta “Bobbie” (Romsey) Bloom, 95, of Dedham, formerly of Randolph, passed away on December 4, 2024 after a long-standing illness at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts.  Loving and devoted wife of the late Albert Bloom.  Survived by her loving children Michael and Linda Bloom of Framingham and Elayne and Douglas Fodeman of Marblehead; and Grammy to Amy Bloom and her fiancé Fabio Santos of Danbury, CT, Ari Fodeman of Brookhaven, Georgia, and Lauren, Thomas, and Lily Dvorak of Underhill, VT.

Bobbie was the daughter of the late Samuel Romsey and the late Esther (Levine) Romsey. Born in Roxbury, and initially raised in Dorchester, the Romseys moved to Malden where they welcomed Bobbie’s younger brother, the late David Romsey.  They lived at various Malden addresses, and usually very close to some of her grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Daily life revolved around public and Hebrew schools, having many friends, and an extended family with many first cousins.  A graduate of Malden High School in 1946, her yearbook’s best wishes from friends summed it up: she was a very sweet young lady, charming, obliging, friendly, studious, clever, has executive ability, neat, and attractive.  After attending Burdett College, she worked at Atlantic Optical Company in Boston as their bookkeeper, and in 1952 met the love of her life, her beloved Albert, marrying in 1953.  After living in Roxbury, they moved to the country town of Randolph with a small but growing Jewish population where they raised Michael and Elayne.  They absorbed themselves in all affairs at the burgeoning Temple Beth Am, created a traditional loving home for their children, and lived through all their ups and downs.

Bobbie’s later years revolved around her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild.  She remained a very active TBA member, chairing many committees and events, and, along with her brother David, the congregation became their close extended temple-family.  After selling the family home, she moved to Randolph’s Fireman Community for elder housing.  And for the last three years of her life, she lived at NewBridge on the Charles while her health gradually declined.  Through all that, she constantly longed for the days when her family was local, around her table, and she could cook for all of us.  And cook, she did!

A funeral service will take place on Monday, December 9, 2024 at Congregation B’nai Tikvah, 1301 Washington St., Canton, MA at 1:30pm, followed by burial at Sharon Memorial Park.  Shiva will be observed back at B’Nai Tikvah on return from the cemetery, followed by two days of Shiva at her children’s homes.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to B’nai Tikvah, NewBridge on the Charles, the Wounded Warrior Project, or the charity of your choice.

Lila Pradell, nee Charney, passed away on December 5, 2024 after a brief illness. She was 92 and a long-time resident of Newton, a former city employee and an internationally recognized pianist and composer. Lila showed musical talent from a young age. She graduated from Newton High School class of 1949, then Boston University with a degree in voice and piano. At the New England Conservatory, she majored in Composition and Theory. She then studied under Nadia Boulanger in France, after which she had a flourishing vocal career in New England musical establishments from synagogues and churches to nightclubs.

Lila leaves behind a colorful legacy of music and adventure. After marrying David Pradell, they drove up the Alcan Highway to Fairbanks, AK to work as teachers to local Inuit children. Her first son, Steven Pradell, was born in Fairbanks and had an Inuit nanny. Lila returned to Boston after the death of her father and had two more children, Lawrence Pradell and Brenna Pradell-Boyd. After her marriage ended, she had a lengthy musical career. She taught at All Newton Music School, New England Conservatory, was the pianist at the Harvard Faculty Club, and a longtime musical accompanist with local theatre groups and Newton’s All City Chorus. She wrote a variety of musical compositions including children’s operas of the Hobbit by Tolkien and for former Newton Mayor Ted Mann wrote the Marriage of the Fig to Newton for a ceremony at Newton City Hall. Her vast repertoire of musical compositions for children was donated to the Rivers School in Weston. She also attended many international composing conferences including Helsinki and Greece.

When she wasn’t focused on her active career, Lila enjoyed raising her three children, especially at beaches in Nantasket, Marblehead and N. Truro. She loved driving her yellow VW beetle, saying children smiled as she drove by. A longtime resident of Pierce House, Lila experienced life with dementia, then moved last December to Hebrew Senior Life in Roslindale, who welcomed her into their community. Her CNA Carline Bijou provided excellent care and compassion which sustained Lila through the pandemic.

Lila leaves behind her loving children Lawrence (Lorraine Defronzo) and Brenna, Steven (Nancy Edtl) pre-deceased her in 2022. Her cherished grandchildren Lee and Benjamin Pradell and Zachary Boyd, and five step grandchildren and numerous step-great-grandchildren). She was predeceased by her parents Arthur and Rose Charney and her brother Robert. A graveside service will be held on December 9, 2024 at Newton Cemetery, 791 Walnut St., Newton, MA at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice.

Plovnick, Kathleen Rudolph, of Waban, Massachusetts, passed away on December 5, 2024. Survived by her devoted family: husband Herbert Plovnick; son Robert and his wife Lucy Holmes Plovnick, their children Kevin, Rosemary and Valerie; son Andrew Plovnick; and daughter Caitlin Plovnick and her husband Brent Miller. Kathy grew up in Middleborough, Massachusetts, and was the valedictorian at her High School graduation. She attended Boston University, where she and Herb met at the beginning of their freshman year. She received a
Bachelor of Arts degree in biology there. She then worked in medical research in the Department of Endocrinology at Boston University Medical School. She later returned to Boston University to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in electoral engineering. She worked for many years at Meditech, a medical information technology company, from which she retired in 2015. Her love of cats was well known and there were always one or two rescue cats in the family. She loved to read and was an expert at word puzzles. Her family treasured her dry sense of humor and her famous chocolate chip cookies. Interment will be private. A celebration of Kathleen’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Newton at Home, 206 Waltham St., Newton, MA 02465, or the Newton Food Pantry, 1000 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, MA 02459.

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LOCKE, Melvin J. of West Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Randolph, MA, passed away too soon on December 4, 2024, at the age of 87. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and had many, many friends. He leaves behind his devoted wife of 64 years, Marcia, and was the cherished father of Evan and his wife Kimberly of Norfolk, and Michael and his husband Michael Farrell of Atlanta, Georgia. He was predeceased by his son, Barry Alan Locke (z’l), and is also survived by his adored grandchildren Rachel and Jake Goldberg, and Emily Locke all of Boston. Mel was the brother of Judy Lahn and her husband Foster (z’l), Marsha Bloom and her husband Sidney and brother-in-law to Janice Berger and her husband Bernard (z’l), stepbrother to Dr. Kenneth Hurvitz, Beverly Schmidt, and Barry Hurvitz (z’l), and many nieces and nephews.

Professionally, Mel was an architect and draftsman, contributing to many buildings, homes, and projects in the Boston area. His love for craftsmanship was evident in his work, often found using his creativeness with a T-square and pencil as with a hammer and nail, without ever tiring. Mel served in the Army Reserves and was an active member for over 30 years of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He was a 60-year member of the  Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the Shriners. He was an active member of Temple Beth Am in Randolph (now Temple B’nai Tikvah, Canton), where he was president of the brotherhood, supporting USY youth programs, breakfasts, and bingo events.

He had a deep devotion to the water, enjoying the family pool, scuba diving, and boating with Marcia on their boat, Barry’s Dream. The couple spent many days cruising and fishing around the islands and harbor of Boston, and later in life, they lived on the boat during the summers. Their love for travel continued with countless cruise voyages since their 25th wedding anniversary.

A service will be held at Temple Sinai, 25 Canton Street, Sharon, MA, on Monday, December 9, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Sharon Memorial Park. There will be a memorial observance held at Temple Sinai following the interment. Shiva will be observed at Evan and Kim’s home, Monday, December 9, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Tuesday, December 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Minyan services will be held both nights at 7:00 p.m. Shiva will continue to be observed at Marcia’s home in Florida on Sunday, December 15th and Monday, December 16th.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to The Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Research Foundation or The American Heart Association in Mel’s memory.

Dorothy Kassner of Hingham, MA, previously of Boynton Beach, FL, Walpole, MA and Brookline, MA passed away peacefully at South Shore Hospital on December 2, 2024. She was 94 years of age.

She was the daughter of the late Louis and Pearl Winn and was predeceased by her loving husband of 64 years, Milton, and by her twin sister, Rita (Bloom). Mother of Jerold (Linda) Kassner, Susan (Kenneth) Litvin and Nancy (Craig) Wolpert. Loving grandmother of Jonathan (Heidi) Kassner, Daniel (Andrea) Kassner, Erika (Joshua) Bloom, Jeffrey Litvin, Sam (Madeleine Ball) Wolpert and Hannah Wolpert. She was the proud great-grandmother to Talia Kassner, Ari Kassner, David Kassner, Isaac Kassner, Mila Bloom and Elliott Bloom.

Dotty was born and raised in Mattapan. She attended Boston public schools and as a teenager fell in love with Milty, a tall, handsome neighbor. They were married in 1950 and later settled in Brookline where they raised their three children. Dotty kept busy with her work as a bookkeeper and became very active in her local chapter of the B’nai B’rith Women. She and Milty learned to play bridge and played often with several of their friends. Their regular bridge club was a much-anticipated event and the group remained best friends for many, many years.

Dotty adored their two-family home in Brookline but with the children grown, she and Milty relocated to Walpole and soon became “snowbirds”, spending the winter season in Florida. They enjoyed a very active and social lifestyle, playing tennis, golf and bridge and looked forward to regular visits from family. Nothing made her happier than seeing her many cherished grandchildren and great-grandchildren playing, laughing and enjoying life together.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 2:45 pm at Sharon Memorial Park. Shiva will be held at the home of Jerry and Linda Kassner following burial until 8:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dotty’s memory may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute or the charity of your choice.

N. Ronald Silberstein of Dedham, Massachusetts, passed away on December 1st at the age of 97.

Ron was raised in Brookline, MA, and graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School.  On a fateful weekend in Nantucket in 1954, he met a vivacious girl from Manhattan named Ruth Gerst.   They were engaged two months later and married a few months afterwards.   They settled in New York City and, after clerking for a federal judge in Manhattan, he began a long and distinguished career as General Counsel of The Sheraton Corporation, relocating to Newton after the birth of their third child.

As accomplished as Ron was in his career, he remained grounded, humble, and steadfast.   He was an avid reader of dense books and followed current events until the end of his life.  He supported many causes, both financially and with his time, particularly social justice causes and Jewish organizations, including leadership roles at CJP and the Bureau of Jewish Education. He remained a champion of the underdog throughout his life.

Ron enjoyed a wonderful, active and fun-filled marriage to Ruth for almost 70 years until her passing this past March.  He was a devoted husband, and a loving and engaged father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle, and he maintained strong lifelong friendships.  He and Ruth were amazing role models to their family, which resulted in strong and lasting family bonds.

In addition to his wife, Ron was predeceased by his sister Alma Augenblick.   He is survived by his son Peter Silberstein and his wife Gail, his daughter Margie Silberstein and her husband Lennie Bloom, and his daughter Amy Silberstein and her husband Jim Cohen; by his eight grandchildren Dana Silberstein (Seth), Ariel Frankel (Scott), Jamie Bloom (Leah), Allison Bloom, Kate Bloom, Douglas Cohen, Julia Cohen (Mike) and Caroline Cohen; and by his 4 great-grandchildren Jordan and Sienna Frankel and Julian and Avery Bloom. He is also survived by his loving brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Mimi Silberstein and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be held at 10:30am, Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward St., Newton, MA.  Burial will follow at Lindwood Memorial Park, Randolph, MA. The family will sit shiva immediately following the burial at the home Amy Silberstein and Jim Cohen and continuing 7:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m. that evening.  Shiva will continue at the home of Peter and Gail Silberstein on Thursday December 5^th at 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., and on Friday December 6^th at 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Contributions in his memory can be made to Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston.

Edith Newmark of Philadelphia, formerly of Boston, on December 2, 2024.Beloved wife of the late Arthur.

Interment took place at Newton Cemetery.

Aaron M. Caplan of Lexington MA passed away peacefully on November 29th. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Harriet, his cherished daughter Rebecca and his loving partner Tala. He leaves his daughter Neysa, son in law Avi, grandson David and his wife Amy, granddaughter Dina and her partner Matthew and great-granddaughter Ellie.

Despite hardship growing up, thanks to the intercession of a relative, her friend and his own merits, Aaron attended Boston Latin School and graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He enjoyed a long career as an engineer, working for a variety of companies, followed by self-employment, and designed HVAC systems for operating rooms in several major hospitals.

In retirement, Aaron derived pleasure from a number of pursuits, including Yiddish and Torah study groups, cultural activities, a Shakespeare class, and tutoring new immigrants. Together with his wife, he delighted in hosting friends and engaging in lively conversation with them. He was an avid reader of the New York Times, a World War II aficionado, and relished few things more than political discourse.

We will miss Aaron’s sense of humor, wit, keen intelligence, support and love tremendously

Robert Garber, MD, age 80, of Wayland and Boston, formerly of Milton.
Bob was a Psychiatrist, board certified in Geriatrics. He was born and educated in Ohio.
He served in the US Army from 1970 – 73 in Turkey and Germany, and he traveled widely while in the Army and after. He then lived in, and loved Boston ever since.
Bob will be dearly missed by his life partner Valerie Cass of Wayland, and their shared family of Laura and Frank Robbins, and Alex Cass, and by his beloved grandsons Frank VI, Tommy and Eli Robbins of Sherborn, and Joey Fitzmaurice of Walpole.
He also leaves his sister Linda Samuels of Lynn, niece Marilyn Sommers of Lexington and nephew Charles Samuels of Virginia; and he leaves his brother and sister-in-law Douglas and Leslie Garber of Peabody, and niece Melanie Letitia-Garber of Boston. Bob was predeceased by his parents Robert and Esther Garber and Jessica Alm, his dear and cherished daughter, and mother of his grandson Joey.
There are legions of relatives and friends all over the world who will miss him. Bob was connected to as many relatives as he could find! He was a prodigious traveler who made and visited friends everywhere he could get to, by any means of transportation. Bob and Valerie were adventurous travelers together – India, Thailand, and in Europe, the UK, France, Italy and Norway. Back in North America they visited Canada and traveled all over the US. Between their travels they were inveterate restaurant goers, enjoying fine meals and lively conversation, together.
A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday November 27 at Beit Olam Cemetery in Wayland, followed by an abbreviated Shiva at Fireside Tavern Sherborn.
Bob requested that contributions in his memory be made to:
Partners in Health, 800 Boylston St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02199