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A

Jennifer Polan
(at bottom) and
some of her Groves
High Sc. hootfriends
(om top): Cassie
Frank, Preya Sharma,
Laura Lessin, Brittany
Bird, and Jennifer
Richards.

True
Friend

And

Helper

DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer

ennifer Polan was the daughter, friend and sister
everyone wished they had.
A graduate of the University of Michigan,
Ms. Polan was studying for a master's degree in
epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta, with the
goal of finding a cure for a rare disease.
Instead, it was a rare disease that took her life..
"Jennifer was a giver, a helper, a contributor, a volun
teer — just a good person," said her father, Jesse Polan.
Her mother, Jane Polan, added, "She was a wonderful
gift that lasted 23 years."
Ms. Polan was a 1994 graduate of Birmingham
Groves High School, where she was co-president of the
student congress during her junior year and graduated
near the top of her class.
Ms. Polan and Preya Sharma, close friends for 15
years, called each other "muchach" — short for
muchacha, a Spanish word they defined as meaning
"buddy" or "friend."
"To me, it meant the most true of friends — the one
you could always count on to laugh or cry with you,
through the good times and bad," Sharma said.
Ms. Polan showed no signs of illness until her sopho-
more year in college, her mother said. Then she was diag-

j

nosed with artero-venous malformation of the brain, a
genetic disorder involving the growth of extra blood vessels.
. On June 1, Ms. Polan moved for the summer to
Chicago, where she had two internships in public health:
working on a newsletter for minority youths with juve-
nile diabetes, and interviewing low-income pregnant
women in a clinic.
The next morning, on June 2, Ms. Polan experienced
indications of a brain hemorrhage and called her mother
who arranged to have her rushed to the hospital. She
died that day.
Even in death, Ms. Polan was a giver, with almost
every part of her body going to people in need.
High school friend Jennifer Richard's said, "You can-
not ask anything more out of life than to be happy, to be
loved and to do good things. Jennifer spent 23 years liv-
ing a life full of these."
Jennifer Polan is survived by her parents, Jesse and
Jane Polan of Franklin; brother, Jason; sister, Jamie;
grandmother, Florence Polan. She was the loving grand-
daughter of the late Bernard Polan, the late Saul J. Turell
and the late Renee G. Turell.
Interment was at Franklin Cemetery. Contributions
may be directed to the Jennifer Gordon Polan
Foundation, do Swistak and Levine, 30445
Northwestern Highway, Suite 140, Farmington Hills, MI
48334. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ❑

SAMUEL ASCHER, 88, of Ann
Arbor, died June 10. Mr. Ascher was a
physicist and department head of sci-
ence in the Detroit public school sys-
tem. He was a lieutenant commander
in the U.S. Navy in World War II.
Mr. Ascher is survived by his sons, -
Kenneth Ascher of Ann Arbor. He
was the beloved husband of the late
Esther Ascher; the loving father of the
late Judith Ascher. Contributions
may be directed to a charity of one's
choice. Interment at Beth El
Memorial Park. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

MILTON AUGUST, 88, of
Farmington Hills, died June 8. Mr.
August owned a cleaning business;
and after retiring at age 62, he took.
accounting classes and worked an
additional 15 years with H & R
Block. He was a member of B'nai
B'rith, was an active bridge player and
loved to fish.
Mr. August is survived by his wife
of 64 years, Hilda August; son and
daughter-in-law, Barry and Libby
August of Farmington Hills; daughter
and son-in-law, Gail and Joel Sachs of
New York; grandchildren, Stephanie
and Jessica August, Erica and David
Sachs; sisters and brother-in-law, Ida
Richmond of Southfield, Shirley and
Arnold Croogloff of Farmington Hills;
sister-in-law, Marion August. He was
the dear brother of the late Sam
August and the late Harold August.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Contributions may be directed to a
charity of one's choice. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

GERTRUDE BRITTEN, 78, of
Farmington Hills, died June .5.
She is survived by her nieces and
nephews, Carol and Barry Rankin,
Joyce and Ken Parker; great-nieces
and nephews, Howard and Jodi
Rankin, Steven Rankin, David
Rankin, Stephanie and Daniel Parker;
great-great-nephew, Zachary Rankin.
She was the beloved wife of the late
Fred Britten.
Graveside services were held at the
Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery.
Contributions can be made to the
charity of one's choice. Arrangements
by Dorfman Funeral Direction.

HERBERT CHASSIN, 87, of
Buffalo, N.Y., died June 3.
He is survived by his wife, Sylvia;
brother and sister-in-law, Burton and
Phyllis Chassin of Southfield.
Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice.

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