Obituaries

OBITUARIES from page 117

Growing Young

in 2000 resulted in an appearance on
Good Morning America, an article in
Special to the Jewish News
the New York Times and numerous
accolades from such dignitaries as
r. Elizabeth Eichelbaum
President George H.W. Bush,
hated the word "can't," she
President Bill Clinton, Sec. of
hated hypocrisy and she
Education Richard Riley and Sen. Ted
firmly believed in control-
Kennedy.
ling one's own life — so much so that
Despite her worsening vision due to
she went back to school in her 60s
macular degeneration and advancing
and, at the age of 90, became, it is
cancer, Dr.
believed, the oldest
Eichelbaum contin-
person to receive a
ued to lead an active
doctorate degree.
life
well into her
She was 92 when
90s;
lecturing,
she died of cancer on
painting, working
Jan. 29, 2003, in
with students and
Savannah, Ga., where
senior citizens and
she lived for the past
hosting frequent
18 months.
dinner parties. Last
"I would describe
spring, she present-
my mother as a lega-
ed a one-woman art
cy, an inspiration and
show.
a role model," said
"By the age of 90,
her son Stanley
she
had made her
Eichelbaum.
life
into a work of
"'Growing Young'
art,"
said her son
would be a good title
Edward
Eichel.
for a book about her
Dr.
Eichelbaum
is
life. It was as though
survived by her sons
she skipped old age;
and daughters-in-
she went from youth
law, Stanley
to middle age back to
Eichelbaum of
youth again."
Cincinnati, Ohio,
Elizabeth Shapiro
Dr. Eichelbaum at age 91, painting in her Knoxville, Tenn., home.
Edward
Eichel of
Eichelbaum's child-
New
York
City,
hood reads like a
Delicatessen at Woodward and Vernor. Marvin and Marilyn Eichelbaum of
Russian novel, beginning in a small
Savannah, Stuart and Greta Eichel of
The downtown restaurant, which was
village outside of Odessa, where she
Saratoga, N.Y.; grandchildren, Dennis
open regularly from 7 a.m.-4:00 a.m.,
and her two sisters were left with their
(Julie) Eichelbaum of Dallas, David
became
a
popular
hangout
for
many
grandmother while her widowed
(Katie) Eichelbaum of Savannah,
sports
and
entertainment
celebrities
mother came to New York. During
Susan
(Rabbi David) Goldstein of
including
Eddie
Cantor,
Barbra
the Russian Revolution, the children
Israel, Steven (Michele) Eichel of
Streisand, Milton Berle, Billy Martin,
were hidden in a basement until their
Boston,; 10 great-grandchildren,
Alex Karras and many stars from the
grandmother's death, when they were
nearby Motown Records headquarters. Zippora, Miriam, Bari, Natalie,
found and sent to three separate
Emma, Elisheva, Avrohom, Aaron,
Having always longed to continue
orphanages in Kiev.
Gila and Max.
her
formal
education,
Mrs.
One of the sisters literally pulled on
She was the beloved wife of the late
Eichelbaum
returned
to
school
after
the pants leg of a New York Times
Martin
Eichelbaum.
her
husband's
death
in
1973,
while
reporter who was touring the orphan-
Contributions may be made to the
continuing to run the deli and raise
ages after the revolution, telling him
Macular Degeneration Foundation,
their four sons. She passed her GED
she had a mother in America. When
Research Fund, P.O. Box 531313,
exam at the age of 63 and went on to
the reporter returned to the United
Henderson, NV 89053; the Elizabeth
earn a bachelor's degree in fine art
States, he wrote a series of articles
Eichelbaum Scholarship Endowment,
from
Wayne
State
University,
graduat-
about the sisters and eventually locat-
University
of Tennessee, 1609 Melrose.
ing
with
a
4.0
average.
When
she
ed their mother.
Ave.,
Knoxville,
TN 37996; or
turned
80,
she
received
a
master's
After a hired agent was killed while
Hospice Savannah, 1352 Eisenhower
degree in art history from Oakland
attempting to retrieve the sisters, their
Drive, Savannah, GA 31416.
University.
new stepfather traveled to Russia to
Interment was at Hebrew Memorial
The receipt of her cherished doctor-
bring them home. His 12-month mis-
Park,
with arrangements by Hebrew
ate degree in art therapy from the
sion, including several hundred miles
Memorial
Chapel.
University
of
Tennessee
in
Knoxville
in a covered wagon, was successful,

RONELLE GRIER

D

and the girls were finally reunited with
their mother in New York. There they
received an elementary school educa-
tion before taking jobs to help support
the family.
Elizabeth married Martin
Eichelbaum when she was 18, and the
couple came to Detroit in the 1930s.
They opened a string of delicatessens,
culminating with the Bagel

.

ITN

2/ 7 .
2003

❑

stepmother of the late Cookie Cohen
and the late Chester Cohen.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Yad Ezra. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

ELIZABETH "BETSY" BUCH, 79,
of West Bloomfield, died Feb. 3, 2003.
She is survived by her husband, Allen
Buch; son and daughter-in-law,
Raymond and Lindy Buch of
Huntington Woods; daughter and son-
in-law, Joyce and Lewis Schiller of
Greenville, Del.; brother and sister-in-
law, David and Jean Blau of Scottsdale,
Ariz.; sisters and brother-in-law, Edith
Wyman of Oak Park, Esther and
Maurice Morger of West Bloomfield;
grandchildren, Elana Buch, Daniel
Buch; sister-in-law, Florence Blau. She
was the loving sister of the late Edward
Blau; dear sister-in-law of the late Irving
Wyman.
Contributions may be made to Jewish
Hospice and Chaplaincy Network,
24123 Greenfield, Southfield, MI
48075. Interment at Beth Abraham
Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.

GLADYS "GIG"
COHEN, 68, of West
Bloomfield, died Feb.
2, 2003. She was a
counselor and teacher
at Roeper School,
Wayne State
University, in the
Birmingham school
system, at Mercy
College and in the
Northville public
schools. She was also
a member of the Jewish Community
Center, ACLU, Birmingham Temple
and the Jewish Community Center
Health Club.
Mrs. Cohen is survived by her hus-
band of 50 years, Bernard R. Cohen;
daughters and son-in-law, Dr. Susan
and Elliot Zeltzer of Farmington Hills,
Alison Cohen of Huntington Woods;
son and daughter-in-laW, Jordan
Cohen and Kim Susser of New York;
grandsons, Stuart, Paul and Barry
Zeltzer; brothers and sister-in-law, Bob
and Toby Rivkin of Florida, Norman
Rivkin of Southfield.
Interment at Beth TefIlo Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to
Hospice of Michigan or the
Birmingham Temple. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufman Chapel.