Obituaries

Joan Ruth Miller Abrams , a life long resident of Brookline, died peacefully on January 19, 2023. For 64 years she was the beloved wife of the late Honorable Herbert Abrams, retired Justice of the Superior Court of Massachusetts. Loving mother of Richard Bruce Miller Abrams and adored grandmother of Michael Ian Miller Abrams and his wife Helen Abrams. Daughter of the late Maurice I. Miller and Minna Broos Miller of Brookline, and devoted sister to the late PFC KIA Richard Bruce Miller. Private memorial services were held at Temple Israel Cemetery, Wakefield, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Richard Bruce Miller Endowment Fund at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 or to a charity of your choice.

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

Dara Rosenblatt Mehta of Wayland, 69, passed away on Jan. 19. She leaves behind her beloved husband, two children, three grandchildren and countless friends.

Originally from New York, Dara moved to Boston in 1975, where she met Noshir, a dentist associated with Tufts Dental School. The two were married in 1977 and settled in Wellesley, the start of 45 years of joy together. Professionally, Dara created and ran a successful Distance Dental Education program for Tufts, which took her all around the globe. Dara loved travel, meeting people, and above all her family.  Her outgoing personality and willingness to meet individuals with respect and an open heart meant she made friends easily and kept them for life.

Memorial service to be held Jan. 29, 3 pm at Congregation Or Atid in Wayland, Massachusetts.

Irwin Gilden, aged 96.5, formerly of Lake Worth, FL and Long Island, NY, passed away on January 15 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He was the son of the late Samuel and Elizabeth Goldstein. He leaves his beloved bride of 74 years, Marilyn Krieger Gilden. Their love affair began when they were 15 and 16 years old at Sharei Tefilah Synagogue in Far Rockaway, NY.

Irwin was the very best Dad to his devoted daughters and their husbands, Susan and Robert Freedman, and David Freedman, and Shelley and Robert Fish. He was the adored Poppop to Alyson Freedman, Adam Freedman, Scott and Alli Fish, and Andrew Fish, and the Great Poppop to Finn Rowe Fish.

Irwin was predeceased by his loving brother-in-law Maxwell Krieger, and leaves his sister-in-law Bette Krieger Halpert and her husband Jay Halpert, and his New York nieces and nephews and their families.

Irwin was born in Lawrence, NY, was the valedictorian of his Hebrew School, served in WWII, and then graduated from NYU. He had a long and successful career in retail advertising, which brought him to the Boston area in the 1970s.

Irwin was an avid sportsman who enjoyed horseback riding, racquetball, skiing, swimming laps, and golf.  He loved to bodysurf and swim buoy to buoy at Atlantic Beach, Douses Beach, and West Palm Beach. He and Marilyn enjoyed bridge games with friends and family.

Poppop loved watching his grandsons participate in High School ski races, even during extreme cold temperatures. A highlight of Poppop’s birthday celebrations was listening to his granddaughter sing Edelweiss and My Heart Will Go On, his favorite song.

Irwin was a talented color-blind artist, whose beautiful oil paintings hang in the homes of many of his family and friends.

A private graveside service will be held at Sharon Memorial on Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Shohet Family Fund for Ewing Sarcoma Research in honor of Irwin and Marilyn’s young cousin, Noah.

Robert “Bobby” D. Sharton, age 64, of Newton, MA, passed away peacefully on January 13, 2023, surrounded by loved ones. Adoring and devoted dad to Ben and Maddie. Beloved brother of Jim Sharton and his wife Gretchen, and Rick Sharton and his wife Brenda. Treasured uncle to Theo, Will, Drew, Charlie, Chloë, Alec, and Phoebe. Former husband of Patty Cutler-Sharton. Friend to so very many. Services at Temple Beth Shalom, 670 Highland Ave, Needham, MA, on Wednesday, January 18 at 1 pm. Memorial Observance will be at the residence of Jim Sharton and Gretchen Fischer after the service from 4-9 pm and Thursday from 4-9 pm. In lieu of flowers, remembrances to Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.

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

To read words of remembrance please click here.

Kerry Dugan passed peacefully on Tuesday morning, pain-free and surrounded by family. An arduous struggle with Lewy Body Dementia slowly stole one of the most beautifully gifted minds one might have the pleasure to encounter. As a veteran, father, grandfather, husband, brother, and professor, he touched thousands of lives with his unique flavor of philosophy, religion, ethics, the paranormal, and terrible jokes.

Kerry was an Air Force veteran, serving at Sculthorpe Air Force Base in England before returning to the U.S. in 1964 to attend Northeastern University.  While at Northeastern he pursued his passion in theatre, serving as president for the Silver Masque for several years, working as a crew member, student director, and excelling as a stage manager.

Kerry’s first co-op job as a computer programmer at John Hancock Life Insurance Company led him down a career path in IT, where he directed computer centers at such companies as the United Way, Camp Dresser & McKee, and Tufts University.

Ultimately however, his love for philosophy and teaching beckoned too strongly to ignore. Building on his undergraduate study of philosophy, Kerry pursued advanced degrees in education and philosophy during which time he began teaching under the tutelage of a master in the Socratic method of teaching philosophy.  His 25-year career as a charismatic faculty member in the philosophy department at Northeastern University touched the lives of countless students, so many of whom felt their lives had been forever changed by him.  He lives on in the lives of others.

Graveside service at Hand in Hand Cemetery, Centre St., West Roxbury, on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 12 noon. Shiva will be held at his late residence, Monday 5 – 8 pm, Tuesday 2-4 & 6:30 – 8 pm, and Wednesday 6- 8 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Kerry’s memory may be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Foundation or the Tibetan Association of Boston.

Marjorie (Cohen) Kraft of Longboat Key, FL, formerly of Newton, passed peacefully at age 98 on January 12, 2023. Beloved wife for 48 years of the late Melvin D. Kraft. Devoted mother of Fred Kraft and his wife Debby, Bruce Kraft and his wife Karen, and the late Debra Sinai and her surviving husband Eli.  Dear grandmother of Marci Kraft, Jeffrey Kraft and his wife Shira, Jody Kraft Miller and her husband Sam, Amy Kraft Smith and her husband Dan, Yonatan Sinai, and Anav Sinai Turgeman and her husband Asaf. Cherished great-grandmother of Leo and Micah Kraft, Elliot and Julian Smith, Be’eri, Naria and Benjamin Turgeman. Loving sister of the late Eleanor Litner.  Graveside services will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 12:45 PM at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon. Memorial observance will be private. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Aviva Senior Living, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota, FL  34235, or a charity of your choice.

Lawrence A. Kellem of Hull passed peacefully on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at the age of 90. Larry was predeceased by his amazing wife of 62 years, Cynthia, and is survived by his son David Kellem and his partner Kristin Beane, his son Steven Kellem and his partner Andraea McKenney, and his daughter, Amy Slotnick and her husband Dan. Larry is the grandfather of Sarah Rubin and her husband Matt, Jordan Kellem and his wife Katie, Matthew Kellem, Noah Kellem, Will Kellem, and Nell Asbrand. Larry’s life was beautifully brightened by his great-grandsons Parker Kellem and Davis Rubin. Larry was a renowned citizen and leader of the Town of Hull, which was his fulltime hometown since the 1950’s. His many civic accomplishments include leading the establishment of a permanent, full-service medical center in Hull, for which he was honored by the dedication of the facility in his name. During the Blizzard of ‘78 Larry organized the town-wide response effort to establish temporary shelter for hundreds of displaced residents, and he was a key figure in the town’s recovery in the aftermath of the storm. Even though Larry took much pride in serving as president and board member of the Hull Chamber of Commerce and as President, Treasurer and Board Member of Temple Beth Sholom, his
favorite accomplishment was managing the 1971 Hull Little League championship team, Paragon Park. To countless other civic and charitable groups, Larry was a willing and much-sought-out advisor. Professionally, Larry was a respected and talented attorney. He was one of the last great small-town general practitioners, maintaining his private practice in Hull for over 50 years. He met the legal needs of nearly everyone and in every way: from drafting simple wills to crafting zoning by-laws; from defending Hull’s sons and daughters (who may have had too much to drink) to shepherding the permitting of hotels and licensing of restaurants. He was a constant advocate and a sage influence at Hull Town Meetings. If you wanted something done well, and fairly, Larry was your guy. His sons, who practiced with him for many years, and his daughter (who escaped the practice of law), lovingly referred to him as “Loophole Larry.” Services will be at Temple Beth Sholom, Boyer Auditorium, 600 Nantasket Avenue, Hull, on Monday, January 16, at 11:00 a.m. Burial to follow at Hull Village Cemetery. Following burial, a memorial reception will be at The Parrot, at 1 Hull Shore Drive. The memorial observance will continue at 2A Marina Drive (Spinnaker Island Clubhouse), Hull. Observance hours will be 6-9 p.m. Monday evening, and 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be kindly made to Temple Beth Shalom of Hull or the Hull Scholarship Fund (care of Hingham Institution for Savings in Hull).

Alyse Naomi “Omi” Kamy Cantor, of Framingham, Massachusetts, died Thursday afternoon January 12, 2023, at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale.  She was 86.  Born in New York City, she moved with her sister Roberta and parents to various cities and towns in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.  The daughter of a Hebrew Educator, she was among the first women of her generation to attend Hebrew School and have a Bat Mitzvah ceremony.  Education was life-long and nonnegotiable to her.

One month after matriculating at Douglas College, the sister college of Rutgers University, she met the love of her life, Paul Cantor, at a Hillel function. Six-foot, three inch Paul, and five foot Omi made quite a dashing, if not seemingly incompatible, pair. They remained inseparable until his death in 2020.

Omi had many professions and many passions.  In addition to being an at-home parent to three precocious boys, she taught Hebrew School, worked as bookkeeper and partner in Paul’s car rental company, engaged in market research at a company acquired by Equifax, then, at the age of 60, opened her own market research company, which she operated until 2016.  She was an avid knitter, reader, news junkie, mall-walker, cookbook collector, and traveler.

Her loves were unmediated and also nonnegotiable. Family. Judaism. Food. Democratic politics. A woman of unceasing energy and motivation, she was  at her most elevated self when these were experienced in combination, as in celebration of Passover seders, when she would host 25 or more family members and assorted invitees to an evening few would forget, and most would eagerly await the following year.

Omi was a zealous investor. She invested in her synagogue family at Temple Israel in Natick. She invested in cherished and lifelong friendships made throughout her life’s chapters, whether from college, or tenures in New Brunswick, Pittsburgh, New Canaan, and Framingham.  Omi invested in her love of beautiful clothes. She even belonged to an investment club.

But by far, her greatest and most treasured investment was in Paul, her adoring husband of 63 years, her three sons and their spouses – Marc and Emily (Lazar), Steve and Zhanna Cantor, Larry and Deborah Cantor, her grandchildren and their spouses, Dmitri and Dinah (Ribarsky), Tali and Mike (Feldman), Eva and Ralf (De Houwer), Josh and Ilayda (Williamson), Max and Avanna Cantor, Rachel Lazar, and Nate Baker – and her three great grandchildren, Oren, Lev and Mischa.  And she joyfully included in this portfolio of wealth her devoted sister, Roberta Diamond, and loving nephews and nieces.

Omi was an indomitable force, whose loss leaves us all with a bit less certainty.  Her memory is certainly a blessing.  Much gratitude is given to all who lovingly cared for her in last days, including her care team at the HRCA, and of course, all of her friends and community.

The funeral is graveside, to be held at 11AM Sunday, January 15, 2023 at the Beit Olam East Cemetery, 42 Concord Road, Wayland MA.

Shiva minyanim and visitation will be held at Marc and Emily’s. Due to Covid concerns, space and times will be limited in numbers.  There is an online sign up at http://www.site38.com/cgi-bin/maorshiva/signup.pl

Donations in Omi’s memory may be made to the charity of your choice.  Based on her passions, she would have selected any of these:

JF&CS Family Table of Waltham

Yad Chessed

Temple Israel of Natick Adult Education Fund.

Esta M. Keller-. Formerly of Williamsville, NY, passed away peacefully in Framingham, MA, on Jan. 10, 2023 at age 88. Beloved wife of the late Lowell Keller. Loving mother of Larry Keller (Stacey Slavkin), of Needham, and Suzanne Keller (Arlene Weston), of Provincetown. Dear sister of Richard Molish (Ilean), of Ambler, PA. Devoted grandmother of Dr. Evan Keller and Drew Keller. Graveside services will be out of state. Shiva held at the home of Larry & Stacey, 44 Evelyn Rd.,Needham, MA, on Sat., Jan. 14, 7-9 pm. To attend virtually, contact lkeller1015@gmail.com. Contributions in her memory may be made to Temple Beth Zion, Rabbi Brent Gutmann Discretionary Fund, 805 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14209.

Joel I. Ostroff – Of  Newton, Age 82, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2023.Beloved husband of 56 years to Susan A. (Rosencranz) Ostroff. Devoted father of Scott Ostroff and Doug Ostroff and his wife Graciela. Cherished grandfather of Jacob Ostroff. Dear father-in-law to Julie Ostroff. Devoted brother of Barbara Kane and her late husband Sherman, and the late Marilyn Himmelfarb. Devoted brother-in-law of Ellie Skalet and her late husband Ira. Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins. Services in the Chapel of Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 1:00 pm. Following the interment, a memorial observance will be held at his residence until 8:00 pm and Thursday from 1:00 pm -8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to a charity of your choice.