Obituaries

Edward Myles Ginsburg, 90, passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on June

24, 2023.  Eddie was larger than life. He was a Pied Piper attracting a following wherever he went. He brightened up every room he entered with his big smile, stylish vibrant bow ties, and contagious exuberance. He touched everyone he met with his warmth, kindness, and encouragement.

Eddie grew up in Newton, Massachusetts with his mother Esther Ginsburg, father William Ginsburg, and younger sister Lee Herbst.  He attended Shady Hill School, which he always credited with giving him a love of learning, Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School.

He practiced law with his father as a trial lawyer in Boston for many years.  He proudly served as a Probate and Family Court judge for 25 years, working tirelessly to help lawyers and litigants through difficult times. He was a professor at Boston College Law School and Suffolk University Law School, and taught classes through Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and Flaschner Judicial Institute. He volunteered on many boards. One of his favorites was Lawyers Weekly where he discussed current issues and controversies in the legal world with lawyers from across the state.

After retiring from the bench, Eddie formed Senior Partners for Justice which helped people in Probate and Family Court who were unable to afford a lawyer. He recruited volunteers everywhere he went and called each one personally to thank them for taking a case. He worked with his son-in-law, Jonathan Mannina, at Community Legal Aid, where he supervised family law lawyers in meetings, on Zoom, and, his favorite, at lunch!

In his lucky life, his luckiest find was his cherished wife, Julie. The story he told was that he saw Julie across a crowded room and knew instantly she was “The One.” They got engaged within three weeks and their love story continued as they held hands in the movies or at the theatre for almost 60 years. Together they raised their two daughters, Jennifer Ginsburg and Lauren Madden. He talked about them constantly and was their number one fan in all aspects of their lives. He welcomed to his family his sons-in-law, Jonathan Mannina and Matthew Madden, and enjoyed talking with them about sports, politics, and life. He adored his grandsons, Carlo and Max Mannina, going to all their games and performances. He always showed up. He was available for his entire extended family and was particularly close with his niece Elizabeth Herbst Brady.

Eddie was a long-suffering Red Sox fan. In 2005, he was recognized as Bostonian of the Year for his work at the Big Dig. He was proud of this accomplishment, mostly because he beat out David “Big Papi” Ortiz, who came in second. He loved all his dogs, particularly his beloved Pumpkin, who was always by his side wherever he went. He always wanted to hear the recent gossip, big or small. His Happy Place was his family home in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, where he spent each summer since his childhood enjoying the lake with his family, including his cousin Earl Silbert whom he considered to be his brother. Eddie loved a celebration and a good meal. He prided himself on being a great guest. Truth be told, he was always the life of the party! As he said, ”I have lived a full life. I have a wonderful family.” He made us all laugh and we will treasure memories of him forever and ever.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in his name may be made to Community Legal Aid (https://communitylegal.org/get-involved/donate).

Robert G. Gouterman, 1/10/1938-6/22/2023 of Edwards, Colorado, 85 yrs., passed surrounded by his loving family. Husband of Sheila L. (Levine) Gouterman. Father of Steven(Sherri Task) of Falls Church, VA, Richard (Cindy Exler) of Olney, MD and Jann (Chuck Strube) of Union City, NJ. Grandfather of Charles, Geoffrey, Chelsea, Michael, Hope, Taylor and Daniel. Funeral services were private. Remembrances may be made to Chabad of Vail, P.O. Box 6546, Vail, CO 81658.

Max A. Clary, 30, of Florida, formerly of Newton, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly, June 20, 2023. Max was born on April 29, 1993, to James M Clary III and Amy B. Altman. He is survived by his parents, his sister, Hannah R. Clary, his stepmother, Janet M. Clary, and his aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Barbara T. Widett and Edward M. Altman. He also leaves behind many friends in the Orlando area, and in and around his home state of Massachusetts. Funeral services were private. His family will hold a public memorial service to honor Max’s life at a later date.

A resident of the Harbour’s Edge community at Delray Beach, FL, originally of Brookline, MA passed away peacefully on June 18, 2023, at the age of 95.  Survivors include her husband of 74 years, Herbert Friedman; sons, Elliot Friedman and Larry Friedman; four grandchildren; Alison, Molly, Julie & Haley; two great-grandchildren Hattie (Harriet) & Finn. Harriet was a graduate of Brookline High School where she and Herb raised their family until 1979 when they moved to the North Shore, and later to Florida. Herb and Harriet along with Harriet’s brother Larry founded Economy Hardware on July 25, 1949. Harriet was fortunate to enjoy the continuation of the business and her family flourish. A graveside service will be held at Mishkan Tefila Memorial Park, 2605 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA, on Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 11:00 am. Contributions may be made in her loving memory to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33407. 

Fay Remis, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and friend, died at age 88 on June 18, 2023.  She was devoted to her family, generous in spirit, and helpful to anyone in need.  She was always considerate, caring, and kind.  Fay was born in Brooklyn, graduated from Brooklyn College and received a masters degree in community psychology from Marist College.

Fay worked with developmentally disabled individuals to determine appropriate community resources to meet their needs, and she also had worked to find employment opportunities for individuals who were newly released from prison. Fay was a problem-solver in both her professional life and in her personal relationships with family and friends.  

After Fay’s retirement, she moved with her husband to Brookline, Massachusetts.  Fay loved being active and enjoyed going to community theater, concerts, talks and attending art exhibits and museums.  She also loved listening to Broadway musicals. She would enter a room with a swirl of positive energy surrounding her.  She was predeceased by her devoted husband Basil Remis, her life partner of almost 60 years.  She is survived by her three loving children, Susan, Jay, and David, and their spouses Lee, Jane, and Priscilla, and by her ten grandchildren (Rebecca, Ari, Max, Andrew, Matthew, Sam, Emma, Eli, Celia, and Emmett). She is also survived by her great-grandchild Ryder. Fay was a glass-half-full person and always saw the sunny side of any situation.  She always had a complement to give or a kind word to share, and she always had a smile on her face.  She will be sorely missed.

Myra Weinstein (Markowitz) of Newton Centre on June 17, 2023 passed in her sleep at the age of 100.  Beloved wife of the late Albert Weinstein. Devoted and loving mother of Stephen Weinstein. Dear sister of the late Sylvia Nierman.  Adored aunt, great aunt, and great great aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Graveside service to be held at Sharon Memorial Park, ( Opposite 41 Dedham St. ) Sharon, MA  on Tuesday June 20, 2023 at 11;45 AM . Remembrances in Myra’s name may be made to Temple Reyim,1850 Washington St. West Newton, MA 02466.

Stephen Weinstein would like to thank Addie and Fila for the loving care they gave Myra in her final days.

Dr. Arthur L Herbst passed away peacefully at home on June 16, 2023.

Arthur was born to Jerome and Blanche (Vatz) Herbst in New York City in 1931. When he was two years old his family moved to Pittsburgh where he spent his youth. He was a strong student from the start and enjoyed playing sports. Later in life, he would tell the tale of how he got sent to the principal’s office for talking too much to his friends during class. This story always amused his children for their father was never one to be particularly chatty. In any case, he excelled in school which led him to Harvard for college, medical school and residency. At college he rowed light-weight crew and studied physics. While fulfilling his active-duty service requirement in the Navy as a line officer, he reconsidered his life path and shifted from law to medicine.  In medical school he won the Borden Research Award for work in endocrinology.

He started out in practice as an attending physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Always listening carefully to his patients, he noticed that a few young women who had a rare cervical cancer had mothers who had taken the drug diethylstilbesterol (DES) during pregnancy to help prevent miscarriage. This led to his research that yielded a seminal study in medicine for alerting doctors and patients to the potential health risks of prenatal exposure to drugs. He received the Francis Stone Burns Award from the American Cancer Society for this research.

In 1976, at age 45, Arthur became Chairman of the Department of OB/Gyn at the University of Chicago. Over the next 24 years he served on multiple medical boards, published over 180 articles and gave lectures around the world. Arthur was known to be intelligent, disciplined, hard-working, full of integrity and unfailingly reliable in all aspects of his life.  He could be counted upon to provide calm and helpful counsel. He took every call and always did his best to support anyone who needed medical care whether it was a patient, a family member or a friend-of-a-friend.

Arthur met and married Lee Ginsburg during his third year of medical school in 1958 and they had two children, Elizabeth and Arthur. His family was always important to him, but the daily demands of his work limited his availability for his children. As a result, he truly cherished the time spent with his grandchildren in retirement.

He loved to learn, achieve and compete. He was active playing tennis until he was 88, took Spanish lessons in his 70’s and swimming lessons in his 80’s. In retirement, he and Lee split their time between Chicago and Tucson, Arizona. He worked to support the University of Arizona by serving as Chair of the Visiting Committee of the Department of Science, leveraging his experience as a clinician, scientist and administrator. Having always felt grateful for the scholarships that enabled him to attend college and medical school, Arthur and Lee established scholarship funds at Harvard, the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona.

Arthur is survived by Lee Ginsburg Herbst, his wife of 64 years; his daughter, Elizabeth Herbst-Brady (Chris); his son, Arthur L. Herbst, Jr. (Nicole); and four grandchildren: Marina, Paula, Maggie and Patrick.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you give someone you love a hug.

A private family service will be held.

Barbara Lowenstein-Of Newton, MA passed away peacefully at home June 13, 2023, at 90 years of age.

Barbara was devoted to her family, friends, and community. Born on December 14, 1932, in Milford, MA.

She attended Milford High School and Mt. Ida College. Following graduation, Barbara embarked
on a career in retail at Filene’s. She is survived by her devoted husband, Harold, to whom she
was married for 67 years, by her devoted son, Jeffrey, and his wife, Robin and her devoted
daughter, Debra. Barbara was a larger-than-life grandmother to Adam and Marcie, Jason and his
wife, Jodi, Andrew and his wife, Jamie and proud great-grandmother to Zoe and Zac. She is also
survived by her wonderful sisters, Elaine and Claire and her husband, Sidney.

Funeral Service at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward Street Newton, MA was held on Friday, June 16,
2023 followed by interment at Natick-Framingham Hebrew Cemetery. In lieu of flowers,
donations in Barbara’s memory may be made to Temple Emanuel Hebrew School, 385 Ward
Street, Newton, MA 02459 or to Hebrew Senior Life, c/o Development Dept., 1200 Centre St.,
Roslindale, MA 02131.

To view the livestream, please click here.

Charlotte Michaelson Frank, age 101 ½ years,  died peacefully in Key Biscayne, Florida on June 11, 2023, surrounded by her family. She spent most of her life in Boston, where in addition to raising 4 sons with her husband Eliot, she evolved from a volunteer to a TV producer at WGBH, recorded books for the blind, opened the Shell Gallery in Newton Center, volunteered at many Boston Jewish organizations, including her pride in being one of the first female Board Members and first woman to get an aliyah at Temple Mishkan Tefila. She travelled the world for 19 years with her husband while he helped develop the textile industry in developing countries under the auspices of the United Nations and IESC. She was admired for her wit and wisdom, known for her dedication to her family and friends.  A world traveler, she was perpetually engaged and interested in the people and cultures she encountered.  She was an avid reader, tennis and bridge player. She always had a story to share and interest in others. She made everyone with whom she spoke feel they were important to her because they were.

She was predeceased by her husband of 49 years Eliot Michaelson in 1991. She was blessed to marry the second love of her life, Seymour (Sy) Frank in 1996, who predeceased her after 21 years of marriage in 2018.  She was also predeceased by her siblings Anne, Jeanette and Herbert, her son Phillip (Ronni), stepdaughter Betsy Cohen (Norman), and daughter in law Anne Taylor, and step grandchild Micah Rosenthal. She is survived by her three sons Martin (and his former wife Susan), Jim, and Richard (Allyn), grandchildren Andrew (Kate), Daniel (Tamara), Jane (Pete), Gail, David and Robyn, and great grandchildren Michael, Eva, Leah, Jackson, and Elliott. She is also survived by stepchildren Marcia, Bill (Christine), Matthew, and Ira (Robyn), step grandchildren Rachel Taylor (Christopher) Hannah Taylor (Colin), Aaron Rosenthal, Teddy Rosenthal (Chantal), Jake Rosenthal, Jeremy Kosh, Brianne Devine (Tom), Louis Cohen (Andrina), Michael Frank, Veronica Batchelor (Sean) and Michael Grossman, and step great grandchildren Josephine and Beatrice LeMon, Maeve Duggin, Garrett and Willa Kosh, Noah Eli and Olivia Devine, Luka and Haze Cohen, Lawson Batchelor.

Her graveside funeral is scheduled for Thursday morning at 11:00 am at Mishkan Tefila Cemetery at 2605 Centre Street, West Roxbury MA, and will be accessible via Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89481676787

The family invites Mom’s Florida friends to visit on Tuesday, June 13th, from 1:00-4:00pm when Martin, Richard and Allyn will be at 1121 Crandon Blvd, Apartment D108 in Key Biscayne.

Shiva will be observed after the funeral service on Thursday at the home of Ronni Michaelson, 83 Elmwood Road, Wellesley MA, from ~1:00 until 5:00pm, and from 7:00 to 9:00pm including minyan.

Shiva will continue on Friday afternoon on Cape Cod at the home of Richard and Allyn Michaelson, 12 Sheeps Crossing Lane, Woods Hole.

On Monday, June 19th, Richard and Allyn will be at the home of Robert and Michele Shaloff, 13-55 Lyle Terrace, Fair Lawn NJ from 1:00-5:00pm and from 7:00 to 9:00pm, including minyan.

If you wish to honor Charlotte’s life, please consider a donation to a non-profit, charitable organization of your own choosing, or one of Charlotte’s favorites, the Rosenstiel for the Ocean Kids program at UMiami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine Science.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, gather ’round and listen up, because I’ve got some news to share. Mark Needleman, that son of a gun from Framingham, Massachusetts, kicked the bucket at the ripe old age of 74. Yeah, you heard me right. He passed away right there in his own home on June 11, 2023. Rest in peace, Mark.

Now, let’s talk about the poor souls who have to carry on without him. First up, we’ve got his wife, Debbie, or as she was known back in the day, Debbie Aronson. Then there’s his daughter, Lilly, and his son Alex, who managed to snag himself a wife named Melissa. And let’s not forget the apple of Mark’s eye, his granddaughter Rena. That girl’s got a lot to live up to, let me tell you.

But wait, there’s more! Mark’s got a brother named Stuart and a sister-in-law named Susan. Oh, and we can’t forget about Cindi Silverman and her hubby Rick. They’re part of the surviving crew too. Plus, there’s a bunch of nieces and nephews thrown into the mix. Talk about a full house.

Now, let me give you the lowdown on Mark’s life story. Born and raised in good ol’ Framingham, this guy knew how to make an impression. After he finished up college at Clark University, he made his way back to his hometown to settle down with Debbie. They wanted to start a family, you see. But Mark, he wasn’t content just raising kids. No, sir. He decided to dabble in interior design. Started off by opening up Wallpaper Warehouse in Natick, along with his father-in-law. That was just the beginning, though. Mark had bigger plans. He went on to create his own design firm, Signature Interiors. Boy, this guy had an eye for style.

But you know what really got Mark’s blood pumpin’? Family. Whether they were related by blood or by choice, this man valued his clan like no other. If there was an event happening, you better believe Mark and Debbie were gonna be there, no questions asked. They were the poster couple for attendance. And let me tell you, they didn’t discriminate when it came to occasions. Big or small, near or far, they showed up. And boy, did they celebrate. Every new addition to their circle was cause for a shindig. With friendships that spanned over fifty years, Mark and Debbie always had room at their table.

And here’s a fun fact about Mark: he was a baby whisperer. That’s right, folks. He had a way with those little bundles of joy. Parents would practically throw their babies at him just so they could have a moment of peace. Mark would proudly declare, “I got to play with a baby!” Can you imagine? The man had a gift.

Now, let’s talk about Mark’s involvement in the local Jewish community. He was quite the go-getter, serving on executive boards left and right. Temple Israel of Natick, the Metrowest Jewish Day School, JCAM—you name it, he was there. Oh, and he and his family even started the Needleman Fund for Passport to Israel. They were all about encouraging young folks to take a trip to the Holy Land. Talk about spreading the love.

But that’s not all there is to say about Mark. Oh, no. The man had some serious skills. He could tell a joke like nobody’s business. And let me tell you, his sock collection was a sight to behold. Plus, he had a predilection for good scotch. That’s a man who knew how to enjoy life’s little pleasures.

So, here’s the deal, folks. Mark Needleman is leaving behind one heck of a legacy. Those who had the pleasure of working with him, knowing him, and loving him will always remember him fondly. It’s a damn shame he’s gone, but hey, that’s life, ain’t it?

For those of you who want to pay your respects, the services will be held at Temple Israel of Natick. Be there on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 11 am sharp. After that, they’ll lay him to rest at the Framingham-Natick Hebrew Cemetery. And don’t worry, they’ve got a memorial reception lined up at Temple Israel of Natick right after the burial. If you’re up for it, head on over to the Needleman home in Framingham for the memorial observance on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings 7-9pm. Oh, and don’t forget about the afternoons. That’s when you can swing by from 2 to 4 pm Wednesday through Friday.

Now, in lieu of flowers, they’re asking for donations in Mark’s memory. You can contribute to the Metrowest Jewish Day School or Temple Israel of Natick. Just make sure you mention it’s for the Passport to Israel, part of the Needleman Fund. That’s the way to honor this man’s memory.

Rest in peace, Mark Needleman. You’ll be missed, buddy.