His Family's Hero
DAVID SACHS
Senior Copy Editor
mong his appreciative extend-
ed family members who now
number 60, Theodore Weiss is
extolled as their personal "Christopher
Columbus."
Teddy Weiss was always the explor-
er — the street-smart adventurous
one who left Czechoslovakia before
World War II to eventually establish
a home in Detroit. And he is the one
who fought the legal and immigra-
tion systems after the war to bring his
parents, six siblings and four nieces
and nephews who survived the
Holocaust to a new life in the New
World.
"When I was a little girl, there was
an attorney in Detroit, Manuel
Merzon, who was very instrumental
in helping bring the family over," said
daughter Dottie Wagner of West
Bloomfield. "I remember going
A
He is survived by his wife, Evelyn
Cohen; son, Paul Cohen of Whitby,
Ontario, Canada; daughters and sons-
in-law, Marla and David Lundy of
Ajax, Ontario, Canada, Herah and
Donavon Osborne of Nevada; sister,
Linda Belknap of Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; grandchildren, Dalton Lundy,
Samantha Lundy, Brenden Lundy, Lisa
Cohen, Morgan Osborne, Donavon
Osborne Jr.
Contributions may be made to
American Cancer Society, 18505 W.
12 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076
or Jewish National Fund. Interment at
Hebrew Memorial Park, Mezeritcher
Section. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
RUTH COLVIN, 84, of Farmington
Hills, died June 30, 2005. She was a
contract representative for the U.S.
Federal Reserve.
Mrs. Colvin is survived by her
cousins and friends. She was the
beloved wife of the late Robert A.
Colvin; loving daughter of the late
Charles Max Scher and the late Fanny
Scher.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
almost nightly with my
father to Mr. Merzon's
office. I used to sit under the
desk, and they would plan
how they were going to
bring our family here. You
had to vouch for people —
that they would have a job,
that they wouldn't be depen-
dant upon society."
Mr. Weiss, 95, of
Southfield, died June 29,
2005.
Theodore
In his eulogy, Rabbi Dov
Loketch of Congregation
das Yisroel Mogen
Abraham in Southfield praised Mr.
Weiss as "a virtual Rock of Gibraltar —
for always protecting, guiding and pro-
viding for his beloved family."
Mr. Weiss returned to
Czechoslovakia in 1992 with his
extended family to visit the former
homeland.
"There were 30 of us who went,"
said his daughter. "My father and
Contributions may be made to Jewish
Apartments & Services. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
EDITH (SCHWARTZ) COHEN,
94, of Los Angeles, died June 28,
2005. She was president of Hadassah,
Mezrachi Women, sisterhood of Young
Israel of Detroit. She was a native of
Rudnik, Poland.
Mrs. Cohen is survived by her
nieces and nephews, Dr. Morton Sacks
of Santa Barbara, Calif.; Donald
Barnett of Tel Aviv, Israel; Annette
Horowitz of El Paso, Texas; Yonina
Rosenthal of Haifa, Israel' Temima
Shapiro of Los Angeles; Freda Leuin of
Rafael, Calif. She was the beloved wife
of the late Hyman R. Cohen and the
late Alex Schwartz.
Services and interment at
Machpelah Cemetery. Arrangements
by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
ALBERT DICKEN, 84, of
Farmington Hills, died July 4, 2005.
He was a graduate of Central High
School. In December 1942, he joined
the Army and served as a cook until
1945, through the battle of the Bulge
Weiss
mother and three gen-
erations of the people
he helped bring out. It
was incredible. We ran
into the righteous gen-
tiles who hid them and
who brought them
food."
Reflecting on his
father's life, son Arthur
Weiss of Farmington
Hills was in awe of his
father's stalwart devo-
tion to family — and the
horrific challenges that
his "greatest generation"
overcame.
"That generation did what it had
to do," he said. "They did what was
right.
"My folks' generation were raised
in shtetls. They survived the war.
They did well in America, overcom-
ing language and cultural barriers —
but they maintained their Jewish
identity. From my perspective, there
and the liberation
of Dachau concen-
tration camp. He
was a founder of
United Janitor
Supply Co. in
Detroit and for
more than 25 years
served as a sales-
Dicken
man for the com-
pany.
Mr. Dicken is survived by his
beloved wife, Rhoda Dicken; sons and
daughters-in-law, Dennis and Eileen
Dicken of New Hudson, Mich.;
Steven and Karen Dicken of
Oceanside, Calif., Grant Dicken of
West Bloomfield; sister and brother-
in-law, Renee and Morris Rochlin of
Franklin; grandchildren, David, Laurie
and Sean Dicken; great-grandson,
Ryan. He was the dear brother of the
late Saul (Marion) Dicken and Shirley
(Harry) Klein.
Interment at the Beth El Memorial
Park Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to Temple Beth El, 7400
Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI
48301 or to Hadassah, 5030 Orchard
Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI
will be no other Jewish generation
like this in history."
Mr. Weiss is survived by his wife of
63 years, Jean; loving children, Dottie
and Donald Wagner, Arthur and Trudy
Weiss; grandchildren, Sheri Wagner,
Amy Wagner Biloon and Jeremy
Moon, Aaron Weiss, Rachel Weiss
Berger and Benjamin Berger, Leah
Weiss; siblings, Roshie Weisberger,
Eugene and Ellen Weiss, Fred and
Gloria Weiss, Leo Weiss, and Emil
Weiss.
He was the brother of the late
Herman and Gizzy Weiss; brother-in-
law of the late Vilmosh Weisberger
and the late Emma Weiss.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to any Jewish educational insti-
tute in Metro Detroit or to the
Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy
Network, 24123 Greenfield,
Southfield, MI 48075. Arrangements
by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. LI
48323. Arrangements by Dorfman
Chapel.
SHANA DUBEN, 59, of Southfield,
died July 2, 2005.
She is survived by her husband,
Samuel Duben; daughters and son-in-
law, Sara and Marc Wasser of
Farmington Hills, Debbie Duben of
Southfield; brothers and sisters-in-law,
Haskell and Barbara Adler of
Southfield, Cantor Asher and Sandra
Adler of Oak Park; sister, Prissy
Bachaiov of Farmington Hills.
Contributions may be made to Yad
Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley,
MI 48072. Interment at Beth Tefilo
Emanuel Cemetery. Arrangements by
Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
ALLEN it FAGAN, 77, of Iron
Mountain, died June 21, 2005. Born
in Bay City, he was a graduate of Bay
City Central High School. During the
Korean War, he served with the 101st
Army Airborne.
Mr. Fagan worked in construction
in Bay City and for many years with
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