Obituaries

Paula  L. Wolfson (nee Berman) passed away peacefully at her home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on September 28. 2023, surrounded by her family.  To the surprise of no one who knew her, Paula remained her vibrant self to the very end. Paula is survived by her husband of nearly sixty years, Neil, her children, Richard (Lou Anne), Melissa, and Douglas (Abigail), six grandchildren, Hannah, Jake, Kyle, Maryn, Brader, and Lucas, her sister, Audrey (John), and many loving nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews.  They and Paula’s countless friends will treasure having been embraced by her boundless enthusiasm and love, even as they mourn her loss. Paula’s family will hold a private funeral service for her in her hometown of Boston and will host a celebration of life in Palm Beach Gardens later this fall.  In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to either the Massachusetts General Hospital, Andrew Warshaw Institute for Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund in honor of Doctor David Ryan or the JAFCO CHILDRENS FOUNDATION.

A Livestream link to view the funeral service can be found here.

Milly Guberman Kravetz, of Newton, died peacefully, at home, in her bed, just as she wanted, on September 27, 2023, at the age of 101 and one-half. The oldest of three children, she was born and raised in Malden. Both her parents came to America from Russia in the first decade of the twentieth century.

Her mother, Dora Hurwitz, came to America as a young child with her younger sister and their mother, her father having come sometime earlier. Her father, Harry Katz, came to America alone at the age of 18 or 19 as a political refugee. He and his brother, as students in Russia, were involved with the Jewish Bund. When his brother was arrested, their parents helped Harry escape the country.

Milly viewed herself as the product of a mixed marriage. Dora was traditionally observant and kept a strictly kosher home. Harry most often referred to himself as agnostic. Milly remembered long conversations with him as a young person trying to figure out first causes. At the same time, Harry was very respectful of Dora’s beliefs and Jewish observance.

Growing up, Yiddish and the Workmen’s Circle were of great importance to Milly and her family. Because her maternal grandparents lived off and on with her family, she only spoke Yiddish until she started public school. When she was somewhat older, her parents hired a Yiddish tutor for her, and her father helped start both a Shalom Aleichem Yiddish Folkschule and Workmen’s Circle Camp. She was proud that, because of her proficiency in Yiddish, for several summers she would give an annual welcome to Norman Thomas “In nomen fun ale yidishe kinder [in the name of all the Jewish children].”

Her parents also were active in Poale Zion, the leftwing labor Zionist group of which David Ben-Gurion was a key leader in Mandatory Palestine. Milly herself recalled being a Poale Zion “bud”. Later she was active in Avuka, a collegiate socialist Zionist group. Milly’s commitment to what many now call liberal Zionism continued throughout her life. In later years, she was a strong supporter of Peace Now and the New Israel Fund, and even as she was approaching the end, she took pride in her Israeli relatives’ ongoing efforts to defend Israeli democracy.

A trauma that marked her life was the death of her younger brother, E. David (“Doovie”) Katz, days before his 21^st birthday. Doovie was a lieutenant and navigator in the Army Air Corps, stationed in England during World War II. Having fulfilled his quota of missions and awaiting rotation back to the United States, he volunteered for one last mission and was killed in action over Mannheim, Germany.

Milly also survived her younger sister, Naomi Harris, a graduate of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and a noted gold and silversmith. Naomi married Elly Harris, who had taken time off from college to volunteer as a soldier in Israel’s War of Independence. In 1957, Naomi, Elly, and their young son Ron made aliya. Naomi and Elly had three more children—Avigail, Gideon, and Noa—with all of whom she developed especially close relations as their beloved “Auntie Mully”. Her geographic separation from Naomi, especially in the early years when international telephone calls were vastly expensive, also deeply affected her. As travel and communication became more affordable, Milly delighted in visiting them in Israel (for the last time, in 2018 at age 98), and communicating regularly by email, text, and WhatsApp video.

After graduating from Simmons College in 1943, Milly helped found Harvard Hillel as assistant to Judah Shapiro. In 1947, she got her M.S.W. from the Columbia University School of Social Work and then returned to Harvard Hillel as Associate Director.

In 1946, she married Joshua Guberman, whom she had first met through Avuka and then corresponded with during World War II. They had three children: David, in 1949; Karen, in 1951; and Daniel, in 1955. The family settled in Newton, Josh’s hometown. In 1981, after Josh’s untimely death in 1976 at age 55 and David’s marriage to Jayne Kravetz, Milly married Jayne’s father, Nate Kravetz, with whom she shared an active retirement until his death in 2010.

During the 1950s, Milly returned to work part-time as a social worker in the field of gerontology. In the early 1960s, she began working at the Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare at Brandeis University, first, as a research associate in gerontology, and then as Director of Admissions. With the founding of the Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service at Brandeis, she became its Director of Field Placement and a beloved teacher to generations of students. An active member of the Jewish community, she served, for example, on the board of Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly and the Scholarship Committee of Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

Milly is survived by her children: David and Jayne Guberman, Karen Guberman and Craig Kennedy, Daniel Guberman and Allison Ackerman, Charles Kravetz and Deborah Sinay, Jonathan and Janny Kravetz, and John Venning and Shahied Abrahams; her grandchildren: Rachel Guberman and Tiffany Holder, Dalia Guberman and Dan Brown, Michael Kennedy and Kim Karolyi, Adam and Kim Kennedy, Ariel Kennedy and Ronan Lynam, Josh Guberman and Ashley Wiseman, Eric Guberman, Sasha Kravetz Cohen and David Cohen, Jessica Kravetz Cooper and Samuel Cooper, Jacob Kravetz, Rebecca Kravetz, and Hannah Kravetz; great-grandchildren: Raelyn Brown, Nathan Auberman, Gabriel Auberman, Sydney Cohen, Emery Cohen, Grant Cooper, and Paige Cooper; nephews and nieces in Israel: Ron and Janna Harris, Avigail and Rami Shahar, Gideon Harris and Tamar Kedar, and Noa Harris, as well as their children and grandchildren; and family in Israel, Italy, Australia, and the United States.

We are especially grateful to Nicole D’Angelico and her husband, Tom Peloquin, whose loving care made it possible for her to live out her days in her own home in comfort and dignity.

Milly was the subject of a number of oral histories, including by the Wexler Oral History Project at the Yiddish Book Center, available at https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/collections/oral-histories/interviews/woh-fi-0000277/milly-guberman-kravetz-2012, and Acting Our Age, available at https://actingourageblog.com/2017/04/17/milly-at-95/. Chapters about Milly are included in Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from Story Corps by Dave Isay and Stepping Down-Not Stepping Away: How to Prepare for What Comes Next in Your Life by Ilana Amrani-Cohen.

Donations in her honor may be made to an organization meaningful to the giver.

Family and friends are invited to gather at our mother’s home following the burial until 5:00 p.m. and again from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., and on Tuesday from 2 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. On both days, there will be a minyan at 7:30 p.m.Services at Temple Reyim, 1860 Washington St., West Newton, on Monday,October 2, 2023 at 10:00 am. Interment to follow at Sharon Memorial Park.

Age 95, son of the late Rose & Michael Marcus, beloved husband of 75 years to Rita L. (Cohen) Miller. Brother of the late Susan Kane. Father of Michele (Gary) Gottesmann, Martha (Jeff) Beagle. Papa to Stephanie, David, Michael & Juliana. Nephews & nieces Russell, Lisa, Allison, Michael, George, and Beth. He is survived by his longtime Aide and Best friend, Fabienne. Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park on Friday 9/29 at 10:45 am. Remembrances in his memory may be made to The West End House, 105 Allston St., Allston, Mà 02134.

Patricia “Patti” Ann Colten (Levetin) born in Newton, raised in Everett and spent most of her adult life in Brockton before moving to Georgia to be with her son Dana and Daughter- in- law Julie.  On September 19, 2023 she passed away at the age of 78 years old in Mableton, Georgia with her son by her side holding her hand as she crossed into the afterlife.  She is pre-deceased by her Father Nathan, Mother Sadie, Brothers Malcom and Robert and will be interned at the family plot in the Independent Pride of Boston Jewish cemetery on Baker St.  Patti was an active member of O.R.T., Hadassah and her jewish community with Temple Beth Emunah of Brockton.  She was a dedicated mother, friend and loved to cook very good food as often as she could for others.  She especially enjoyed entertaining for the jewish holidays, socializing with friends and family on any occasion.  Patti had a keen eye for being creative artistically and loved to learn about anything associated with health, biology and the food industry.  She was a very giving and caring person who always tried to do for others unselfishly.  Patti leaves behind her son, daughter in law and grand puppy.

A private celebration of life and memorial is being held in her honor on September 30,2023 in Randolph, MA.  Her passion was food and nutrition so in lieu of flowers please donate to the American Diabetes Association in her honor.

Melvin Goober, age 91, of Silver Spring, Maryland, passed away on Sunday, Spetember 24, 2023. Melvin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and attended Boston English High and Boston University. He became an accountant and worked as a CPA for many years, retiring at the age of 87. Mel was a devoted husband to Janice (nee Goldstein), who predeceased him in 1991; and to Betty (nee Markonish), who passed away in 2021. Mel enjoyed his family and was known for donning a clown costume for children’s parties. He was a lifelong fan of the Boston professional sports teams. Mel leaves his beloved daughters, Phyllis (Jeff) Phillips of Olney, Maryland, and Robin (Tom) Temin of Rockville, Maryland. Also grandchildren Scott Philson (Rose), Elyse Phillips, Benjamin Temin (Renee) and Janice Temin; and 5 great grandchildren. Mel is also fondly remembered by Ross and Denise Markonish and their families. Private graveside service was held at Sharon Memorial Park on Wednesday, Septemer 27, 2023.Please direct donations to The National Kidney Foundation, Temple Beth Ami of Rockville MD or the charity of your choice.

Sacks, Selma (Douglas), of Brookline, MA passed away Sept 18, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Herbert F. Sacks. Devoted mother of Susan Sweet and her husband Dr. John Sweet. Proud grandmother of Andrew Sweet and David Sweet and his wife Lauren. Loving sister of the late Florence Sapir and Sidney Douglas. Graveside service at Crawford St. Memorial Park (776 Baker St., West Roxbury) on Thursday, Sept 21, 2023 at 12 Noon. In lieu of flowers, donations in Selma’s memory may be made to St. Jude Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Polish-Born Holocaust Survivor, WWII Veteran,

Mathematician, and Entrepreneur

Dr. Julian Jakob Bussgang, a prominent mathematician, entrepreneur, and one of the last living Holocaust survivors in Boston, died on Saturday at his home in Dedham, Massachusetts, surrounded by his loving family. He was 98.

Dr. Bussgang was born on March 26, 1925, in Lwów, Poland (now Lviv, Ukraine) to the late Stefania (Philipp) and Joseph Bussgang. In mid-September 1939, precisely 84 years prior to his death, he fled with his parents and sister, the late Janine Bussgang Merab, to Romania and then to Palestine, barely avoiding the persecution and death camps that befell so many relatives and friends. His father had successfully smuggled a few bars of gold into Romania, allowing the family to earn a capitalist visa to the British Mandate of Palestine.

After finishing the Polish refugee high school in Tel Aviv, he joined the Polish 2^nd Corps led by General Władysław Anders which had become a part of the British Army to join the fight to liberate Europe from the Nazis in World War II. He first trained with an armored unit in Egypt – later joking whenever his driving was criticized that he first learned to drive a tank. He saw combat in Italy as a member of the light anti-aircraft artillery and participated in the Polish Army attack on Monte Cassino in one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Later, he fought in the battles of Ancona and Bologna. In recognition of his service, he was promoted to the rank of captain decades after the war.

When the war ended, Dr. Bussgang remained briefly in Italy, attending the Polytechnic of Turin, and then transferred to the Polish Resettlement Corps in England, resuming his studies at the University of London, where he received his B.Sc. (Engineering) in Telecommunications. In 1949, he came to the United States. As a survivor, refugee, and immigrant, his peripatetic journey to the United States resulted in his ability to speak five languages fluently, albeit each one with an accent.

Dr. Bussgang enrolled at MIT, where he made many good friends as he established a new life. He was awarded a small scholarship and waited tables in the university dining hall to cover his expenses. He received the MSEE degree from MIT in 1951, publishing his thesis, later known as The Bussgang Theorem, as a report for MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics. The Bussgang Theorem became a popular tool for stochastic analysis and signal processing, with important applications in radar, sound, and digital communications.

Dr. Bussgang went on to earn his PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard in 1955. After working at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory and then at RCA’s Aerospace Division, he became the founder and president of Signatron, Inc., an electronics communication company. During a period of tremendous investment in defense electronics and communications in the United States, his company made a large impact in the field of applied physics, electronics, and communications. He was a consultant to Grumman Aircraft in the selection, simulation, and evaluation of Rendezvous Radar and Landing Radar for the Lunar Module for man’s first trip to the moon. He also developed high data rate, troposcatter (over the horizon) modems and radio channel simulators. Among its many successful initiatives, Signatron created a satellite system that measured continental drift and served as a consultant in the creation of Raytheon’s Patriot antimissile missile. In addition to his eponymous theorem, Dr. Bussgang held six patents and a top-secret security clearance.

Signatron was acquired by the defense electronics firm Sundstrand Corporation in 1984 and Dr. Bussgang retired in 1987. At the time, the company had over 100 employees and had been entirely bootstrapped. While running Signatron, he was a visiting lecturer in the Graduate Electrical Engineering program at Northeastern and taught a graduate course on signal processing at Harvard in the Division of Applied Science and Engineering. In honor of his professional contributions, he was named a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), an organization where he served for a number of years as Boston Section Chair and received the IEEE Distinguished Service Award.

After his professional career ended, a second career began – this time in partnership with his beloved wife, Fay (Vogel). The two met in Newton at a mutual friend’s house in the late 1950s and, after a period of courtship – which included Dr. Bussgang sharing his unique and fascinating life story – were married at the MIT Faculty Club on August 14, 1960. From the late 1980s onward, the couple embarked on a decades-long mission to support and memorialize the history of Polish Jewry. These efforts included living in Warsaw and Krakow after the fall of the Berlin Wall numerous times as a volunteer with the nonprofit International Executive Service Corps, helping to privatize Polish industry.

Dr. Bussgang and his wife also translated two volumes of wartime accounts of child survivors still living in Poland, The Last Eyewitnesses: Children of the Holocaust Speak, Northwestern University Press (1998 and 2005). He and Fay were named honorary members of the Association of Children of the Holocaust in Poland in 1998. Dr. Bussgang translated into English the booklet Polish Jew-Polish Soldier, issued in 1945 by the Chief Rabbi of the Polish 2nd Corps to honor Polish Jews who fought in World War II. The combined Polish and English versions were published in 2010 by the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw. He also authored a chapter entitled “The Progressive Synagogue in Lwów” in POLIN: Studies in Polish Jewry, vol. 11 (1998), 127–53, Littman Library of Jewish Civilization; and a chapter: “Metropolitan Sheptytsky: A Reassessment” in POLIN, vol. 21 (2008), 401–25. He was one of the organizers of three reunions of former students at his wartime Polish high school in Tel Aviv and co-authored their memorial books.

Dr. Bussgang served as a board member of the National Polish-American, Jewish-American Council sponsored by the American Jewish Committee and a board member of the American Association for Polish-Jewish Studies. In honor of his army service and leadership in supporting Polish-Jewish relations after the war, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Poland in 2011 by then President Bronislaw Komorowski.

Dr. Bussgang was an active citizen during his 40 plus years residing in Lexington, Massachusetts serving in its elective Town Meeting for nearly two decades. He was chair of its Cable TV and Communications Committee and served on a number of other committees concerned with maintaining the quality of life in Lexington and fighting the expansion of the Hanscom Field airport. In later years, he and Fay moved to NewBridge on the Charles, a retirement community in Dedham, Massachusetts, where they spent 14 happy years.

Despite his voluminous professional and civic accomplishments, Dr. Bussgang will be remembered most as a proud, loving, and dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He and his wife raised their family in Lexington:  Jessica (Thomas Rosenbloom), Julie (Rich Bernius), and Jeffrey (Lynda Doctoroff), and was a beloved grandfather to eight grandchildren: Raquel, Alana, and Michael Rosenbloom; Alex and Andrew Bernius; and Jackie (Josh Bussgang), JJ, and Jonah Bussgang. He also leaves his cherished nephew, Dr. Jacques Merab.

A funeral service will be held at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, Wellesley, at 10:00 am on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to American Friends of POLIN Museum or the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Gloria (Glazer) Bubly of Sharon, MA, loved by many friends and family passed away on September 14, 2023 at age 90 years old. Gloria was a talented artist, and had graduated from Massachusetts College of Art. She worked as an art teacher, as well as a graphic designer at Raytheon and then eventually at Bubly Associates, an environmental consulting firm.

Gloria’s parents, Alice (Chazen) and Barney Glazer, emigrated to the USA from Poland and Ukraine. Gloria was born in Boston in 1933, joining her beloved older sister Irene (Glazer) Gaffin and older brother Harold Glazer (predeceased). Her family lived in Dorchester for many years where she met her next-door neighbor Daniel Bubly, whom she married. There they had 3 children, Berylee, Gary and Ava. In 1968, the family moved to Sharon, MA, where Gloria lived until her passing.

Gloria was known to be exceptionally funny. She was always ready with her clever jokes, seizing the absurdity of the moment. She made us all laugh heartily, even in her last days. Her hand made greeting cards were legendary in the family. She would create individual and personalized cards using her favorite family photos.

Gloria was predeceased by her husband, Daniel, daughter, Ava and brother, Harold. She is survived by her older sister, Irene Gaffin, children Berylee Bubly and Dr. Gary Bubly (spouse Dr. Karen Smigel). Survived by grandchildren Alison Bubly (spouse Adam Feinstein) and Dr. Rachel Bubly (spouse Daniel Pfeffer). Survived by nieces and nephews – Harris Gaffin, Barbara Gaffin Cahn, Beverly Gaffin, Joanne Glazer, Amy Legaard, and Stephen Glazer.

She was such a loving and kind person, always considering other people’s needs over her own. It is impossible to express in writing how much Gloria was loved by us all. We do and will miss her dearly. May her memory be a blessing. 

A graveside service will be held this Monday, September 18th at 11:00 AM at Everett Jewish Cemetaries, located at 232 Fuller Street, Everett, MA 02149. Shiva will be held on Monday, September 18th from 2:00 – 5:00 PM and 7:00 – 9:00 PM at 107 Main Street, Somerset, MA, 02726. Shiva will continue on Tuesday, September 19th and Wednesday, September 20th from 2:00 – 4:00 PM and 7:00 – 9:00 PM at 130 Oakdale Rd, Newton Highland, MA, 02461.

Roazen, Rhea (Marks), of Needham, formerly Weston, Newton & Lawrence, peacefully surrounded by family on September 14, 2023. Beloved wife of Charles Roazen. Loving mother of Mark (Claudia) Roazen, and Diane Roazen. Cherished grandmother of David (Lia) Roazen, Sarah (Colin) Holland, and Todd Roazen. Proud great-grandmother of Charlie & Madeline Holland. Dearest aunt, cousin and friend to many. Services at the Chapel at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA, with burial to follow on Monday, September 18, 2023 at 10:00 am. Shiva following interment at the home of Diane Roazen until 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rhea’s memory may be made to Hospice House Lincoln, c/o Care Dimensions Hospice, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA, 01923 (www.CareDimensions.org/giving) or Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, Boston,51 Blossom St., Boston, MA 02114.

Carol H. Whitehorn (Sander), of Newton, MA, quilter, jogger, Spelling Bee whiz, and caring friend, passed away September 8, 2023. Beloved wife of Joseph Whitehorn. Devoted mother of Elizabeth Whitehorn and her husband Matt Reilein, and Stephanie Whitehorn and her husband Rabbi Josh Franklin. Proud “Gam” to Lilah, Bea, Charlie and Amelia. Loving sister of the late Fred Sander (wife Joelle Sander). Aunt of Stephen and Jason Sander.

Carol grew up in Cincinnati, OH, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Carol was a people person who loved talking with old friends as much as she did making new ones. Known for her beautifully creative quilting skills, she brought happiness to so many friends and family through the hundreds of quilts she made for them over the years. Carol was a voracious reader, a follower of politics, and loved crime shows and British dramas. She and Joe spent many summer vacations on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, winter breaks in Steamboat, CO, where Carol loved to snowshoe, and hiking trips all over the United States and Europe. She loved traveling to visit her daughters in Chicago and New York. For the last eight years, she relished her role as Gam to her four grandchildren. She fought cancer with bravery and dignity.

Services will be held at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Rd., Wellesley, MA on Monday, September 11 at 2:00 pm. A link to view the livestream can be found here. Shiva will be held on Monday 4:30-7pm and Tuesday 5:00-7:00pm at the Whitehorn residence.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Carol’s memory may be made to the Newton Schools Foundation (P.O. Box 590020, Newton, MA 02459 or online) or Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Beth Israel Lahey Health, BIDMC, Office of Philanthropy, 5529 Main St., 4^th Floor, Charlestown, MA 02129 or online).