Obituaries

James  Rosen.Private services were held.

Zafron-Barbara (Reed), of Florida, formerly of Boston, MA on August 4, 2013. Beloved wife of the late Philip Zafron. Loving sister of Daniel Reed and his wife Berniece. Devoted mother of Barry Keesan and his wife Donna, & Carol Stone and her husband Alan. Dear grandmother of Kim Stone and her husband David Berkowitz, Matthew Keesan, Jeremy Stone and his wife Melissa, and Josh Keesan and his wife Teresa. Proud great grandmother of Chase Berkowitz. Graveside services at Sharon Memorial Park, (120 Canton St., Sharon), on Thursday, August 8, 2013 at 12:45 pm. Following services, memorial observance will be at the home of Carol and Alan Stone until 8 pm, and will continue Friday, 11 am-6 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Conquer Cancer Coalition, PO Box 973, Framingham, MA 01701, www.conquercancer.org

         Mark Cohen, a businessman and civically minded retailer of women’s fashions in the Boston area for over four decades, died August 5, 2013 in Boston of natural causes.  He was 88 years old, but, with his trademark humor still intact, recently suggested he didn’t look a day over 87.

        Mr. Cohen owned the eponymous Mark & Company stores, featuring contemporary women’s fashions, with six locations in greater Boston.  Previously, he had been president of  Leeds, a family owned women’s retail business,  and ran the clothing division of several Pappagallo stores in the Boston area.

        Mr. Cohen was a dedicated supporter of the city’s civic life.  He served as president of the Back Bay Association for two years, for which he also produced the “Million Dollar Fashion Show” benefit featuring 1955 Miss America Lee Ann Meriwether;  as a member of Mayor Hynes’ Civic Progress Committee; as a founding committee member of the Boston  Arts Festival in the Public Garden; as a member of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Zoological Society; as a founding member of the Esplanade Association and as a director of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay for nine years.

        Mark Cohen was born August 16, 1924, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, to parents Lillian Weiner and Albert A. Cohen. He attended Brookline High School and graduated from Huntington School for Boys in Boston.  After completing the South Western College Aviation Cadet Program, he served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II as a staff sergeant, stationed as a radio operator and gunner on B-17’s and PBY Catalina flying boats on air-sea rescue missions between Ascension Island and French West Africa.

        Mr. Cohen was introduced to the world of women’s merchandise via his family’s business, Leeds, assuming the role of company president when his father retired.   In 1972, foreseeing the shift to smaller boutique-style retail stores, he closed Leeds and took over the clothing division of three Pappagallo stores in the Boston area.  Eager to run his own business again, he opened Mark & Company in 1978, featuring contemporary women’s fashions, eventually expanding its operations to six locations in greater Boston.  A confirmed bachelor into his 50’s, he met and married Karen Bard Manulis in 1978.   Mr. Cohen was renowned for his warm and welcoming personality, his love of storytelling, anecdotes and jokes, and his tradition of delivering lengthy, impromptu, humorous toasts in rhymed verse.  An avid reader and, in his later years, a nascent painter, he enjoyed creating original watercolor cards and recommending his “best books of the month” to friends.

        Mr.Cohen is survived by his beloved wife of thirty-five years Karen Bard Manulis, his sister Eleanor (Cis) Corman and nephews Jeffrey, Stephen, and Richard Corman.  He was pre‑deceased by his brother Alfred Cohen and his niece Nina Corman.  Funeral services will be at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Avenue, Boston (attendant parking on the Riverway) on Thursday, August 8 at 10AM.  Interment will follow in Sharon Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Sherrill House, c/o Development Office, 135 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130.

Perlo-Barbara, (Esther B.), 77,of Newton Centre, died peacefully at home on August 3, 2013. She was born in Chelsea, on November 3, 1935 to Natalie and Samuel Cloper. She attended Simmons College and worked as a Director of Medical Records until she married Lionel H. Perlo in 1960. She is survived by her loving husband Lionel and her children: Douglas and Alison; their wives: Rebecca and Alyssa: her grandchildren: Zachary and Noah; and by her sister Selma Grosser. Graveside services at Sharon Memorial Park (120 Canton St., Sharon), on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 11:45 am. Following services, memorial observance will be at the home of Lionel H. Perlo until 8 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.

Cyker, Jankel “Jack”, of Boston, MA on August 1, 2013. Graveside services at Staro-Konstantinov Cemetery, (776 Baker St., W. Roxbury, MA) on Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 11:00 am.

Cyker, Jankel “Jack”, of Boston, MA on August 1, 2013. Graveside services at Staro-Konstantinov Cemetery, (776 Baker St., W. Roxbury, MA) on Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 11:00 am.

 
Age 98, of Chestnut Hill, on July 30, 2013. Beloved husband of Charlotte (Margolis) and the late Evalyn Channen. Devoted father of Susan Wilcon and her husband Fred, Norman Kaswell and his wife Linda. Dear grandfather of Jonathan Wilcon, Joshua, Aaron, and Emily Kaswell. Loving great grandfather of Charles Kaswell. Dear brother of the late Ernest Kaswell. Harold was Past District Deputy Grand Master of Boston (Second Masonic District) and Past Master of Moses Michael Hays Masonic Lodge. Well known in the Boston Musical community he was an accomplished organist and played piano well into his 98th year. An Army veteran of World War 2 he was a proud member of General George Patton’s unit fighting in Germany and Omaha Beach. Graveside services at Sharon Memorial Park (Opposite 41 Dedham St.) Sharon, on Friday, August 2, 2013 at 10:45 am. There will be no memorial week. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to VA Healthcare System, VIST Program (Visual Impairment Services Team) c/o Kelly Dunn, 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130, or The Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.Special thanks to the staff at The Brighton House Nursing Home for taking such good care of Harold.

of Randolph, formerly of Sharon, on July 29, 2013. Beloved wife of the late Samuel Kessler. Devoted mother of Joel Kessler and his wife Judy. Dear grandmother of Samuel Kessler and his wife Gina and Allison Curtis and her husband Gregory and great-grandmother of Ava Jayne Kessler, Theodore Lucas Kessler, Natalie Hudson Curtis, and Arielle Theodora Curtis. Dear sister of the late Arnold Turesky, Sanford Turesky, Ruth Baker, and Leona Winick. Services at Temple Israel of Sharon, 125 Pond St., Sharon, on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 11 AM.  Burial will follow in Sharon Memorial Park. Memorial observance will be held at the home of Joel and Judy Kessler immediately following the burial on Wednesday until 8:00 PM, Thursday from 1:00-4:00 PM and 6:00-8:00 PM, and Friday from 1:00-4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in her memory may be made to Temple Israel of Sharon, 125 Pond St., Sharon, MA 02067 or to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Fund, P.O. Box 660843, Dallas, TX 75266.

of Newton, MA and Thousand Oaks, CA peacefully passed away in his stepson, Richard’s home in CA on July 27, 2013. He was 96.

Born in PA, one of six children, in 1939 he joined the National Guard at the age of 21. He left his job as a mail carrier to join the army full-time.

 In 1942 he continued military training in England where he met his first wife, Ruth.  In 1944 he was sent to Normandy.  David served in the 29^th Infantry Division as a lieutenant and captain earning two bronze medals for his bravery in Normandy. After the war, he returned to England to marry Ruth and then moved to MA. After 20 years of marriage, she died of cancer.

Later, he met and married Ruth Walerstein Brightman of Nantasket, a widow with three sons. David earned a PhD from Cambridge, England and a doctorate at Harvard University in English language and literature. He was a professor at both Lesley and Bentley Colleges.

On both coasts, he was a life-long member and very active in the Masons, the synagogues with which he was affiliated, and Meals on Wheels in Thousand Oaks, CA.

He is survived by his loving wife, Ruth, three step-sons and their wives: Jerry and Nancy of NH, Alan and Melissa of CA & NY, and Richard and Allison of CA,nine grandchildren, Michael, Erica, Mia, Jesse, Alex, Alyssa, Deborah, Matthew, Maely, a great granddaughter, and his two siblings: his sister and brother-in-law, Adeline and Lother Laub of Stoughton, MA and his brother, Al, of Baltimore, MD.

Graveside service will be on Thursday, August 1, 2013 at 2:00 PM at the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, 350 Grove St., West Roxbury.

Expressions of sympathy to honor his memory may be donated to:  Hebrew Senior Life, 1200 Centre Street, Boston, MA 02131  http://www.hebrewseniorlife.org/.