Obituaries

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

Of Dedham, MA passed away at NewBridge on the Charles on June 8, 2023, at 98 years of age. Buddy was devoted to family, friends, and community. Born on November 23, 1924, in Brookline, MA, he attended Brookline High School and Middlebury College. After graduation, Buddy embarked on a 40-year career at S. Cohen and Sons, his family’s furniture business. Preceded in death by his wife, Paula, to whom he was married for 55 years, he is survived by his devoted daughter, Marcia Cohen Brier, and her husband Ken. He was a larger-than-life grandfather to Michael Brier and Jennifer Chassin, and proud great-grandfather to Jacob, Max, Ezra, and Naomi. The family would like to thank Buddy’s longtime caregivers, Richard Ssewanyanaa and Jack Rutaigatirwa, for their constant love and devotion in Buddy’s final years.

Funeral Service at Temple Beth Shalom, 670 Highland Ave., Needham, MA on Monday, June 12, 2023, at 10:15 A.M. Following interment at Lindwood Memorial Park, memorial reception will be held at Newbridge until 3:00 P.M. In lieu of flowers, donations in Buddy’s memory may be made to Hebrew Senior Life, Hospice Care, c/o Development Dept., 1200 Centre St., Roslindale, MA 02131.

To view the livestream please click here.

Joshua Michael, of Brookline, 41, died peacefully as we sang to him on June 6, 2023. He was surrounded by love and music at The Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, where he was treated due to acute illness.

Josh was born August 31, 1981 in NY, NY to Michael and Carol Michael. He loved people, music, coffee, and a good meal followed by a cookie. He spent many of his summers at Camp Jabberwocky on Martha’s Vineyard where he loved to swim, horseback ride, and sing with friends in a hammock. Josh had strong and loving connections with those who surrounded him, especially at his residence by caregivers Best, Yvrose, Rufus, Alex, Moses and others. Josh navigated the complexities of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex throughout his life, aided by his family and medical team at Massachusetts General Hospital.

He is survived by his loving family – mother Carol Michael, sister, Rachel Michael, brother in law Michael Hession, nieces Evie and Hazel Hession, aunts and uncles Karen and Bill Allen, Alan and Marion Brown, Bob and Bonny Brown, and Suzanne Michael.

He was preceded in death by his father Michael Michael in 2010.

Funeral service will be held at 10 am Friday, June 9, 2023 at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA (parking on riverway). Burial to follow at Temple Israel Cemetery, 492 North Ave., Wakefield, MA. Shiva at the home of Carol Michael following burial until 5 pm. Saturday 5-9 with Shiva minyan at 7 pm, continuing Sunday 1-8 pm with Shiva minyan at 7 pm. Donations can be made to Camp Jabberwocky, Temple Israel Boston, Mass General Hospital Division of Palliative Care, Mass General Hospital Center for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Ellen Claire Siegel Offner,

December 28, 1940 – June 3, 2023

Kind, courageous, loving, beloved, and a passionate but modest champion of women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment, Ellen Claire Siegel was born on December 28, 1940, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, to Jack and Lillian Siegel, and was welcomed with joy by her older sister, Toby.

Ellen passed away on June 3, 2023, after a courageous battle with anaplastic thyroid cancer, a rare but extremely aggressive cancer that was unable to repress Ellen’s positivity, warmth, love, optimism, beautiful smile, or enjoyment of the constant flow of friends and family visiting and sharing memories and love.

Ellen’s maternal grandparents were Nathan Lopatin and Jennie Goldin, who both fled Russia for the United States to escape Czarist oppression and antisemitism. Her paternal grandparents were Benjamin Siegel and Tillie (maiden name not known), who emigrated from Romania to the United States.

Ellen attended PS 167 and Prospect Heights High School, both in Brooklyn, and Barnard College in New York City, earning an A.B. in American Studies, despite some cultural and skepticism that a girl should go to college.

While at Barnard and working at a summer camp, she met Arnold Abraham Offner (“Arnie”), a Columbia University student. They fell in love and became a couple for life.

Ellen and Arnie ventured together from Barnard and Columbia to Indiana University, where Arnie earned his PhD in United States History. Ellen worked as an editor at Look Magazine and Indiana University Press. Ellen and Arnie married on April 22, 1962.

In 1963, Ellen and Arnie moved to Syracuse, NY, where Arnie began his first teaching job at Syracuse University. In 1967, Ellen and Arnie welcomed their first child, a daughter, Deborah Offner. In 1968, with Arnie accepting a teaching position at Boston University, the family of three moved to Newton, MA, where, they were told, Jewish families were reasonably welcome. In 1970, Ellen and Arnie welcomed their second child, a son, Michael Offner.

Ellen worked at Little Brown, Houghton Mifflin, and MIT Press, prior to earning her MBA from the Boston University School of Public Management in 1979 as part of the first class including women at the school, and developing cherished friendships with her study group of other women students.

Following her interest in public policy, Ellen worked for the MA State Legislature, including serving as a budget analyst for the MA Senate Ways & Means Committee under the leadership of Chester G. Atkins, learning the inside culture of the center of MA state government known as “Beacon Hill.”

From Beacon Hill, Ellen found her way to a small and young health care organization, Harvard Community Health Plan, later to become Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. She eventually became Vice President for Medicare Programs, creating the First Seniority Program, named the #1 program in the nation for both member satisfaction and clinical quality by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality, reflecting Ellen’s belief that seniors deserve the highest possible levels of medical care and resources.

After moving on from Harvard Pilgrim to spend four years as a Director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Plans, serving MIT students, employees, and retirees, Ellen founded Offner Consulting, LLC, offering strategic planning and program development advice to health care and arts organizations globally.

Her healthcare clients included the University of Michigan; the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in São Paulo, Brazil; and the USAID-supported JFK Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia.

Ellen served on the boards of nonprofits including Planned Parenthood Federation of America; the Mark Morris Dance Group, where she chaired the group’s Dance for PD program for individuals with Parkinson’s disease; and Lasell College of Newton, MA, along with its continuing care retirement community, Lasell Village. Ellen was also on the Boards of Overseers for the Celebrity Series of Boston and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

In 2022, after living in Newton, MA for more than 50 years, Ellen and Arnie moved to Newbridge on the Charles in Dedham, MA, a continuing care retirement community affiliate of Hebrew Senior Life, where Ellen continued to develop countless and cherished new friendships for the two of them with her gregariousness, irrepressible cheerfulness.

In addition to Arnie, Ellen leaves her daughter, Deborah Offner; son, Mike Offner; son-in-law, Sam Roth; daughter-in-law, Lonna Steinberg; grandchildren Julia, Callie, Maddy and Jason; sister Toby Brickner; nieces and nephews Helen Ong, Dan Offner, Emily Hollidge, Stuart Offner, Stacy Offner, and Rocky Offner; and many other relatives along with an always growing collection of the greatest friends one could hope for.

If you wish to honor Ellen’s life, please consider a donation to a non-profit, charitable organization of your own choosing, or one of Ellen’s favorites, including the Mark Morris Dance Group, its Dance for PD (Parkinson’s Disease) affiliate, or Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

A link to view the recording of funeral click here

Myron Yale Cummins 80 of Delray Beach Florida formerly of Holliston passed away peacefully on Friday, June 2nd, 2023.
Myron was born in Boston, MA. To the late Gertrude (Grubert) and Louis Cummins.

In 1960, Myron graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Shortly after earning his diploma, he began to work and later owned Cummins Wardrobe Service, a 3rd generation business in Waban, MA. In his free time, he enjoyed Swimming, Smoking Cigars, and Playing cards with his card group of over 40 years.

He leaves behind his devoted wife Marjorie of 59 years who lovingly cared for him throughout his life and especially as his health declined. He also leaves his loving children Lori Cummins, Robert, and Julie Cummins. He was a loving and proud Grandpa to Gabriella and William Cummins. In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren Myron is survived by his sister Toby (Stanley) Orel, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Mildred and his brother Herbert.

Myron and Margie lived many years in Holliston and truly enjoyed entertaining. His children, grandchildren, siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends, especially around his much-loved pool while smoking his trademark cigar and tending to his beautiful yard.

Graveside service at Shara T’Filo Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, MA, on June 6, 2023 at 11:00 am. Shiva to follow at 12 Ruthellen Rd., Holliston until 4:00 pm and 6:00 to 8:00 pm, continuing Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm and 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Donations can be made to the Diabetes Foundation or any charity for the Hearing Impaired

Vivian Hannah Lewis

Vivian Hannah Lewis, nee Oppenheim, died May 31^st, 2023, following a recent diagnosis of metastatic cancer. She was 81 years old.

She was predeceased by her husband, Paul Murray Lewis, in December 2022. They were married for 58 years and are survived by their daughter Malia Lewis (Margot Damaser), son Raphael (Ray) Lewis (Kathryn Sillman), and grandchildren Claude, Ella, Sophie, Theodore, and Jules.

Vivian was born in the Bronx in 1941, the only child of German-Jewish refugees, and raised in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan. She was educated at the Bronx High School of Science and Radcliffe College, from which she graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1962. She completed a master’s degree in History from UC Berkeley and her PhD coursework at the University of London.

Following her graduation from Radcliffe, Vivian traveled to Europe where she met Paul, assisting him in retrieving a lost suitcase containing a pair of red pajamas from the train station master in Vienna. There followed a peripatetic courtship, with Paul, at the time a cub reporter at The Financial Times of London, using the paper’s resources to send Vivian messages as she continued touring Europe. Vivian and Paul were wed in 1964 and initially lived in London. Their marriage was defined by Paul’s numerous postings, foreign and domestic, initially for the FT and then The New York Times: Brussels, Paris, Washington, DC; New York City, a return to Paris, and then back to New York.

Lacking funds to finish her dissertation, Vivian started working as a journalist for BusinessWeek magazine in the mid-60s. After moving to Washington, DC in 1971, she joined Senator Clifford Case as his staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Upon returning to Paris in 1977 she resumed working as a journalist, initially for CBS’s 60 Minutes then as a freelance. In 1988, back in the United States, she founded a financial newsletter, Global Investing, that focused on American Depository Receipts, foreign companies listed on US exchanges, marrying her life-long passions for investing and all things international. She continued publishing her newsletter until 2022.

Vivian relished the nickname “Naughty Nana” given to her by her grandchildren and all through her life took delight in flaunting conventions when she saw them as excessively rigid. An adventurous cook, in Paris she learnt how to prepare authentic Indian food from the spouse of the Indian Ambassador to France and later introduced her grandchildren to the joys of multicolored matzah balls for Passover. Even as her body faded, Vivian’s spunky sense of humor, pink outfits, and bright smile continued to light up the room.

Shiva for Vivian will be held at Ray and Kathy’s home on Saturday, June 3^rd starting at 7pm.

Beloved husband, father, brother and friend 

Hal J. Strausberg, 68, of Newton, MA passed peacefully in his sleep on May 27, 2023 after a long illness. He was predeceased by his parents, Sam and Milly, and his sister Arlene. He is survived by his loving wife, Alison Husid Strausberg, and his three precious children, Andrew, Michael and Sophie. Hal is also survived by his sisters, Nana Stark (Alan) and Susan Tucker (Larry) and many cherished nieces and nephews.

Hal was raised in Brooklyn, NY, and Thousand Oaks, CA before finally settling in Massachusetts. He was a skilled software engineer whose career ended prematurely due to illness. Hal was a fighter. He consistently defied the medical odds, amazing everyone he encountered with his strong will to live. He loved his family immensely and was determined to be there for them.  He was also a man of knowledge. He loved science and history and gave many a lesson at the dinner table. Hal was a man of few words, but many actions. He touched everyone with his kind gestures, dry sense of humor and wide, dimpled smile and will be missed by all who knew him.

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 1pm at Temple Reyim, 1860 Washington St, Auburndale, MA. Interment will follow at Mishkan Tefila Memorial Park, 2690 Centre Street, West Roxbury.  Shiva will be held at Hal’s home after interment, as well as Thursday through Sunday 5pm-9pm.  In lieu of flowers, please help a person in need. Donations may be made to American Friends of Magen David Adom, Fathers and Families Coalition of America or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

On May 29, 2023, E. David Levy, 76, of Sharon, MA, passed away peacefully after a hard-fought battle with cancer and heart disease. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Wendy; loving children, Douglas (Jessica) Levy and Robin (Justin) Gray; adoring grandsons, Dylan Levy and Jacob Gray; and dear sister, Eleanor (Allan) Goldman. He was predeceased by his father, Jacob Levy, and mother, Ida Stone, as well as his sister Carol (Earl) Willens.

David was a highly respected attorney, who fought for those underrepresented as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, as well as a civil servant. He served as an assistant district attorney for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office from 1975 to 1981 before going into private practice. In 1999, he returned to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, where he proudly served as chief of Civil Rights and director of District Court Training until he retired in 2011. He also was a member of the Sharon Zoning Board of Appeals from 1985 until 2000, and he was active in the Norfolk County Bar Association and the Norfolk County Bar Advocates, as well as the Massachusetts Bar Association. In 2004, David was honored with the Timothy J. Spillane, Jr. Outstanding District Court Prosecutor Award. Passionate about the law with a strong moral compass, some of his proudest moments in his career involved standing up for the little guy and passing on his experience to aspiring attorneys. Even in his retirement, he spent his time volunteering as a legal advocate for the Women’s Lunch Place.

Despite the serious nature of his work, David found joy every day, and he was known to carry a kite in his suitcoat pocket or the trunk of his car, sometimes pulling over for an impromptu flight. A lifelong sailor, David spent the summers of his youth on the Charles River and off the shores of Cape Cod. In his later years, he spent many weekends and Wednesday nights at the Massapoag Yacht Club, leaving his children with such fond memories that his daughter chose it as the site of her wedding. A proud father, he drove miles to watch his son play baseball, and later across the country to see him umpire. The best photos ever taken of David are of him dancing with his wife. He passed the same jar of peanut butter back and forth with his Aunt Ruth every Hannukah to make her laugh. He told stories – real and fictionalized – of the Jordan Road Gang, his friends since elementary school, and in retirement he reunited with his best friends from law school for weekly “guys nights.” He wore his “Zayde” t-shirt proudly. He was the kind of guy who would set reminders for his adult kids’ pets’ birthdays and send dog treats in the mail.

David leaves a legacy of fidelity – to family, friends and community – and his light and laughter will live on in all who knew him. His funeral will take place at Temple Sinai in Sharon on Thursday, June 1 at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at Sharon Memorial Park. Memorial observance will take place at Temple Sinai starting at 12:30.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Women’s Lunch Place, P.O. Box 170900, Boston, MA 02117 or the ACLU, Gift Processing Department, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004

To view the livestream please click here.

Samuel Stern of Needham and Dedham, MA, died on May 28, 2023 at age 84 after a brief battle with cancer.

Born in Furth, Germany in 1939, Sam was a child survivor of the Holocaust, and was liberated from Bergen-Belsen in 1945 with his mother and brother.  They moved to New York in 1947 to start a new life.  He graduated from City College of New York and went on to earn advanced degrees in biophysics and marine biology at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Miami.

After teaching at both Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University, Sam settled into a long academic career at Boston University, where he taught multiple subjects including biology, computer science, and math. In 1978, Sam received the prestigious Metcalf Teaching Award for excellence in teaching at BU.  He went on to become a Dean at BU’s Metropolitan College and at the College of General Studies and served as Special Assistant to the President.

Settling with his family in Needham in 1971, Sam enjoyed coaching baseball and spending time as a key member of the Friends of the Needham Public Library.  He and his loving partner, Charlotte, moved from Needham to Newbridge on the Charles in Dedham in 2018, where they quickly developed new friendships and became active members in the community.

Sam was known for his sardonic sense of humor, his extensive knowledge in many fields, his keen eye for rare books, and his love of fishing.  His son and grandchildren were his pride and joy.  Sam’s story of Holocaust survival has been recorded and shared as part of the USC Shoah Foundation video project, in the writings of Bernice Lerner (“The Triumph of Wounded Souls,” ©2004), and in the annals of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Sam often spoke at local schools and synagogues about his experiences during the war.

Sam was married for 42 years to Doris Naimark Stern, who passed away in 2004.  He was predeceased by his parents, Arthur and Karolina Stern, and by his stepfather, David Schneebalg (Ruth).  He is survived by his son, Alan (Lori Tenser), and their children, Reuben, Jeremy and Celia Stern, by his brother, Peter (Julie), and by his loving partner, Charlotte Chase, her children and grandchildren.

Services at Temple Beth Shalom, 670 Highland Ave., Needham, on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 10:00 am. Interment to follow at Beit Olam Cemetery, 60 Old Sudbury Rd, Wayland (Enter through North Cemetery).

Donations can be made to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Boston Bullpen Project, or Newbridge on the Charles Scholarship Fund.

To view the livestream please click here.

Alan Bruce Glou, age 89 of Needham, MA passed away peacefully on May 22, 2023, in his home.

Alan was born on October 4, 1933, to Jack and Cele Glou in Scranton, PA. He graduated from Central High School in Scranton, PA in 1951 where he organized and directed a 14-piece swing band, the “Stardusters”, and stayed close with many of his bandmates throughout his life. He graduated from Penn State University in 1955 and was a member of Beta Sigma Rho Fraternity.

Alan started his career as an Industrial Engineer at IBM in Endicott, New York. In 1956 he was drafted into the Army where he held the rank of Specialist (SP3) and completed his basic training at Fort Hood, in Texas. He was stationed outside Frankfurt, Germany during the Korean War, where he served in the 3^rd Armored tank Division.  He also acted as the assistant to the Commanding Officer before being honorably discharged in 1958.  Alan then returned to IBM for two years before moving to Boston in 1960 where he began working at the employment agency Snelling and Snelling and opened their Waltham Office.  He often said that he fell in love with the Charles River because it reminded him of the Rhine River in Germany.

In 1964, he established Glou Associates, headquartered in Needham, MA and later changed the name to Glou International because his clients and offices spanned across the globe including an office in London.  He had extensive experience in dealing with senior management in larger firms and start-up organizations in both the public and private sectors throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East.  He was well respected and admired by many and even after he retired in 2002, he continued to offer his wisdom and knowledge.

Alan took pride in “Making Good Companies Great”.  He was a recognized expert in international business and has been quoted in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe.  He was often a guest on radio and television talk shows and was the keynote speaker at several conferences and conventions.  He also mentored international students in his capacity as an Executive in Residence at Brandeis University which he was extremely proud of.

Alan was married to Eleanor Stone Glou until she passed away at a young age on March 10, 1975. They had three children (Karen Joseph, Lori Shone and Brian Glou) and resided in Needham, MA.  He married Marjorie Glou in 1979 and was devoted to her two children (Lisa Tanzer, Kevin Tanzer) and their entire blended family.  Alan was an active and very involved father and grandfather of twelve.  He always prioritized family and made every effort to be present and involved in all activities, special occasions, and everyday life moments.

Alan was active in his retirement.  He was proud of his involvement with the Boston FBI Citizens’ Academy where he graduated from a special program and served as an active member for many years.  He was a leader and proud member of the Newton Swing Band where he entertained patients at the Roxbury VA and local nursing homes and was also an active member of the Needham Senior Center.

The family remembers many happy times together.  There are too many to recount but some of those happy times include skiing at Loon Mountain, swimming in the family pool, watching Alan perform with his senior band and his many musical theater performances. Most importantly, Alan had a great perspective on life and encouraged everyone around him to have a positive attitude and strive to live each day to the fullest.  He lived by the motto “Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda” and encouraged his family to do the same.  His impact will last for generations to come.

He is survived by his children Karen Joseph (Robert), Lori Shone (Rob), Lisa Tanzer (Chris), Brian Glou (Jodi) and Kevin Tanzer (Becky).  His memory lives on through his grandchildren; Melanie Joseph, Benjamin Lewis, Jarod Glou, Ryan Joseph, Justin Glou, Owen Tanzer, Jessica Lewis, Talia Joseph, Abby Tanzer, Ethan Shone, Jeremy Shone, Sam Tanzer and other special relationships: Harmon Lewis, Tara Conway.

Services will be held at Temple Beth Shalom of Needham on Monday, May 29 at 10 am. Following interment at Sharon Memorial Park the family will be receiving visitors at Temple Beth Shalom until 5pm and 7-9pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Chesed (Caring) Fund at Temple Beth Shalom of Needham, Hebrew Senior Life’s Hospice Fund or Hebrew Senior Life’s Power A Dream – both organizations that Margie has actively supported and help others in a time of need.

Barbara (Lief) Hurwitz passed away peacefully surrounded by family at home in Weymouth after a brief illness on May 27th 2023 . Barbara was born and raised in Dorchester before moving to Milton with her late parents, Abraham, (Al) and Beatrice Lief. She married the love of her life, the late Norman Hurwitz, in September 1963. Barbara was a homemaker and a mother to her two children, Robin Lee, and Karen MacLeod before taking on a marketing job at the South Shore Plaza, where she loved to meet people, take them to participate in various marketing surveys and shop when she was finished working for the day. She loved to spend her Saturdays with her sister Lois going shopping and out to lunch. Her greatest love and biggest pride was being a grandmother to her six grand children.

Barbara is survived by her sister, Lois Lief of Walpole, her daughter, Robin Lee, and son-in-law, Joseph Lee, and their three children Nicole, Austin, and Lindsay, all of Weymouth , Her daughter, Karen MacLeod, son-in-law, Duncan MacLeod, and their three children, Allyson, Jack, and Ben all of Virginia Beach as well as nieces and nephews. A private graveside service for family will be held on Thursday June 1st. Friends and family are welcome to pay their respects at the Sit Shiva which will be held at the home of Robin and Joe Lee at 73 Heather Lane Weymouth on Thursday June 1st between the hours of 1 p.m and 7 p.m. and on Friday June 2nd between the hours of 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Donations may be made in Barbara’s memory to  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.