Obituaries
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A Great Run
1113:
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer
is act is not finished," says
Harriett Fuller of her
brother, Tony award-win-
ning Broadway producer
Ivan S. Bloch. "He is orchestrating
plays up in heaven."
Mr. Bloch died Jan. 22 at age 60 of
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, after a 6-
year battle.
A mobile home park
developer, Mr. Bloch, of
Bloomfield Hills, took a
life-altering professional
chance on an offer to co-
produce the play Tintypes
on Broadway in 1980. The
adventure was the begin-
ning of a show business
career, leading to the pro-
duction of 14 plays, gather-
ing many Tony nomina-
tions and a Tony award as
producer of "best play" for
Ivan Bloch
The Real Thing in 1984.
Mr. Bloch's sister says,
"Our whole family was
always singing and dancing." Mr.
Bloch and his brother Stuart toured
the country's nightclubs with a musi-
cal act in the late 1950s.
In 1964, he returned to Detroit,
working in real estate, most recently as
chairman of Uniprop, a real estate
investment firm, based in
Birmingham, specializing in manufac-
tured-modular home communities.
But he continued delving into his the-
atrical endeavors. "He followed his
dream," his sister says.
`I've had a hell of a run,' he told his
good friend Rabbi E.B. "Bunny"
Freedman of the Jewish Hospice and
Chaplaincy Network in Southfield last
Friday.
Aided Yeshiva
"He made the support of education
one of the great passions of his life,"
Rabbi Freedman says.
A life-long connection with the
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Southfield
began when Mr. Bloch attended the
school as a youth. "He later brought
in all his friends and business partners
to be involved in the yeshiva, as he
did with other charitable causes," says
Rabbi Freedman. Mr. Bloch was hon-
ored with the school's Golden Torah
Award in 1982.
Rabbi Freedman says, "Ivan loved
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2001
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ritual — loved religion." The rabbi
recalls Mr. Bloch's description of his
favorite times as including, celebrating
his son's Brian's bar mitzvah at the
Western Wall in Jerusalem and plan-
ning a bar mitzvah ceremony for his
father on his dad's 70th birthday.
With a variety of interests, Mr.
Bloch was a supporter of the arts as
well as a gourmet cook. Involved in
the Democratic Party, he co-chaired
campaigns for U.S. Senators Carl
Levin and Donald
Riegle, U.S. Rep. Bob
Carr and Gov. James
Blanchard.
Ivan Bloch was a sup-
porter of the Chabad
Lubavitch Foundation,
Yeshiva University in
New York, and was on
the board of Israel
Bonds, ORT and Jewish
Home for Aged. He was
membership chairman
for the Holocaust
Memorial Center and a
trustee of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek,
Michigan Cancer Foundation (now
Karmanos Cancer Institute) and
Michigan Opera Theater.
He was a past president of AKIM,
which provides care for retarded chil-
dren in Israel, and was recipient of the
1983 State of Israel Peace Medal, the
1986 Variety Club of Detroit
Humanitarian Award and the Drama
Critics Circle Award.
Mr. Bloch is survived by his
beloved companion LaShanna Morrill
of Bloomfield Hills; children Brian
Bloch of Birmingham and Amy
(Roger) Young of Birmingham and
their mother Linda Bloch of
Birmingham; grandson Dylan Wade
Young; brother and sister-in-law
Stuart Bloch and Ambassador Julia
Chang of Washington D.C.; sister and
brother-in-law Harriett and Sheldon
Fuller of Bloomfield Hills; sister-in-
law Hilda Bloch.
He is the beloved son of the late A.
Howard and the late Pauline Bloch
and the brother of the late Harry
"Sonny" Bloch.
Interment was at Clover Hill
Park Cemetery. Contributions
may be made to Karmanos Cancer
Institute Lymphoma Unit, 18831
W. 12 Mile Rd., Lathrup Village
48076. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel. D
Mr. Flint'
longest serving board member of both
the Bishop International Airport
Authority, and the investment insur-
ance company Mutual of America.
ichael A. Pelavin, a
"He was always a person who
prominent attorney and
could be found in a coalition of
leader in the Flint corn-
decency," said Larry Deitch, Detroit
munity before moving to
attorney and member of the
Delray, Fla., died suddenly of a heart
University of Michigan board of
attack Jan. 19 at the age of 64.
regents. "He was devoted
Upon hearing of his
death, U.S. Senator Carl
to the Flint community
Levin commented, "Mike
and progressive ideas."
Pelavin's deep involvement
"He was Mr. Flint, a
in all aspects of community
long time strong leader
life will be sorely missed.
for the Jewish people,"
He was that rare kind of
said Bob Naftaly, co-chair
individual whose outreach
of the Jewish Federation
is incredibly broad and, at
of Metropolitan Detroit's
Alliance for Jewish
the same time, he touches
people deeply."
Education.
Mr. Pelavin received
Michael Pelavin was the
chairman of the National
the Herbert Lehman
Michael Pelavin
Jewish Community
Young Leadership Award
Relations Advisory Council
from the United Jewish
from 1986-1989 and served
Appeal and the Sydney B.
Meier Humanitarian Award from the
as a member of its executive commit-
Urban Coalition of Greater Flint, and
tee and chairman of its domestic task
force.
both the Donald Riegle Community
Service Award and the President's
Mr. Pelavin served as president and
Award of the Flint Jewish Federation.
campaign chairman of the Flint
"My father was always very busy,"
Jewish Federation and chairman of the
Mark Pelavin said, "but at no time did
United Jewish Appeal Young
it ever feel to us that his community
Leadership Cabinet. A prominent fig-
involvement came at the expense of
ure at Mazon, a Jewish Response to
his family. To the contrary, we always
Hunger, Mr. Pelavin also established
felt that we were his first priority."
the first national political action com-
Shaken by the news of Mr.
mittee in the Jewish community
Pelavin's death, former U.S. Senator
(MIPAC) devoted to Israel and to a
Donald Riegle said Pelavin was a close
broad range of liberal policies and
positions.
friend and tremendous help to Riegle
during his political career.
"Michael was very dynamic," said
Gary Elter, director of the Jewish
"We have a major resettlement
Federation in Flint. "He was very
program for Soviet Jews immigrating
determined and strong-willed, yet he
to the United States in Flint and
also had a loving, gentle side. He was
Genesee County," Riegle added.
a very unique individual."
"We've resettled over 350 families
A University of Michigan and
and Mike was the principal leader in
Wayne State University undergrad,
that effort."
Mr. Pelavin earned his law degree at
In his eulogy, Leonard Fein,
Detroit- College of Law before going
founder of Moment magazine,
into practice with his father, B. Morris
described Pelavin's life as one of "work
Pelavin, who imigrated from Russia at
and wonder and laughter, of art and
20. Michael Pelavin eventually became
kindness to encourage and behold."
president of the law firm Pelavin,
Michael Pelavin is survived by his
Powers & Behm, P.C.
wife, Natalie; sons Gordon and Mark;
Mr. Pelavin will be especially
daughter-in-law Lori Morris and
remembered in his hometown for his
grandchildren Jordan and Daniel.
role in building Bishop International
Contributions may be made to the
Airport. Airport Director James Rice
Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service,
planned to honor him at a March din-
23100 Ruth and Baron Coleman
ner this year.
Blvd., Boca Raton, FL, 33428, or to a
Mr. Pelavin was chairman and the
charity of one's choice.
SHARON LUCKERMAN
Editorial Assistant
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