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Home Is Where Her Heart Was

BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News

L

illian Hechtman and her hus-
band, Samuel, were noted phi-
lanthropists in Detroit's Jewish
community, funding a beautiful modern
residence for Jewish older adults in West
Bloomfield.
Having seniors spend their golden
years in dignity in their own comfort-
able abode was an important ideal to the
Hechtmans.
And when Mrs. Hechtman died on
June 30, 2004, at age 96, she was at
home in her West Bloomfield condo-
minium, surrounded by family members
and caregivers.
"My father wanted my mother to live
the rest of her life in her own home,"
said their daughter, Sally A. Orley of
Bloomfield Hills, "and I promised him
that would happen. She died of heart
disease and the infirmities of old age;
over the past few years, she stopped
walking and talking and just passed
away peacefully. ),
The former Lillian Lieberman was
born in New Orleans and came to
Detroit with her family as a child. Her
spunk and courage were evident early
when, as a teenager, she ran into a burn-
ing house on the city's East Side to res-
cue her 5-year-old brother. The story
made large headlines in the Detroit
newspapers.
After working in an office for a while,
she met Samuel Hechtman, who was
attending law school, and bec a me "a reg-

JOYCE BACHER, 74, of Troy, died
June 27, 2004. She served for many
years as a docent at the Detroit Institute
of Arts and also at
the Heard Museum
in Phoenix, Ariz. As
a co-founder of
Charter Art, she
helped local busi-
nesses discover and
promote local
artists by purchas-
ing and displaying
their work. She
Bacher
took great personal
pleasure in collect-
ing paintings and native art objects.
Mrs. Bacher was a gifted storyteller
and often recounted adventures of her
travels abroad.

ular Jewish house-
Samuel Hechtman
wife," said Orley. "She
died at 87 in 1994 after
kept a beautiful home
the couple had been
and cooked marvelous'
married for 64 years.
holiday dinners for the
But my mother con-
family. My parents
tinued going to the the-
enjoyed a wonderful
ater, the opera, out to
life together —
restaurants and cooking
dancing, going on
holiday dinners," said
cruises, spending the
Orley.
winter in Florida and
Mrs. Hechtman's sis-
just having a great
ter Eleanor Dorfman of
time."
West Bloomfield added,
The Hechtmans_
"She was an elegant
also emerged as
lady who was very artis-
prominent philanthro-
tic. She had 'golden
pists in the communi-
hands,' creating beauti-
ty while Samuel's
ful needlepoint, knit-
career as a lawyer took
ting and crocheting.
on real estate invest-
She really appreciated
Lillian Hechtman
ments and banking.
all kinds of art, and her
He was co-founder of
home was filled with
the former American Savings & Loan
fine art objects."
Association. Lillian was his staunch sup-
At Mrs. Hechtman's funeral July 1,
porter in all of his business endeavors;
Rabbi Emeritus Irwin Groner of
and they left a major mark on the com-
Congregation Shaarey Zedek called her
munity by donating money to build two "areal woman of valor — the center of
phases of the Hechtman Jewish
the family, a matriarch in the true sense
Apartments (in 1983 and 1992), where
of the word.
about 200 Jewish older -adults now live.
"She was a great lady in spirit, energy,
"It was an extremely generous gift -
will and determination, and she used her
from a wonderful couple who loved eld-
strength to give of herself for the welfare
erly people," said Marsha Goldsmith
of her family and the Jewish people."
Kamin, executive director of Jewish
Apartments & Services. "Mrs.
Supporting Causes
Hechtman was a lively, vibrant, charm-
ing woman who enjoyed coming here
Extremely active in Jewish charitable
and mixing with the residents when she
causes, the Hechtmans contributed to
was physically able to."
the former Sinai Hospital of Detroit and

She is survived by her daughter,
Allyn; sons, Michael and Adam; sis-
ter, Linda; grandchildren, Jacob,
Andrew, Eli, Alisha, Mia and Leah.
A memorial service was held at the
Birmingham temple. Contributions
may be made to the Detroit
Institute of Arts.

MARJORIE CASSEL, 90, of
Waterford, died June 24, 2004. .
She is survived by her daughter
and son-in-law, Joan and Alan
Feldman of Highland; grandchil-
dren, Lauren and Steven Reich of
Ludington; caregivers, Betty and
Jane.
Interment at Grandlawn Cemetery
in Detroit, Arrangements by Lynch
& Sons in Milford.

.

NATHAN "NAT" COLEMAN, 84, of
Margate, Fla., died July 3, 2004. He was
a health and fitness director at the
Jewish Community
Center for 30 years
and at Sidney Hill,
CMI and the
Southfield Athletic
Club. He also won
the diamond belt as
a boxer in the mid
1930s, was a person-
al trainer, gymnast
and acrobat on
Coleman
trampolines.
Mr. Coleman is
survived by his wife, Doris Coleman;
son, Marc Coleman of Farmington
Hills; daughters and sons-in-law, Marsha
and Arnie Tucker, Darlene and Smart

Sinai Medical Building; the Jewish
Community Center Millenium Fund
for the Samuel and Lillian Hechtman
Gymnasium; the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit; Women's
American ORT; Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah; the Hechtman Hero Road
at Bar-Ilan University in Israel;
Hadassah; Sinai Hospital in Miami,
Fla., and Detroit's Henry Ford
Hospital.
Mrs. Hechtman is survived by her
daughters and sons-in-law, Sally A.
and Graham Orley of Bloomfield
Hills; Elaine and Milton Conway of
Scottsdale, Ariz., Rhoda and Harvey
Goldvarg of Carlsbad, Calif.; grand-
children, Geoffrey Orley, Randall and
Diane Orley, Pamela and Walter
Feuereisen, Elisa and Stuart Stoller,
Andrew and Barbara Conway, Marc
and Lori Siegel, Wendy and Paul
Laven, Jill and Brad Beck; 20 great-
grandchildren; sisters, Eleanor
Dorfman and Rose Wolok, both of
West Bloomfield; dear friend Diane
Isaacs and many devoted caregivers.
She was the wife of the late Samuel
Hechtman; daughter of the late Jacob
Lieberman and the late Lena Gitlin
Lieberman; and sister of the late
Irving Lieberman, the late Alex
Lieberman, the late Sydney
Lieberman and the late Nathan
Lieberman.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to the Samuel and Lillian
Hechtman Education Fund at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375
Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034 or a
charity of one's choice. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

Hurwitz of Florida, Carol and Woody
Simon of West Bloomfield, Annette and
Larry Rosen of West Bloomfield; daugh-
ter-in-law, Susanne Gantz; grandchil-
dren, Andrew and Lisa-Tucker, Cynthia
and Daryl Ziegelman, Douglas and
Monica Tucker, Jay and Mary Hurwitz,
Robin and George Thomas, Adam and
Jill Gantz, Meredith Simon and fiance
Mark Weil, Evan Simon, Matthew
Rosen; ten great-grandchildren. He was
the devoted father of the late Michael
Gantz; loving grandfather of the late
Mason Gantz.
Interment at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to the
American Heart Association, Crohn's

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