Obituaries

Jane Price Prager, MD, of Waban and Wellfleet, MA died on November 5, 2022 at the age of 95 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.  Beloved by her family, she leaves her daughter Laura, her husband Frederick Millham and their children Samuel and Lucia; daughter Sarah, her husband Steven Smith and their children Benjamin, Jessica, and Nathan; daughter Margaret, her husband, William Paine and their children David and Susannah; cousin Audrey Escoll; first cousins once removed Adam, Jason, and Amy Brener, and niece Eve Zachary Mykytyn.  Her husband of 56 years, Alan S. Prager, MD, died in 2013.

Born and raised in New Jersey and Florida, she moved to Boston, MA to attend Boston University School of Education and then Boston University School of Medicine, from which she graduated in 1954.  Dr. Prager was a woman of great integrity and insight; she was also a pioneer. From a young age, she knew she wanted to have a family and to pursue a career in medicine at a time when few women did both.  Following graduation from medical school, she served as an editor of the first edition of Dr. Stanley Robbin’s textbook of pathology, The Pathologic Basis of Disease, the standard text for medical students and residents for at least half a century. She then completed a pediatric internship at Boston City Hospital and an adult psychiatry residency at Boston State Hospital, where she met her husband.  After finishing her residency, she had three daughters and stayed home with them for several years.  However, determined to become a child psychiatrist, in 1962 she applied to what was then the Radcliffe Institute for Independent Studies and was awarded a Bunting Fellowship not once, but twice, which paid a stipend to cover the childcare she needed so that she could finish her training.  She maintained an active private practice in adult and child psychiatry for half a century.

Dr. Prager had a natural sense of style and loved beautiful things, particularly jewelry.  At 75, she became a GIA-certified gemologist.  Having been denied a Bat Mitzvah at 13 because of the rules in her family’s synagogue, she studied Hebrew as an adult and became a Bat Mitzvah at age 80.  Despite all her accomplishments, personal and professional, she found the most joy in her family, particularly the times she shared with her children and grandchildren on the beaches of Wellfleet.  Services will be held at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA (parking on the Riverway), November 10, 2022 at 10 am. Memorial Observance will be held at the home of Laura Prager and Frederick Millham. Donations in Dr. Jane Prager’s honor may be made to Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children at 125 Hartwell Avenue Lexington, MA 02421, mspcc.org/donate.

Frank Anthony Donato of Waban passed at his residence on October 31, 2022. Frank founded and ran Radiant Fuel Company, West Newton, for 50 years. Frank would have been 96 in January. He was the beloved husband of 67years to the late Carlene Evelyn Donato. He was the devoted father of Steven and his wife Patricia of West Newton; Mark and his wife Virginia of Weston; five beloved grandchildren. Visitation will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, November 3^rd at St. Julia Church in Weston, MA, with Mass following at 11:00 AM. Interment at the Linwood Cemetery following the Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Frank’s name to The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at: www.alzfdn.org.

Richard “Dick” Usen of Lexington, age 91,died peacefully on October 28, 2022.   Dick was a hard worker who some called the renaissance man because he was able to use his education to pursue his favorite hobbies such as flying, sailing, and learning to fix anything that was broken. He received his BS in mechanical engineering from Tufts University.   He is survived by his loving wife Judith Usen, son Michael Usen, stepchildren Dara Borto along with her husband Matt Borto, David Morris along with his wife Kristen Morris, and his beloved grandchildren Max, Julie, Jessica, Chloe and Cole. He was predeceased by his brother Robert Usen.  Dick’s family wants to thank the staff at Bridges by EPOC of Lexington for their incredible care.  A graveside service and burial will be held on Tuesday, November 1 , 2022 at the Westview Cemetery in Lexington, MA.   In lieu of flowers a remembrance may be made to the Lewy Body Foundation Association (lbda.org) or Temple Beth David, Westwood, MA.

Carol Lider Thrope-Of Arlington left us too soon on October 26, 2022, a month shy of her 71^st birthday after a long bout with the cruel ravages of Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s. Loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and cousin, Carol was an energetic free spirit whose bonds with family and enduring friendships enriched those who knew her. Working in the fields of adoption and senior care, she spent her social work career helping others from newborns to the very old. She was a passionate and knowledgeable bird watcher and an enthusiastic runner. After years as a single parent with her daughter Kendra, she met Marty at a square dance at the VFW in Cambridge, and they married a year later. With deep respect for the memory of Marty’s first wife who had died five years earlier, Carol embraced as her own his young children Sam and Juliana, and she and Marty together built a family, first with the three children they brought to the marriage and then with their “ours” daughter Charlene. Carol was born in Boston in 1951, daughter of Edward and Dorothy (Yamins) Lider, and grew up in Newton. She received her BA degree from Brandeis University and her MSW degree from California State University Sacramento. She is survived by her husband of 30 years Martin; her children Kendra Lider-Johnson (Robert Wolfe), Samuel (Esther Rachow), Juliana Lewis (Thomas), and Charlene (Max Buckler); her grandchildren George, Elizabeth, Noam, Livia, Binah, Katelyn, Aiden, and Emerson; her sister Jane Goldman and her sister-in-law Lisa Lider; her sister-in-law Aileen Grossberg (Marc), her brother-in-law David Thrope (Janet); her Goldman nephews, and her Lider and Yamins cousins. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Robert, Kendra’s father George Johnson, and her niece Stephanie Goldman. Her family wishes to acknowledge the entire staff at Belmont Manor and at Compassionate Care Hospice, as well as everyone else who was part of Carol’s care and the village of kind people who helped in ways great and small. Funeral service at Temple Emunah, 9 Piper Rd., Lexington, on Sunday, October 30, 2022, at 1:30 pm (masks are required). Interment to follow at Temple Beth El Cemetery, Waverly Avenue, Chelmsford. Memorial observance will be at her late residence until 9:00 pm Sunday and continuing Monday thru Thursday 1-5 pm, and 7-9 pm with Maa’riv service 7:45 pm, Shaharit 8:00 am, including Friday morning. Donations in Carol’s memory may be made to Temple Emunah, Mass Audubon, Parkinson’s Foundation, and Lewy Body Dementia Association.

Samuel D. Pugach, of Wellesley, former owner of Waltham Floor Covering, died peacefully on October 24, 2022 at Mass General Hospital of complications from melanoma immunotherapy. He was surrounded by his adoring family. Sam was devoted to and is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Niki (Kirshner) Pugach; his beloved daughters, Jill Lewis and Emily Pugach, along with their husbands, Ben Lewis and Jason Magida, his grandchildren, Lila, Sophie, Ari, and Mollie, and his sister Helen Karlsberg. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Parmenter Foundation (ParmenterFoundation.org), 260 Boston Post Rd., Suite 5, Wayland, MA 01776, or an animal shelter of your choice. Sam’s family wishes to thank the staff of Ellison 9 for their incredible care.

Matthew Lorber of Westwood, passed away on Friday, October 21, 2022 at the age of 87.

Matt was raised in Brooklyn, NY, where he lived with his parents, beloved sisters Joan Rosenman and Elaine Rothstein, and their paternal grandparents, who immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe. He attended P.S. 197 and graduated from Freeport High School on Long Island.

Matt received his Bachelors (1956) and Masters (1958) degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon graduating, he joined MIT’s Instrumentation Lab (Draper Labs), where he helped develop the inertial navigation system for the U.S. Navy’s first submarine-launched ballistic missile. He went on to found multiple companies, including Analog Devices with his classmate Raymond Stata and Copley Controls. More recently, he established the Lorber Family Foundation dedicated to expanding opportunities for those less fortunate.

Among his many accomplishments, he was most proud of his people – his colleagues from the boardroom to the factory floor, who knew him as a brilliant, yet empathetic and generous leader; and, most of all, his family:

He was the devoted and loving partner of Susan Marriott Lorber for more than 55 years; they shared countless days skiing in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, running along the Cape Cod coast, playing golf and rooting for the Boston Red Sox.

Matt cherished and supported his daughter, Sarah Jane Lorber and her husband Feliks Kogan at every turn, and was forever planning special experiences to share with his first grandson, Isaac Matthew Lorber Kogan. Throughout his lifetime he raised many dogs, who were so much more than pets.

A funeral service and burial for immediate family and close friends will be held at Mt Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Cardiac team at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Joel Osit of Westborough, MA (who was born on May 9, 1935 and lived most of his life in New York) passed away peacefully October 24, 2022 at the age of 87. He was a loving and devoted husband of his late wife Norma (Handler) Osit. A kind, thoughtful and gentle father of Matthew and his wife Pamela Potter-Osit, and Shari and her husband Chris Innamorati. The proudest Zayde EVER to Tyler (15), Sara (13), Brooke (8), and Sofia (8). He was the son of Barney and Marion (Erde) Osit and leaves his one sister Carol Osit Davis.

Joel was unique in so many ways, and he knew it. He cared about others more than himself, frugal in his own way but extremely generous, hard-working his entire life, and 100% dedicated to his wife, children and grandkids.

He is now with Norma shopping at Costco, planning their next vacation, watching the stock market, going to Broadway shows, listening to show music, enjoying a view of Delray Beach FL, watching their grandkids grow, wearing shirts that are 20+ years old, playing poker, watching tv, drinking mocha frappes, and waiting for this daily check-in phone call from his daughter. Of course, he is sitting in his “club chair”.

The family is having an intimate graveside funeral service at Beit Olam EAST cemetery, 42 Concord Rd., Wayland, MA on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 2 pm. Shiva will be observed on Sunday, October 30 from 12-4pm with a memorial service at 3pm at the home of Shari and Chris, 27 Magnolia Lane, North Grafton. If anyone has any stories that they would like to share, please do so.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joel’s memory may be made to the Allyson Whitney Foundation www.allysonwhitney.org

Michael Steven Thompson

August 13, 1950 – October 23, 2022

Michael Steven Thompson, M.D., beloved father, brother, and friend passed away Sunday October 23 at his home in Weston, Massachusetts, following a years-long battle with cancer. He was 72 years old. His sense of humor, love of jazz, photography, golf, grilling, sailing, skiing, cars, hunting, and most importantly, his love for his family and friends were with him to the end.

Michael was born at home on August 13, 1950, in New York, New York, the son of Edna and Errol Thompson, M.D. and younger brother of Karen Greene, Ph.D. and Arthur Thompson, M.D., both of whom survive him. The family moved to New Rochelle in the mid 1950s, where Michael had an active childhood of sports and playing with his brother Arthur, which resulted in numerous trips to the ER and many doctors’ offices, and an eventual love for medicine and orthopedics. Prior to pursing medicine, Michael earned his B.S. from Columbia University in 1973 before matriculating at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University, graduating in 1977. He remained in Syracuse for two years of general surgery residency with Arthur before accepting the prestigious offer to complete his residency training in orthopedics at Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston.

Michael embraced the challenges that orthopedic surgery presented, relishing the opportunity to alleviate his patients’ pain. Many facets of his personality contributed to him providing the best care to his patients and to being an outstanding surgeon, including his attention to detail and the standards to which he held himself and those around him. He also welcomed the role of resident doctor within his circle of friends, regardless of the hour, gladly sharing his knowledge and advising friends and family, when they inevitably had a medical concern they brought to him.

When he wasn’t in the operating room or seeing patients, Michael could be found on the golf course, rain (snow, freezing temperatures) or shine. He loved traveling to play on some of the best courses in the world. Other free time was occupied by skiing down the slopes of Sugarbush, cruising around on Trivial Pursuit (his sailboat), driving his beloved Porsche around a race track, or hunting. If he wasn’t doing one those things (or even if he was), he had a camera in his hands, documenting important moments in the lives of family and friends or capturing breathtaking shots of waterfalls in Iceland or zebras in Tanzania. During his quieter moments, he could also often be found in front of one of his many grills, smoking his famous ribs or firing up a juicy steak.

Michael had a deep passion for technology; always researching the latest gadgets, whether for the operating room, his kitchen, or his photography. His legacy and enthusiasm for innovation lives on at Lahey Hospital, where he advocated and arranged for the funding of a surgical simulation center to train the next generation of orthopedic surgeons.

The greatest joy of Michael’s life was being father to Mikaela (25) and Isabelle (15). He took immense pride in their accomplishments and enjoyed being able to see them grow into young women and showcase their talents in the classroom, in the gym/pool and on the stage. Michael left this earth knowing that both girls are secure in their futures and comforted by many memories of laughter and love.

Shiva will be held at Michael’s former home, 4 Nolte Cir, Weston, MA, on:
• Thursday, October 27 from 4 pm-7pm,
• Saturday, October 29 from 6pm-9pm, and
• Sunday, October 30 from 1pm-5pm and

The memorial service will be held at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Rd. Wellesley on Monday, October 31 at 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Michael to the National Medical Fellowship. This is an organization that provides scholarships and support to students underrepresented in medicine. You can send a check to National Medical Fellowship at 1199 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (write “Dr. Michael Steven Thompson” in the memo. Or visit the website: https://nmfonline.org/support-us/donate-now/, select “Other” under Designation, and put “Dr. Michael Steven Thompson” under Gift Designation Specification.

Yetta Charness, our wonderful Mom, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Aunt, left us at age  98 on October 15,2022. She leaves behind three children: Judith (Breinin), Michael, and Joanne (Bienstock); three Grandchildren: Adam, Justin, and Nina (Merlin); and one great-grandchild: Layla Ruth Charness. She was a very intelligent and strong person and incredibly devoted to her family. We were truly blessed to have her in our lives for so long. Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 12:45 pm. Shiva will be held immediately after the funeral at 3 Tally Ho Lane, Framingham, MA.

Dylan James Newman, forever beloved son of Beth and Matthew Newman, brother of Zachary and Aiden Newman, grandson of Stanley and Darlene Portnow of Scarsdale, NY and Sam and Dolores Newman of Boca Raton, FL. Nephew of Michael and Gemma Newman of Boca Raton, FL, Jana Portnow and Jonathan Grossman of South Pasadena, CA and Kara Rortnow of San Francisco, CA and cousin of Eli Grossman and Tovi Portnow of South Pasadena, CA and Benjamin Roufa of San Francisco, CA. Memorial Observance at the Newman Residence on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20 from 1:00-6:00 pm. Remembrances in Dylan’s memory may be made to Temple Shalom (Dylan Newman Memorial Fund), 175 Temple St., West Newton, MA 02465. https://www.templeshalom.org/donate