Obituaries

Irwin, Molly E. (Brown), of Brighton, MA, formerly of Newton, MA passed away surrounded by loving family August 23, 2022. Beloved wife of Dennis W. Irwin. Cherished daughter of Robert Brown and Barbara (Sandler) Brown. Loving sister of Nicholas Brown and his wife Caitlin and Sara Berenson and her husband Evan. Devoted aunt of Ella, Zoe, and Jordyn Berenson, Morgan and Avery Brown, and Madeline and Declan Stilling. Services at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward St., Newton, MA on Friday, August 26, 2022 at 11 am. The service will be livestreamed through the Temple Emanuel Website. Burial will be private.  Memorial observance will be held immediately following services on Friday at the home of Robert and Barbara Brown until 6 pm,  Sunday 4-8 pm, and Monday, 6-8 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Molly’s memory may be made to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

87, of Framingham, passed on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, surrounded by his family.  Beloved husband of Beverly.  Devoted father of Lisa Rosen Wiener (Daniel), Laurie Schneider and Richard Rosen (Maria). Loving grandfather of Brianna, Brittany, Blake, Rebecca, Elyssa and Dean.  He was predeceased by his parents Louis and Fannie Rosen and his siblings, Robert, Teddy, Rachel, Wilma and Harry. A graveside service will be held at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon, MA on Thursday, August 18, at 11:45 a.m.  Shiva will be held at his former residence on Friday August 19 from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in his memory to the VA Boston, ATTN:  Volunteer Services, Recreational Services Fund #5102 – IMO William Rosen, 1400 VFW Parkway, MA 02132.

Of Bethesda, Maryland, age 77, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Santa Cruz, California, and Wayland, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully after a long illness on August 17, 2022 surrounded by her family. Rebekah was the eldest child of Benjamin and Sylvia (Harris) Ralen of Brookline where she was raised. She graduated from Brookline High School and attended Lasell College in Newton. She worked in retail sales, though her true calling was in Jewish education, teaching Hebrew school at Congregation Beth El in Sudbury and later in California and Florida. She was the wife of the late Neil Grossman to whom she was married for 19 years.

Rebekah was a spiritual, intellectual, and contemplative person who loved to make others laugh. She was a fierce feminist and was involved with a number of social and political causes, including her passionate work on behalf of the Action for Soviet Jewry in the 1980s. Advocacy and justice were guiding principles in her life – using her voice to stand up for others. She believed in Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept defined by acts of kindness performed to repair the world by helping one person at a time.

One of Rebekah’s favorite quotes was by Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life,” and it was common for her to ask a variation of this question of total strangers. One of her greatest gifts was her ability to listen deeply, always seeking to understand the story of other people’s lives, their cultures, and their perspectives.

The shores of Martha’s Vineyard and California brought her joy; Lambert’s Cove Beach on the Vineyard was her place of peace. She was a lifelong learner, devoured poetry, and was an avid reader, sometimes reading multiple books in one day. She could discourse on many subjects, including ethics, politics, and religion. As a child, some of her best memories were driving through New Hampshire and Vermont with her father looking for old, interesting books at yard sales.

Rebekah is survived by her children Adam (and Roni) Grossman of Chevy Chase, MD, Gabriel Grossman of Boca Raton, FL, and Miranda (Jesus Bulnes) Grossman of Fort Lauderdale, FL, six grandchildren Nathaniel, Jackman, Alexa, Noah, Asher and Micha, two step-grandchildren Rebecca and Riley, her sister Annette (Paul) Roberts of Newton, her brother John (Sally) Ralen of Framingham, her sister-in-law Alberta (Roger) Lipson of Brookline and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at Beit Olam Cemetery, 60 Old Sudbury Rd. ( Enter North Cemetery) in Wayland, Massachusetts on August 19, 2022 at 1:00 pm, followed by a gathering at Temple Shir Tikva.  Remembrances may be made to https://gofund.me/4083b363.

Gertrude “Gitty” Wind Scheft, whose early passion for Massachusetts Democratic politics was eventually eclipsed by her lifelong passion for Massachusetts golf, passed away peacefully at Carlton-Willard Village in Bedford August 17. She was 99.

Upon graduating from Radcliffe in 1946, Scheft volunteered for her first campaign, when war hero John F. Kennedy sought James Michael Curley’s suddenly vacated congressional seat in the 11^th District. With his father financing and running his campaign, the young Kennedy established residency in an apartment at 122 Bowdoin Street, across from the Massachusetts State House. Scheft’s primary job was to clean the apartment. Over the years, whenever asked about her initial impressions of the eventual 35^th President, Scheft would say, “the most charismatic, but not the tidiest…”

Scheft worked for numerous Democratic state and local candidates, and served as a Massachusetts coordinator on both Adlai Stevenson Presidential campaigns. In 1948, she was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. By the early 1950s, she was the first female executive secretary of the Massachusetts chapter of Americans for Democratic Action.

When Foster Furcolo was elected governor of the Commonwealth in 1956, his office wanted a recurring morning television showcase for his wife, Kay, to appeal to stay-at-home housewives and mothers. They recruited Scheft, who had studied acting in prep school and college, to be her cohost. “Coffee with Kay” ran weekly for two years on WNAC.

Scheft reunited with Kennedy to work on his Presidential campaign in 1960. During an early staff confab, she told then Pennsylvania businessman and top Kennedy aide Milton Shapp her idea for an international volunteer program for recent college graduates. Shapp passed on the idea to the candidate, and is widely credited with promoting the concept that became the Peace Corps.

In addition to politics, Scheft spent her life devoted to various philanthropic pursuits. In 1964, Governor Endicott Peabody appointed her a trustee of Metropolitan State Hospital, a groundbreaking institution devoted to the mentally ill.

Born in Brockton in 1923, the fourth of six children to local leather magnate Max Wind and his wife Dora, by the late 1950s, Gitty (her father’s pet name that stuck) was busy raising six children of her own with Bill Scheft, the son of Beverly shoe wholesale-retailer Harry Scheft, who regularly did business with Max Wind. The two had been set up by their respective mothers in 1942 while Gitty was at Radcliffe and Bill at Harvard Business School. On their second date, they played golf. They were uniquely well-matched as players, a rarity in the male-dominated world of golf in the 1940s. The instant bond proved to be a strong (and fertile) soil on which to build their 65-year marriage. Bill Scheft passed away in June, 2008.

Gitty, who had begun playing golf at the age of seven at nearby Thorny Lea in Brockton, took to the game with rabid fervor. She had the benefit of learning the nuances from her older brother, Herbert Warren Wind, a 3 handicap by the time he turned 20 who would eventually become universally recognized as the Dean of American Golf Writers.

During her eight-decade playing career, Scheft won club championships at four different country clubs and in 1972 was First Flight runner-up for the WGAM (Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts) championship. In 2000, shortly before she stopped playing, Scheft miraculously shot her age (77) at Sterling National Country Club.

She also gave back to the game off the links, serving as WGAM President from 1983-1989 before stepping down to become the first female president of the Francis Ouimet Caddie Scholarship Fund in 1990. Two years before, she successfully spearheaded a movement to get the United States Postal Service to print a commemorative stamp honoring the 75th anniversary of Massachusetts amateur prodigy Ouimet’s unlikely victory in the US Open over former champions Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at the Country Club in Brookline. Under her watch, the Ouimet Fund became and remains the largest independent scholarship fund in New England. 

Gertrude “Gitty” Wind Scheft is survived by her six children, her seven grandchildren and her great grandchild.

Joseph Benjamin Green of Cambridge, Massachusetts, passed away on August 17, 2022 at 74 from pancreatic cancer. An accomplished attorney and tennis player, Joe was known for his integrity and agility, both in court and on the court.

Born in 1947 in New York City, Joe attended Horace Mann School for junior high and high school, followed by Yale University, where he majored in American studies. Upon graduation in 1969, he completed one year at Harvard Law School. He then took a four-year hiatus, during which he served on the Washington, D.C. police force and won a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study the French police. But, as it turned out, the French police did not want to be studied.

All was not lost, however, as he met his future wife, Carol (a fellow New Yorker), in Paris, where she had been working as a textile designer. After embarking on a three-month backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, Joe and Carol returned to the United States, and he completed the last two years of Harvard Law School, graduating in 1976.

Shortly after his law school graduation, Joe and Carol married. Together they have three children, Jeff, Ariana, and Nick. Jeff and his husband, Adam, live in Scottsdale, Arizona, and have two sons, Zac and Ethan. Ariana and her husband, Sam, live in Scarsdale, New York, and have three children, Jella, Jake, and Ezra. Nick lives between New York City and Cambridge, where he has been assisting with Joe’s care since his diagnosis.

Joe’s law career spanned over 40 years, beginning when he joined Hutchins & Wheeler, a Boston law firm. Always drawn to public service, he left private practice and spent the next decade serving as Chief District Court Prosecutor and Director of Policy and Planning for Essex County, Massachusetts.

In 1989, Joe returned to private practice, joining the Boston law firm of Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, and soon became a partner. His practice areas included special education, personal injury, criminal law, and disability rights. In addition, he authored a book and several articles on evidence, trial practice and procedure, and criminal law. Outside of the office, Joe was an advocate for disability rights and served on the board of the Massachusetts Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.

Joe was an avid tennis player. He played every Tuesday evening with a steady group of friends for more than 30 years and was a loyal member of the Cambridge Tennis Club, where he also served on the board. He and his son Nick won the father-son doubles championship in 2009. He also won the men’s doubles championships in 2002 and 2006.

Joe always looked forward to his weekly golf outings, which occurred on the many Wednesday afternoons he and his golf group took off from work to hit the links. In addition to the local greens, they also enjoyed traveling to play courses across the United States and in other parts of the world.

Joe was a beloved son of Ruth Finley Lein, the founder and publisher of The Fashion Calendar, and of Hank Green. He is survived by his brothers, Jim Green of Brewer, Maine, and Larry Lein of Cresskill, New Jersey.

There will be a memorial service in September, the time and date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Joseph B. Green can be made to the ACLU of Massachusetts: https://bit.ly/JoeGreenTribute

KUR, Mitchell, 87, of Dedham, August 13, 2022. Beloved son of the late Jack and Etta Kur. Loving husband of the late Carol Kur. Devoted father of Alison Kur (the late Michael Oshins), Susan Lees (Matthew), Dana Snyder (Andrew). Proud grandfather of Abi, Jem and Zachary Oshins, Josh and Jake Lees, and Gabe, Ben and Jon Snyder. Brother of the late Eunice Cooper (Roger) and Ed Kur (Sally), and loving uncle of many nieces and nephews. Mitch was born in Kansas City, Missouri. As a child he developed a love of learning, Judaism, and the arts. His first semester at Yale University (1957) he met Carol, his partner in life for 63 years until her death in 2020. After serving in the US Armed Forces, Mitch was selected for General Electric’s management training program and earned his MBA at Syracuse University (1965). He was a business manager, controller, and executive in a variety of industries, spending many years at Digital Equipment Corporation, later working as a consultant and real estate agent. He served as board member of Temple Beth Am in Framingham, Massachusetts, was a founder of the Jewish Federation in Framingham, and was a founder and long-term board member of the Rashi Jewish Day School. In recent decades he was a dedicated member of both Temple Israel in Boston and Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. A lover of the arts, Mitch (with Carol and friends) owned an art gallery, was a founding contributor to the Danforth Museum. A violinist from an early age he held season tickets to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was also an avid Boston sports fan. Mitch married his beloved Carol at age 22. They spent a lifetime together in an extraordinary partnership, filled with love and affection for each other, their children, and grandchildren. He was kind, smart and loving – a true gentle man and mensch. A service will be held  at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Rd. Wellesley on Tuesday at 2:00 PM followed by burial at Temple Emeth Memorial Park, West Roxbury. Donations can be made to Temple Beth Elohim of Wellesley, MA, Temple Israel of Boston, MA, Danforth Museum of Framingham or Newbridge on the Charles in Dedham, MA.

Alan Kronenberg, of Needham, age 63, passed away on August 12, 2022, after a long illness. Alan was the son of Marianne and the late Marvin Kronenberg. A 1982 graduate of Miami University (Ohio), he is survived by sister Judy Bruenjes and her husband Mike, and by his brother Jerry Kronenberg and his wife Karen. Alan was also the loving uncle of David and Lily Bruenjes. He is also survived by many cousins, and by his friend and longtime PCA Princessa Clendinen. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.

Janice Indeck, born Janice Sarah Rabinovitz, passed away on August 11 at the age of 93. The daughter of Ada and Jacob Rabinovitz, she began her life in Boston Massachusetts until eventually trading the harsh winters for the warmth and sunshine of Coral Springs, Florida. As the steadfast matriarch of a sprawling family, it was her boundless passion that became the gravitational force that held us together through times of prosperity and periods of struggle and would endure to shape the generations to come.

For Janice, an eternal romantic, life was a constant adventure filled with literary pursuits, spur of the moment trips, and most importantly, love. Like she said, “I love life, others dream of something better, I dream of more of the same.” However, her deepest love was for her six children, their spouses, her 17 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, each of whom claim their own special relationship with “Granjan.” A prolific writer, she imprinted us all with her talent to capture the magic of words and inspired many of us to become school newspaper editors, writers, and poets—while ingraining writing into the very soul of our family. She published a novel, One Last Child and countless collections of poems and aphorisms. But her tremendous literary influence did not stop there. Up until her illness, Janice taught classes at the local library and through video conferences with the goal of guiding her many class participants to write their life stories, giving a voice to so many who had previously been unheard and securing their narratives in history. The classes grew and for many the joy of writing became a highlight of their lives.

Granjan had an indomitable will, the impossible was merely a temporary condition. Born an heiress to the Stop and Shop empire her father started, Janice found herself at one point with her fortune gone and six children to support. Drawing from her knowledge of antiques, Janice started a business.  She began with yard sales, graduated to estate sales, opened her own successful antique store, “Yesterday’s Yield,” and then become an auctioneer. This child of privilege proved she could succeed in the toughest of circumstances. Janice was very specific that she was four feet, eleven and three-quarters of an inch tall, but her presence in our lives was that of a giant. None of her will to thrive was lost on those that loved her. Each of us, when times got tough, would reach out to Granjan, never failing to come away with a sense of strength and purpose to overcome the hurdles in our lives.

Married four times, the brilliant and beautiful Janice Rabinovitz loved the way she lived—passionately.  She was always stylish, favored extravagant jewelry and was ravenous for a new adventure. She craved knowledge and astounded many doctors and scholars with her grasp of a seemingly limitless store of information and opinions. Life with Granjan was inescapably vivacious, compellingly chaotic, and absolutely unforgettable. She was also the rock that we all stood upon, and we will miss her fiercely. But her astonishing legacy has insured that each of us will be able to hear the strength of her counsel in our minds for evermore.

Gerratt, Irving, of Dennisport, MA passed away August 11, 2022. Beloved husband of Lucille (Levine) Gerratt. Devoted father of Emily and Bradley Gerratt. Proud grandfather of Aaron and Nathan. Loving brother of the late Milton and Henry Gerratt. Graveside services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Irving’s memory may be made to the Lower Cape Outreach Council, Inc.

Irving grew up in Boston and attended Bentley School of Accounting and Finance. He proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946, after which he owned and ran a printing company with his brother Milton. In 1988 Irving and Lucille retired to Cape Cod, a place they visited for many years. Irving was a respected pillar of their condominium community, often helping his neighbors, and serving for many years as Chair of the resident-led management association. 

Irving was married to Lucille for 74 joy-filled years. He was a gentle, kind, and caring person who loved to laugh and had a wonderful, often silly sense of humor. He was quiet, yet outspoken about the things that mattered most to him. He believed people should treat each other respectfully and decently, both personally and in their communities.

David G. Eisenstadt, of Belmont and North Falmouth, passed at home on August 9, 2022, at the age of 79, after a long illness.

Dave was born in Roxbury, MA to the Hon. Samuel and Esther. He was always proud to proclaim that he was a “Roxbury boy.” He graduated from Milton High School in 1960, and Boston University in 1965. He followed in his father’s footsteps into the legal field and graduated from BU Law in 1968. He was an Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County, and then worked with his father, and eventually in his own private practice. He was held in high esteem as a criminal defense lawyer. Dave counted among his friends many fellow lawyers, judges, clerks, court officers and police officers.

Dave was the most devoted father a child could ask for. Throughout his entire life, his children came above all else. He was there for his children every step of their lives; from the moment they were born to the day he died. His devotion carried on to his 12 grandchildren. He never missed a dance recital, sports event, or school milestone. Each of his grandchildren believed they were his favorite.

He met the love of his life, Emily Woods and they spent 15 beautiful years together, enjoying life at their homes on Cape Cod and Anna Maria Island, FL. They also traveled extensively to Africa, Greece, Italy, France, and the US. Every day they fell in love all over again.

He is survived by his wife Emily Woods, and his three children Michael Eisenstadt (Sheila) of Needham, Julie Stevens (Scott) of Needham, and Joseph Eisenstadt (Leah) of Sharon. He was the proud grandfather to 12 grandchildren who adored him: Alexa, Samuel, Nicole, Summer, Christina, Charles, Victoria, Ashley, Meredith, Kathryn, Daniel, and Henry.    He is also survived by his two sisters Naomi Stonberg (Jeffrey) of Gloucester, MA and Marilyn Gootman (Elliot) of Athens, GA and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family thanks Mass General Brigham Cancer Care team, and his oncologist Dr. Samuel Klempner, for the compassionate care he received over his 20 month illness.

Family and friends are invited to a memorial service on Friday, August 12, 2022, at 1:00 pm at the Dedham Hilton (25 Allied Drive), followed by a luncheon. Burial service will be private. The family will sit shiva at the Belmont home on Friday evening, August 12 from 6-8 pm. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of David may be made to the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in honor of Dr. Sam Klempner to support Gastric/Esophageal cancer research. Please reference fund 234806. Gifts can be made online here (giving.massgeneral.org/donate)or mailed to Meagan Coons in the MGH Development Office, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114. Checks payable to MGH Cancer Center, Gastric/Esophageal Cancer. Dave also served on the Board of Directors of Neurofibromatosis Northeast, 9 Bedford Street, Burlington, MA 01803. Donations will support NF 1 research in memory of David Eisenstadt.