Obituaries

Giving Back

A Perfect Balance

Indiana. A rabbi married them again
here two years later. The Cantors' love
Special to the Jewish News
was undiminished after 68 years, say
their sons.
CPA by profession, Harold
Mr. Cantor took great pride in his
Cantor not only spent his
family and liked challenging his boys.
life balancing the accounts
"The most important thing about his
of others, he led a life of per-
personality is that he loved a good argu-
sonal balance.
ment," said Michael.
"He had a sense of wonder at God's
Playing devil's advocate with his sons
creations — the beauty and majesty of
at
the dinner table, "Dad wanted to
the world," said his son George Cantor,
make
you understand your position. He
a Detroit News editorial writer.
wanted to make you think."
When Harold Cantor, 88, of West
The other pillar of Mr. Cantor's life
Bloomfield died of vascular disease on
was his profession. A family joke was
June 29, 2003, he was at peace, said his
that his favorite work of fiction was the
son.
U.S. tax code; but in reality, "he was
Another son, Michael Cantor, a
Southfield attorney, said his dad enjoyed conscientious about his CPA work,"
said Rabbi Yoskowitz.
cutting the ceremonial
Michael said his
challah bread, "but he did
father, a member of the
it with his own twist,
Michigan and American
adding an extra prayer of
Associations
of CPAs
thanksgiving" beyond the
and
in
practice
for more
traditional HaMotzi bless-
than
50
years,
once
ing.
berated himself for being
Speaking at the funeral,
unable to account for a
Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz
client's $3 — "It's some-
of Adat Shalom Synagogue
body's money, — he
said Mr. Cantor taught
explained to Michael.
him much about courage.
Mr. Cantor main-
"On Shabbat morning,
tained
his practice until
when his body became ever
he
became
too ill to con-
the more frail, he insisted
tinue.
on coming to shul as a reg-
A former softball play-
Harold Ca ntor
ular, as often as he could,"
er,
Mr. Cantor followed
said the rabbi. Mr. Cantor
the
Tigers through thick
negotiated the steps slowly
and
thin.
He
also
belonged
to Oakland
by himself, "with great determination ..
Century
Lodge
of
B'nai
B'rith.
and accomplishment."
Said Rabbi Yoskowitz, "Harold was a
Mr. Cantor's brother, Seymour
smart man and knew what was impor-
Cantor, recalled saying Kaddish with
tant in life."
him for their father, George, an itiner-
Mr. Cantor is survived by his wife,
ant cantor, inside the "Piggly Wiggly
Evelyn;
sons and daughters-in-law,
Synagogue" (actually, Shaarey Zion), a
George
and
Sherry Cantor of West
former supermarket on Linwood
Bloomfield,
Michael and Joyce Cantor
Avenue in Detroit.
of West Bloomfield; grandchildren,
In 1930, their father's illness caused
oldest son, Harold, then 16, to drop out Jaime Cantor and fiance, Michael Ben,
of college to support the family. He had Joshua Cantor, Amy Cantor; brother
and sister-in-law, Seymour and Alice
skipped two grades at Detroit
Cantor of West Bloomfield.
Southwestern High School to enter col-
He was the loving grandfather of the
lege early.
late
Courtney Cantor; dear brother of
His jobs included working in a pack-
the late Esther Shillman and the late
inghouse and driving a city bus, before
Shirley Borison. Interment was at
he finally graduated in 1948 from
Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Wayne University. He became a CPA in
Contributions may be made to the
1951 and practiced with Rosenbaum,
Courtney
Lisa Cantor Scholarship
Rollins & Associates.
Fund,
do
Temple
Israel, 5725 Walnut
By graduation, Mr. Cantor was
Lake
Road,
West
Bloomfield,
MI
already married to Evelyn Grossman
48323.
Arrangements
by
Ira
Kaufman
from the neighborhood. He was 19 and
Chapel. ❑
she was 17 when they eloped to

ESTHER ALLWEISS TSCHIRHART

A

7R 1

2003

98

"But you could walk to stores and
the
Jewish Community Center, and
Staff Writer
you were safe," Guyer wrote in a
agdolna Rimai received tribute for Mrs. Rimai's 100th birth-
many benefits from the day celebration last December.
"Magda took English classes, went
Detroit Jewish com-
to the Shiffman Clinic at Sinai
11111 munity — and she was
Hospital and studied to become an
determined to give back as much as
American
citizen," Guyer wrote. At
she could.
Prentis,
she
served for years on the
Mrs. Rimai, the longest living con-
residents' council.
tinuous resident at the Anna and
Mrs. Rimai became an avid reader
Meyer Prentis Jewish Apartments in
in her adopted language, enjoying
Oak Park, died June 28, 2003, at
the New York Times and the works of
100 years of age.
James
Michener, Harold Kushner,
She lived on old-age assistance and
Mitch
Albom and others.
benefited from Jewish Apartments &
Guyer
remembers Mrs. Rimai knit-
Services' subsidized food program;
ting scarves, booties and afghans.
Jewish Family Service provided
When people offered
housekeeping service and
to pay, she asked them
escorted transportation.
to make out a check to
Yet, as recently as last
Federation.
winter, she spent every
Years ago, Mrs.
Tuesday morning in the
Rimai
used to babysit
Prentis kitchen — as she
for Guyer and her
had for 30 years —
friend Sharon
preparing food packages
Alterman of Franklin.
for the National Council
"Now, they're sitting
of Jewish Women's Meals
me," she said in a
on Wheels program.
birthday interview.
And, two weeks before
"In her final year,
her death, she wrote out
her neighbors in the
a check for the Annual
building quietly took
Campaign of the Jewish
care of her," Guyer
Federation of
mai
Magda
Ri
said. "Her door was
Metropolitan Detroit.
always
unlocked and,
Judy Rosner, geriatric
hourly,
someone would
social worker at Prentis, called Mrs.
stop
by
to
say
hello,
bring
a snack or
Rimai "an amazing lady."
the mail. On their own, her friends
"Even though she was 100 years
orchestrated this.
old, she didn't come first; everybody
"She leaves behind many dear
else came first," Rosner said.
friends."
"She herself was in need — our
Mrs. Rimai is survived by her son
residents in this building are limited
and
daughter-in-law, Dr. Lajos and
in their finances — but her philoso-
Florentine
Rimai of Ann Arbor;
phy was to give, not to take.
grandchildren, Marcia and Daryl
"She will truly be missed."
Diesing, Claudia Rimai, Monica
Known to her many friends as
Rimai; great-grandchildren, Rebecca
Magda, Mrs. Rimai was born in
Hungary and escaped with her family Diesing, Aaron Krane, Zachary
Krane.
to Brazil in the 1930s. The family
She was the beloved wife of the
was relocated to Boston with the
late
Laszlo Rimai.
help of HIAS (the Hebrew
Contributions may be made to
Immigrant Aid Society). When her
National Alopecia Areata
only son, Lajos, got a job with Ford
Motor Co., he brought his parents to Foundation, 14 Mitchell Blvd., San
Detroit. The couple moved to Prentis Rafael, CA 94903, or to the Naimark
Assisted Meal Fund at Jewish
in June 1972.
Apartments & Services, 15100 W. 10
As Mrs. Rimai told her friend
Cheryl Guyer of Huntington Woods, Mile Road, Oak Park, MI 48237.
Interment was at Hebrew
there was no air conditioning at
Memorial Park. Arrangements by
Prentis in those days and the only
Hebrew Memorial Chapel. L.1
phone service was a party line.

DIANA LIEBERMAN