ituaries Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online: www.detroitjewisluiews.com events spearheaded by his sister, estab- lished to help offset costly medical care not covered by his insurance. "The support — emotionally, spiritual- ly, physically and financially — has been producing Full Body Wag, a sketch come- overwhelming from the extended Detroit dy show that aired on PBS Television. community and from everywhere Mark 'After the accident, he did motiva- had friends or family," Leibovitz said. tional speaking at elementary schools "And even those who didn't know Mark on Disability Awareness Day, generously supported discussing his accident and Mark and our family." how his life had changed," Friends donated con- said his sister, Suzanne struction materials and Leibovitz of Birmingham. labor to modify Mr. That Mr. Herman remained Herman's mother's West in front of audiences was hard- Bloomfield home to ly surprising to friends. "One make it wheelchair and of his greatest assets and handicap accessible for strengths was always to bright- him. en people's lives — even those With nursing care, he he only knew for a minute," was later able to move said Todd Stoneman, who into his own home in moved from California to Bloomfield Hills. Chicago to be near his child- Through physical, Mark H erman hood friend following the acci- occupational and water dent. therapy, he became able to move his "What defined Mark was that he upper arms; his breathing and circulation always looked for the positive in every- improved and he was able to feel sensa- thing." tion to his elbow and almost to his waist. After months spent in hospitals and "He was so brave," Stoneman said. "The rehabilitation centers following the injury, courage it took for him to wake up to his Mr. Herman returned to Michigan to a life each day cannot even be imagined." rally of continuous support from family It was that courage that guided Mr. and friends, including two fund-raising Herman to board an airplane and travel A Story Of Courage SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN StaffWriter yen after suffering a devastat- ing spinal cord injury, Mark Herman continued to make certain he stayed out in front. A comedian, writer, actor and enter- tainer, Mr. Herman turned his career focus into inspirational speaking after a March 2001 accident in a fitness center that paralyzed him from the shoulders down. He died July 4, 2003, at age 28. "Mark spent the first part of his pro- fessional career as a comedian, touching people's funny bones, making them laugh and feel good," said David Techner, funeral director at Ira Kaufman Chapel. "And he spent the last two years of his life — reaching out — and touching people's hearts. "His handicap became his strength." At the time of his injury, Mr. Herman, a graduate of North Farmington Hi gh School and Eastern Michigan University, had been living in Chicago. There, he had been writing comedy, taking courses at the Second City School for Improvisation, acting and writing and co- Advocate For Kids ing their cottage home on Harbert Beach, near New Buffalo, Mich., an easy Special to the Jewish News drive from Chicago. But tragedy struck there on July 4, 2003 — Mr. Weiss, 59, n attorney devoted to the died of a heart attack while swimming in needs of the poor and power- Lake Michigan. Although less, Mark Weiss six other swimmers in the had a special inter- area drowned that day due est in the welfare of children. to rip currents, the lake He started in public service condition was not a factor in Detroit, moved into a pri- in Mr. Weiss' death, said vate law practice and in his his brother. last position in Chicago, he A graduate of Mumford represented neglected and High School and Olivet abused children in lawsuits College, the Detroit native brought by the Office of the earned his law degree at Public Guardian in Cook Wayne State University. County. Longtime friend Jon Formerly a partner in the Posner and Mr. Weiss Detroit law firm of Mogill, started together as staff Posner, Cohen & Weiss, he attorneys for Wayne and his wife, Joan Lovell, Mark We iss County Neighborhood moved to Chicago more than Legal Aid Services. Then a year ago. But the move didn't they represented indigent clients charged prevent him from keeping in touch with with felonies for the Legal Aid and everyone in Detroit, said brother David Defender Association in Detroit. Weiss. And Mark called their parents "Mark was a dynamic attorney," said daily --- like a good eldest son should do. Posner, who went into private-practice The transplanted couple enjoyed visit- ESTHER ALLWEISS TSCHIRHART A 7/11 2003 96 law with Mr. Weiss in 1974. A year later, they teamed up with attorneys Ken Mogill, Neal Bush and Sheldon Halpern in a new law firm called Halpern, Mogill, Bush, Posner & Weiss. Mr. Weiss, who later specialized in personal injury cases, was a former president of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association. Among the young attorneys that Mr. Weiss mentored was Margie Cohen, now a partner in his former firm. Speaking at his funeral service, officiated by Birmingham Temple Rabbi Adam Chalom, Cohen said Mr. Weiss provided each client with vigorous representation in the courtroom and a warm and caring manner behind the scenes." With his concern for children, he once served as a magistrate in the Juvenile Division of the Wayne County Court System. His favorite child, always, was daughter Polly Tooley Weiss, a teacher in California. "He packed my lunch every day for 12 years," Polly said, recallin:Er the "Mark Weiss Special" was slices of Velveeta cheese on white bread with mayo. At bedtime, her fun-loving dad "creat- ed sagas with tides like 'The Sewer Demons,' and other tales of crime-fight- ing kids." His story-telling skill was " to Ecuador last month. There, he received a nerve transplant "that was intended to help gain substan- tial function and feeling back through his body," Leibovitz said. Although the surgery appeared to be successful and some progress was noted, he died two weeks later of cardiac arrest, five days after his 28th birthday. A fund has been established in Mr. Herman's memory, to assist children with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. "Mark was the most warm, loving, self- less, unaffected and giving person I know, with the biggest heart," Leibovitz said of her brother. "He would have done absolutely anything for anyone who needed him no matter whether you were his family or someone he just met." Mr. Herman is survived by his mother, Alice Herman; brother, Steven Herman; sister and brother-in-law, Suzanne and Andrew Leibovitz of Birmingham; niece, Ellie Leibovitz; uncle and aunt, Bernie and Miriam Gasee. He was the beloved son of the late Bert S. Herman. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Mark Herman memorial fund to help handicapped children at Variety, the Children's Charity, 30161 Southfield, Suite 301, Southfield, MI 48076. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. 0 honed as a camp counselor, Polly said. Mr. Weiss married fellow attorney Joan Lovell about five years ago. Knowing how he loved Tigers' announcer Ernie Harwell, hot dogs and baseball, Joan once thrilled her husband with a trip to Tiger Fantasy Camp in Florida. Cohen admired Mr. Weiss' ability to "fill in the New York Times Sunday cross- word puzzle — in ink." His sartorial style, however, amused her. Partial to bowties, "his clothes were elegant but often combined colors and patterns in unusual ways," she said. "Mark was abundant in his embrace of life," said his sister, Susan Weiss. "He always insisted on parting company with a kiss." Mr. Weiss is survived by his wife, Joan Lovell; daughter and son-in-law, Polly Tooley Weiss and Cory McCall of California; parents, Fran and Harold Weiss of Bloomfield Hills; sisters, Susan Weiss of Ontario, Joan Weiss of Washington; brothers and sisters-in-law, David Weiss and Penny Hergenroeder of Bloomfield Hills, Sam and Jo Weiss of Birmingham. Contributions may be made to a children's charity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. E