Obituaries

David “Dave” Emanuel Lurie, 66, of Newton, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Born in Syracuse, New York, on October 20, 1957, he was the son of Abraham and Natalie Lurie.

Raised outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dave attended Radnor High School (Class of ‘75), where he took great pride in captaining the basketball team and formed lifelong friendships. He then attended Dartmouth College (Class of ‘79), majoring in Policy Studies. After graduating magna cum laude, Dave continued his education at Harvard Law School (Class of ‘83), where he met his first wife and mother of his children, Susan Winkler, and was a member of the Legal Aid Bureau.

Upon graduating cum laude and being admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, Dave became an attorney at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovksy, and Popeo, P.C., where he cherished the opportunity to learn from some of the profession’s greats. In 1997, Dave ventured out to found his own firm in partnership with his good friend, Peter B. Krupp. There, he practiced as a civil trial lawyer for another 27 years, leading the firm’s evolution to what would become Lurie Friedman LLP.

In both his professional life and personal life, Dave will be remembered for his integrity, compassion, generosity, humor, and kindness—he was a true mensch. Many will also remember fondly his spectacular dance moves and joyous laughter. He lived life fully and with passion, particularly enjoying hiking, running alongside fellow members of his running team (the Crying Shames), all things basketball, mid-coast Maine, adventuring with his grandson, and, above all, spending time with his friends and loved ones, especially traveling and being alongside his dear fiancée, Sue Miller.

He is survived by Susan Miller; his children, Rachel Melikan (Alex), Daniel Lurie (Alex), and Mitchell Lurie (Erica); grandson, Landon Melikan; brother, Jonathan Lurie (Debbi); and Sue’s children, Ben Miller and Lauren Miller. Along with his parents, David was predeceased by his younger brother, Richard Lurie, and his former wife, Susan Winkler.

Donations in Dave’s memory may be made to Charles River Watershed Association. He was loved dearly and will be missed beyond measure.

Paula Brody (July 19, 1936 – April 24, 2024) was born in the Bronx to Al and Bea Abrams. In school, the teachers let her sit apart with a book because she learned so fast. She retained a lifelong commitment to proper grammar.

As an undergraduate at Columbia University she won the National Award for Women in Television. She met Alan Brody in playwriting class and decided that day he was the man she would marry. For their 20^th anniversary she wrote the lyrics to “After All These Years,” which was recorded by Anne Phillips (and can be found on Spotify).

After graduating from Columbia, she embarked on a broadcasting career, but took a hiatus from the field to raise her children. She completed a Masters Degree in English Literature, and published her poetry in numerous literary journals. In the mid seventies she returned to broadcasting as a producer at WMHT public television in upstate New York. At the age of forty, she was the oldest person ever accepted into the Directors Guild of America trainee program, becoming an assistant director and working on major films, including The Cotton Club, Moonlighting, Moscow on the Hudson, and A Gathering of Old Men.

After she retired, Paula took joy in sewing, quilting, reading Dorothy Dunnett and Jane Austen, and baking rugelach and danish for the staff and residents of the Brickbottom Artists Building, where she lived with Alan until her death. She was deeply troubled by the state of the world and contributed generously to social justice and mutual aid organizations.

She was a passionate mother, a joy-filled grandmother, and a loving and supportive wife to a self-described difficult playwright.

She leaves behind her husband, Alan, her children, Lise and Dylan, and her granddaughter, Jocelyn Beatrice.

Ron Chen, a Taiwanese entrepreneur, educator, and advocate for social justice passed away on March 22, 2024 at the age of 87. Born in Puzi, Chiayi County, Taiwan on January 10, 1937, Ron leaves behind a legacy of activism, academia, and entrepreneurship. He will be remembered for his strong sense of purpose, passion for giving back to others, longstanding commitment to teaching, and love for his family and the United States of America.

Ron embarked on a global journey that led him to become a cherished professor of political science at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Along with his wife of 55 years, Fu-mei Chen, Ron also founded the Brass House, which was a retailer and wholesaler of brassware and giftware; together they created and produced many Southern inspired gifts which were sold in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Ron had noteworthy global influence as a dedicated political activist for Taiwanese independence and as a leader of the movement in the United States, serving as the Overseas Liaison Officer of the World United Formosans for Independence which opposed the Chaing Kai-shek regime and endorsed Taiwanization. In addition to his role as Associate Editor of the newspaper The Independent Formosan, he translated George Kerr’s book, Formosa Betrayed, (1973). This Chinese translation became a banned book, is currently a bestseller, and is one of the most influential nonfiction books in Taiwan. As a follow up to this book, he also authored “What I know about the April 24th Incident” (2015), and “The Inside Story of the April 24th Assassination Attempt Made Public Again” (2018), which discusses the attempted assassination of Chiang Ching-kuo, Chiang Kai-shek’s son and heir, in New York City. Ron was a leader of various student groups and spoke on radio and television shows. He was a confidant of Taiwan’s former President Lee Teng-Hui, who oversaw the end of martial law in Taiwan and advocated for the Taiwanese localization movement.

Ron is survived by his wife, Fu-mei Chen, and his children, Sonya van der Meer, Peter van der Meer, Tonya Chen Mezrich, Ben Mezrich, Oliver Chen, John Bult, Patricia Chen and his four grandchildren, Penelope, Tristan, Asher and Arya.

As a leader of revolutions, captivator of students with his stories, or spreader of joy with unique creations, Ron Chen proved that passion, humor, leadership, and a touch of eccentricity can drive lives forward. His contributions will forever be treasured across his diverse network of friends across multiple communities.

Ron Chen will be laid to rest in Newton, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI-USA, PO Box 1239, Belmont, CA 94002-6239. In memory of Ron Chen.)

Use the QR code to find this obituary online and for pictures of Ron throughout the years.

To view the livestream please click here.

Constance W. Lampert

Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, Constance Waterman Lampert of Wayland passed away unexpectedly at home on April 11, 2024.

Connie was born in Wilmington DE, the daughter of Brigadier General Bernard S. Waterman and Harriet Waterman.  Growing up an “army brat,” Connie moved with her family numerous times until high school, although her “home base” was always in Haverhill, MA where her grandparents and other family members lived. She graduated from Walnut Hill School in Natick and then attended Mary Washington College in Virginia.  She met her husband, Alan, at Seabrook Beach in Summer 1960, and they married in August 1962.  Connie completed her bachelor’s degree at Boston University; following graduation, Alan & she moved to Chelmsford where they raised their family for 33 years.

Connie is survived by her adoring husband of over 61 years, Alan, her 3 children Jonathan, Amy and Andrew, daughters-in law Alison and Suzanne, grandchildren Sarah and husband Liam, William, Matthew, Lilli, Carrie, Zoe and Eliza, and friends and relatives too numerous to count.

Vivacious, outgoing, elegant, sincere, straightforward, and always dressed for the occasion, Connie collected friends and served as the nexus for her family.  Missing special occasions, graduations, recitals, or just about any event was simply out of the question, and Connie was always the first to show up, call, write or text when there was a crisis.

An inveterate traveler and consummate planner, Connie & Alan traveled the world with their family and as a couple.  It is impossible to list the number of cities, states, countries, and continents they visited, often more than once.  Family vacations were a highlight and included special high school graduation trips to Europe for her grandchildren.

When her youngest child, Andrew, started school, Connie joined Lady Finelle Cosmetics, where she worked as a convention planner & travel coordinator for 10 years.  She then put her love of history and reading to work, becoming a licensed tour guide and starting a business, Passport to Boston, with a friend.  She co-managed the business and conducted tours for 12 years before retiring.

Connie was a 60+ year bridge player, which included bridge tournaments in her later years.  She played canasta, did needlepoint, was an avid reader and walked…very fast…almost every day.  She followed the Red Sox through thick and thin and delighted in attending games with family & friends.

A funeral service will be held at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, Wellesley, MA on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 11:00 AM.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Connie’s memory may be made to Mass General Brigham Breast Cancer Center (https://giving.massgeneral.org/donate/cancer-center/), Jewish Family and Children Services ( https://www.jfcsboston.org/give/donate-online) or the charity of your choice.

Jack Test, 74, of Newton, MA passed away on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Jack was born to Dorothy and Meyer Test of Kansas City in 1949. After graduating Southwest High School in 1967, he received a B.S. and M.S. in computer science from Stanford University. He worked as a system programmer for a number of computer related companies in the Boston area finishing off as a computer consultant before his retirement. He enjoyed music and loved attending performances of the Boston symphony orchestra. Jack was a devoted son and provided care and support for his mother the last 15 years of her life. He is survived by his brother Sanford Test of Be’er Sheva Israel. His family suggests donations in his memory to Beth Shalom Synagogue of Kansas City. Graveside services will be held at 8:00 am on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, 5529 Ditzler Ave, Raytown, MO 64133.

Cathy A. Levin of Melrose, MA, passed away peacefully on Feb. 24, 2024, at the age of 63. She grew up in Arlington, MA, and attended Arlington High School.  She went on to graduate from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio, Television, and Film. Cathy was a strong advocate for people with mental health issues. She worked for the Tri-City Mental Health Center in Medford, MA, writing press releases for local newspapers. She also joined M-POWER, a mental health self-help group in Boston, now called the Transformation Center, and was the editor of its newsletter “Voices for Change.”  Cathy was tireless in the fight for better treatment of mental health patients in emergency rooms. She was instrumental in driving the ER Rights Campaign, helped organize rallies and hearings at the Massachusetts State House, and testified in person at the Statehouse on their behalf. Cathy had a lifelong interest in American history and politics. In addition to earning an undergraduate degree, Cathy enrolled at UMASS, Boston, and obtained a Graduate Certificate in Women in Politics and Public Policy. She then worked as an intern for State Representative Barbara L’Italien. Her love of history inspired her to become a very popular tour guide on the Freedom Trail in Boston. Dressed in colonial women’s attire, she escorted tourists and history buffs from the Boston Commons to Government Center, stopping along the way at historic buildings and gravesites of the Founding Fathers to explain the historical significance of each stop. Cathy was also a dog lover. She once rescued a Brittany Spaniel from the streets of Somerville, MA, and welcomed him into her home. She was also a very good artist and enjoyed painting beautiful color portraits. Her passions for history, politics, advocacy, reading, and art will be sorely missed. Cathy was pre-deceased by her parents, JoAnne McIntosh and Melvin Levin, and is survived by her two brothers Jim and Tom Levin, her niece Ashley, and her nephews Cole and Denys.

A link to view the recording of the funeral can be found here.

Edward I. Selig, loving husband, father, and grandfather, died on April 8 at age 89, surrounded by his family. A man of great integrity, Ed was noted for his generosity, intellect, and humor.

Ed grew up in Leominster, Mass., the son of Mendell and Mae and the younger brother of Annie. He excelled in academics and athletics at the Fessenden School, Phillips Academy Andover, Yale University, where he studied English literature, and Merton College Oxford, where he studied philosophy as a Rhodes Scholar. He later served those schools with great loyalty.  He studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary and earned a law degree at Harvard Law School.

In Washington, D.C., Ed worked at Covington and Burling and then joined the U.S. Justice Department in the Office of Legal Counsel. He then moved back to the Boston area to help run the Council on Law Related Studies at Harvard Law School. That work led to his interest in the emerging field of environmental law, in which he became an early expert. In his practice, he focused on water and air pollution control. One of his proudest achievements was drafting the original Massachusetts Clean Water Act, which went further than federal laws of the time by defining “waters of the state” to include groundwater, thus requiring stricter regulation. Ed also taught environmental law courses at BU and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Ed served on a number of boards, including the Merton College Charitable Corporation and the All Newton Music School. On his retirement from law practice, he became a mediator, volunteered with the Executive Service Corps, and returned to English literature, his first love, leading classes on poetry, short stories, and philosophy for adult learners.

Ed pursued other passions after retirement as well. He took up piano lessons, learned to prepare gourmet meals, and participated in book clubs. Whatever he undertook, he set high standards for himself. Ed also reveled in becoming a grandfather.

Central to Ed’s life were his friendships, many dating to his youth. He and Renata, his beloved wife of nearly 64 years, maintained deep and lifelong connections with classmates and friends, traveling with them over many decades. They hosted numerous guests at their home with hospitality and warmth.

Ed loved poetry, from lyric odes to off-color limericks. He was especially moved by Shakespeare, Yeats, Thomas, Eliot, and Frost, with dozens of poems committed to memory.  He was an elegant writer who took great delight in the English language, relishing puns, jokes, word play, and rules of grammar. With great wit, he crafted clever verses to celebrate friends and relatives. He loved classical music, especially works by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Bach, and Mozart. He cherished laughter and lively conversation over good food and fine wine.

Ed is survived by his wife, Renata; his children, Colin and Diana, and his grandchildren, Anya and Jonah.

Funeral Service will be held on Friday, April 12 at 10:45am at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, Wellesley, followed by burial at the Newton Cemetery. The family will hold shiva at his late residence on Friday, 1:30-4:00pm and on Sunday, 11-1pm.

As Ed requested, contributions in his memory may be made to the All Newton Music School, 321 Chestnut St., West Newton MA 02465.

Dr. Lonnie C. Carton, age 95, educator, broadcaster, mother and grandmother extraordinaire passed away peacefully on Sunday April 7, 2024 surrounded by her children at Maravilla Assisted Living in Austin, Texas. The beloved matriarch of a large family, she was also widely recognized as a gifted communicator whose common sense approach to parenting and child development informed and inspired the thousands of dedicated listeners to her nationally syndicated radio program Dr. Lonnie Carton in The Learning Center.

Winner of The National Media Award of The American Psychological Association for “the best radio program in the country exploring the what, where and how of human behavior”, The Learning Center offered problem-solving strategies for parents, families and educators. Dr. Carton’s broadcasts, taped in Boston at WEEI news radio in the early 1970’s and later at WBZ, aired nationwide six days a week for more than two decades.

Lonnie grew up in Baltimore, Maryland in a multigenerational home, the only child of a single mother living with family members who had little opportunity for formal education. At a young age, she became a keen observer of the intricacies of human relations and how familiy members relate to each other. A bookworm, tennis player, and talented student, Lonnie was one of a dozen young women in 1946 selected to attend then all-male Johns Hopkins University in a World War Two-era pilot program. University administrators discontinued the “experiment” in less than a year and pressured all the women students to transfer, but Lonnie insisted she belonged, graduated in three years, and went on to get her M.Ed from the University of Maryland in child psychology and her PH.D from Penn State University.

Hopkins didn’t admit another woman for 24 years, but there, in the mid-1940s, Lonnie met the love of her life, Edwin B. Carton. They married in 1949, raised three children well, and helped raise seven beloved grandchildren before Ed’s death in 2012. Like the Biblical Abraham and Sarah’s open tent, their home on Sheffield Road in Newton was open to all who cared to enter—whether it was for some of Lonnie’s quick wit and sage advice, a political discussion with Ed, a game of Boggle, or just laughter and storytelling around the kitchen table with family and friends.

A professor of education at Tufts University for fourteen years and the author of Raise Your Kids Right (Putnam), later released in paperback as No Is A Love Word, Dr. Carton also put her passion for people and her community-building skills to work at Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston, where she developed several innovative support services for inner city kids and their parents. When she wasn’t teaching or on the lecture circuit, she could often be found at the movies with her husband, sharing a Cabot’s ice cream Brazilian Combo, or at Gillette Stadium cheering on her beloved New England Patriots.

On learning of Lonnie’s passing, one of her cousins wrote that “she has been the rock of our family in so many ways—a mountain of integrity, common sense, intelligence, and love.”

Lonnie leaves behind her children, Evan Carton and Janis Bergman-Carton. Debbie and Yossie Riemer, and Paula Carton; her grandchildren, Jacqueline and Jonathan Tame, Nili Riemer Bueckert and Benni Bueckert, Yair and Jennie Riemer, Rebecca Carton and Daniel Dowd, Yoni and Lexi Riemer, Noah Carton, and Hannah Rossen; and eight great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, April 11 at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, in Wellesley.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to The Children’s Defense Fund

To view the service livestream please click here.

Eleanor Fisher Kaplan, of Jamaica Plain (Springhouse Senior Living) and formerly of  Brookline, MA, passed away at age 103 on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Beloved wife of the late Judge Sumner Z. Kaplan, revered matriarch of an extensive loving family, and devoted friend to countless individuals across all ages, Ellie was one of a kind. She was smart, savvy, witty and an astute judge of character.

Born in Lynn, MA in 1921 and raised in Dorchester by her cherished mother Rose (Rines), Eleanor graduated from Boston’s Girls’ Latin School in 1938 and Wellesley College in 1942.

Her marriage in 1944 to her loving husband Sumner was transformative. She fully shared in his interest in local and state politics and was his most trusted adviser in his successful campaigns for the Massachusetts State Legislature and the Brookline Select Board.

While raising her two daughters, Ellie earned a Master’s degree from State Teachers College at Boston, followed by 20 years as an elementary school teacher in the Boston Public Schools.

Eleanor was a prolific writer, loved music and composed countless essays, poems and songs about her experiences, her family and her ever-insightful observations of life.  She never lost her curiosity about people and the world, or her interest in civic engagement and politics. She remained an accomplished bridge player well into her 103rd year.

Eleanor leaves behind her two beloved daughters, Ruth Kaplan (Brookline) and Marjorie Kaplan (New York City), sons-in-law Toby Kusmer and Michael Stanislawski, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be held at Congregation Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Street, Brookline, on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 11:30 a.m., followed by burial at Sharon Memorial Park. Shiva will be at the home of Ruth and Toby on Tuesday 7-9 pm, Wednesday and Thursday 2-4 & 7-9 pm, Saturday 7-9 pm, and Sunday 2-4 & 7-9 pm. On Friday, April 12, Shiva will be at Springhouse, 44 Allandale St., 3:30-5:00 pm.

Contributions in Eleanor’s memory can be made to Congregation Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446, Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester Street, Brookline, MA 02446, Hadassah Boston, 1320 Centre Street, #205, Newton Centre, MA 02459, or a charity of one’s choice.

Alan Alter, of Brockton, was born on July 24th, 1939 in Fairhaven, MA. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, and then Harvard, before settling into a lifetime of work with computers and investing on his own. The last forty-five years of his life he spent in Boston and Brookline, right near the line between the two. Alan was very smart and an intellectual at heart who will be fondly remembered by his family as a deeply good person. His passions were running (in a New York marathon at under three hours and winning a race at the Maccabean Games in Tel Aviv), politics, classical music, conversation, book-collecting, and reading. He was extraordinarily well-read on many topics and had a particularly keen interest in neuroscience, literature, and history. Alan took great, loving care of both his mother Alberta Alter and father Manny Alter for years in their later lives.
While not observant, Alan was Jewish to the core (he knew Hebrew) and a believer in the promise of Israel. He is survived by his brother Mark Alter and niece Sonrisa Alter of Portland, Oregon, his aunt Josephine Freedman of Cambridge, and cousins Amy Freedman of Cambridge and Robert Alter of Newton. He will also be lovingly remembered by his great circle of caring friends in the neighborhood where he lived, in particular his neighbor Patrick Maguire. Alan died in Milton, MA on April 5th, 2024, at the age of 84. Alan will be interred at Sharon Memorial Park next to his parents as he wished. There will not be a service.