Obituaries

Tle Loved Being A Judge'

DAVID SACHS
Senior Copy Editor

A

s a law student during World
, War II, Charles Kaufman inter-
rupted his studies at Wayne
University to volunteer with the Army
Air Corps — flying 27 bombing mis-
sions in the Pacific and spending a year-
and-a-half as a Japanese prisoner of war.
He returned from his brutal war expe-
riences to dedicate his life to
serving society as a judge ---
earning high regard as a cham-
pion of civil rights. He saw it as
his mission as a war survivor to
use his standing in the commu-
nity to fight discrimination.
Charles Kaufman, 84, of
West 13loomfield, a local judge
for nearly four decades, died
June 30, 2004, from complica-
tions of diabetes and other ail-
ments. He was elected to
Detroits
o
' Common
Pleas Court in 1959
and to Wayne County Circuit Court
th
five years later, retiring in 1 993.
The last dozen of his 29 years on the
Nt/aYile Circuit bench were spent as a
e of his son, Judge Richard
coll
Kaufman.
"He loved being a judge, said
Richard, a former Wayne Circuit chief
judge who stepped down from the

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2004

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ice in the Pacific. On his 27th bombing
mission as a navigator, his plane was
shot down and he was the crew's only
survivor. During 18 months as a prison-
er of war, he learned enough Japanese to
become the prisoners' interpreter with
the captors. During his ordeal, his
weight dropped from 160 to 95 pounds.
On the bench, Judge Kaufman was in
the forefront of recognizing abortion
rights, ruling it was unconstitutional to
prohibit abortion months before the
U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade
decision.
Judge Kaufinan's most controversial
decision was when he gave a minimum
sentence to two men who pleaded guilty
to mslaughter
in the beating death of
an
Asian-American Vincent Chin outside a
Highland Park strip club.
"Whatever one's view is of that deci-
sion," said Richard Kaufman, "he made
his best call at the time. I am confident
as his son that his decision was motivat-
ed by trying to do the right thing. And I
can tell you as a former judge for 15
years, you are not going to succeed all
the time.' .
"My dad lived a long, full life —
owina up in the Depress i on, to being
kind
gr of hero in World War II, to a s
tinguished judicial
lif e. car said his son.
"He saw a lot of
"I think he liked the sense that as a

DR. GEORGE FELDMAN, 86, of
Monroe, died July 3, 2004. A dentist,
Dr. Feldman was a member of the
University of
Michigan Alumni
Association, a mem-
ber of American
Dental Association,
Michigan Dental
Association and the
Monroe Dental
Society.
Dr. Feldman was
Feldman
a veteran of World
War II and the
Korean Conflict and was a member of
the American Legion. In addition, he
was a member of B'nai Kith, the Anti-
Defamation League and a life member
of Temple B'nai Israel in Monroe. He
was also a board member of Mercy
Memorial Hospital for 40 years, a mem-
ber of Michigan Cancer Foundation,
Big 13rothers/13ig Sisters Organization,
Boy Scouts, Easter Seals, Kiwanis Club

and Monroe Golf and Country Club.
He is survived by his wife, Benita
Feldman of Monroe; son, Ed Feldman
of Monroe.
Interment at Hebrew Memorial Park.
Contributions may be made to Mercy
Memorial Hospital. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufinan Chapel.

Father and son judges Richard and
Charles Kaufman on the golf course.

judge he could do positive things."
Judge Kaufman is survived by his
wife,, >Mary K. Kaufinan; sons and
daughter in law, Gary Kaufman, and
Richard and Elaine Kaufinan. daughters
and sons-in-law Cheryl and Daryle
Salisbury, Cynthia and Lance Simmons,
and Wendy 1(auftnyn and Greg
Beshouri; stepchildren Dr. .May Hamer,
Kathleen (Wesley) Kustnider, Joseph
(Susan) Sakai and Rita Anne Sakai;
13 grandchildren.
Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. LI

from page 81

and Colitis Foundation or any Jewish
charity. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

gni

bench three years after his father.
After the elder Judge Kaufman retired
from Wayne Circuit Court, "he didn't
have enough of it," said his son. "He
spent the next four years as the visiting
jud.ge in the Plymouth IDistrict Court,
handling the entire civil docket." The
judge, in his late 70s, finally retired only
when the Plymouth courthouse burned
down in 1997 and the court could no
longer use him as a visiting judge.
A member of Temple Israel,
Judge Kaufman, was a recipi-
ent of the Eleanor Roosevelt
Humanirarian Award from
the lawyers division of the
Anti-Defamation League. For
many years he was the chair-
man of the Fund for Equal
Justice, which raised money
f o r civil rights causes.
"It was a real labor of love,"
said his son.
"The idea that blacks, Jews
and others were discriminated against ---
and since he was lucky enough to stir-
wive the war and get to a position where
he could have some influence — made
him feel good to participate in those
civil rights activities. "
When not on the bench, Judge
Kaufman could be found enjoying his
favorite pastimes, golf and bridge.
Judge Kaufman was proud of his serv-

RUVIM FELDBAU-M, 81, of Oak
Park, died June 28, 2004. A structural
engineer, Mr. Feldbaum was also a
World War II veteran, having served in
the Russian Army.
He is survived by sons and daughters-
in-law, Michael and Natella Feldbaum
of San Jose, Calif.; Vladimir and Anna
Feldbaum of Northville; grandchildren,
David and Victor Feldbaum, Julius and
Bella Feldbaum. He was the beloved
husband of the late Dr. Lyudmila
Feldbaum.
Interment at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to
Jewish National Fund, 24100 Chagrin
Blvd., Suite#100, Cleveland, OH 44122
or Jewish Vocational Services, 29699
Southfield Road, Southfield, MI 48076.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

RUTH FENCHEL, 79, of West
Bloomfield, died July 4, 2004.
She is survived by her son and daugh-
ter-in-law, Michael and Kathleen
Fenchel of Novi; daughter and son-in-
law, Judith and Laurence Rothenberg of
West Bloomfield; grandchildren,
Kenneth and Lisa Fenchel, Stacy and
Can Rothenberg; great-grandchildren,
Laine and Avery Fenchel. She was the
beloved wife of the late Irving S.
Fenchel.
Interment at Beth Abraham
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to the American Heart Association,
Memorial and Tributes Program, Dept.

.

77-3968, Chicago, IL 60678-3968.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

ROBERT GOLDEN, 85, of
Southfield, died July 1, 2004. A 1940
graduate of University of Michigan, he
was also a veteran and a member of
Veteran of Foreign Wars. Mr. Golden
was owner of Golden Supermarkets in
d _ ownriver Detroit.
He is survived by sons and a daugh-
ter-in-law, Gary and Patty Golden of
Perrysburg, Ohio, and Glenn Golden of
Overland, Kan.; daughter and son-in-
law, Gail and William Zimmerman of
California; grandchildren, Geoffrey S.
Golden and Grace Golden; sister, Esther
Graca of California.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery
Contributions may be made to a charity
of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

NATHAN GOLDSTONE, 81, of
West Bloomfield, died July 3, 2004.