Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
www.d.etroitjewishnews.com

GEOFFREY M. ABBOTT, 54, of
Detroit, died Oct. 17.
He is survived by his beloved part-
ner and soulmate, Olivia Hauser;
Angelika, Peter and close friends in
the United States and abroad. He was
the loving son of the late Norman
Abbott, the late Irene Abbott.
Contributions may be made to
Leukemia Foundation, 21617 Harper
Avenue, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080.
Interment at Hebrew Memorial Park.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel.

B

enjamin Glicker first discovered his
artistic talent at age 6 — and over the
next 80 years there was no stopping
him.
.
His paintings can be found in hundreds of
Detroit area homes and in the permanent collec-
tion of the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).
During his teaching career in the Detroit Public
Schools and at the Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit he shared his love of art
with hundreds of students.
This year, at age 86, he finished his last work,
which was a portrait of a friend's mother. Mr.
Glicker, of Southfield, the winner of numerous
awards for his artwork, died Oct. 17 of respirato-
ry arrest.
"He never stopped painting," said his wife,
Shirley. "His health was not good, but that didn't
stop him. His mind was clear, and his hand was
steady."
Mr. Glicker was a prolific artist who could put
an idea on canvas very quickly, painting varied
subjects mostly in oil: studies of people, land-
scapes, still lifes. "It was amazing," said his wife.
"He did boxers and bicyclists; horses and
giraffes and zebras," she said. "If you had an
interesting face, he would say, 'Could you pose
for me?'"
One of his most acclaimed paintings is of a
contemplative harlequin. It won the Founders
Prize in the 1939 Michigan Artists Show at the
DIA as best in the state.
"If you remove the makeup, you 'd , see another
person, two personalities," Mr. Glicker explained
in 1996. "One belongs to the private and the
other is the one put on for an audience. All of us
put on faces for other people."
Another striking work is his painting of Moses
receiving the Ten Commandments, depicting the
spirit of God using prismatic breaks in the
clouds. An exhibit of his religious paintings was
shown in 1996 at the Janice Charach Epstein
Gallery at the West Bloomfield JCC.
"Painting has always been something that I've
just had to do," Mr. Glicker said at the time. "I
remember when I was young being influenced by
Renoir, the Impressionists, the Expressionists,
and feeling like that's where I belonged. I just
had to do it."
Mr. Glicker served as an Army sergeant during

World War II and married Shirley 54 years ago.
He taught art at Chadsey High School and was
department head at Southwestern High until he
retired in 1970. He taught evening classes at the
JCC and the talented children group at the DIA.
As an undergraduate, he studied at Wayne
University and the Detroit Society of Arts and
Crafts (now the Center for Creative Studies). He
used to come from school to watch Diego Rivera
paint the murals at the DIA.
"Mr. Glicker was a man who devoted himself
to the creative process," said Rabbi Harold Loss
of Temple Israel> who spoke at the funeral. "He
trained in and knew every aspect of art.
"He diligently worked at obtaining perfection."
Daughter Tama Gorelick also spoke at the
funeral. "We're also very lucky, luckier than most,
to have his entire life's work as a constant
reminder of him," she said. "Dad was truly a
genius of an artist."
Mr. Glicker is survived by his wife, Shirley
Glicker; sons and daughters-in-law, David and
Deborah Glicker of Grayling, Michael Glicker
and Jill Kollins of Grand Rapids; daughters and
son-in-law, Tama and Dr. Ken Gorelick of
Pennsylvania, Sandra Glicker and fiance, George
Dobrowitsky; grandchildren, Evan and Jason
Glicker, Sam and Gabriel Gorelick, Isabella
Lackner.
Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park.
Contributions may be made to Women's
American ORT. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman

-

EVE ENGELMAN ABELOFF, 85,
of Southfield, died Oct. 18.
She is survived by her son and
daughter-in-law, William and Susie
Engelman of Bloomfield Hills; daugh-
ter and son-in-law, Susan and Orin
Ross of Huntington Woods; grand-
children, Daniel and Cherie
Engelman, Lisa and Eric Paskel, Erica
and Dr. Gary Cohn, Cynthia and
David Mullins, Michael Ross; great-
grandchildren; Ellablue Paskel, Avery
and Dakota Engelman, Noah and
Chloe Cohn; brother, Robert
Burnstein; sister, Goldie Talkow and
companion, Julius Gabe. She was the
beloved wife of the late Dr. Michael
Engelman and the late Abe Abeloff.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

LEON BERMAN, 92, of Southfield,
died Oct. 19. He was an accountant
who worked for Total Petroleum. He
was also a professional singer who
helped pay for college by singing at
weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs.
Mr. Berman is survived by his wife
of 50 years, Christine Berman; daugh-
ters and son-in-law, Ruth Hoyer of
Southfield, Catherine and Ronald
Cronk of Imlay City, Retta Collum of
Georgia; grandchildren, James and
Julie Cronk, Jean Green, Tracie
Gerreins, Wendy Balder, Wesley Leon
Collum, Christopher Collum; 12
great-grandchildren; four great-great-
grandchildren; sister and brother-in-
law, Florence and Dr. Sheldon
Kronfeld. Interment at White Chapel
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to the Alzheimer's Association.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

DANIEL BRICKNER, 87, of
Southfield, died Oct. 19. He was a
builder, a member of the Jewish War
Veterans and B'rith B'rith.

10/26
2001

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