47N Obituaries

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Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JNOnline.com .

Love Of Teaching

LEONARD POGER

Copy Editor

r

rances Hamburger, who spent her entire adult
life in education, has been lauded by many a
former student as "the best teacher I ever had."
One noted that, "I learned more from her classes
than in four years of college," said her husband,
William.
Mrs. Hamburger loved teaching so much that short-
ly after retiring as head of the performing arts depart-
ment at Detroit's Cass Technical High School, she
became a substitute teacher at Andover High in the
Bloomfield Hills district. "She was lookinc
looking , forward to
going back to school in September," said
husband,
recalling his wife's enthusiasm for teaching.
Mrs. Hamburger, 74, of West Bloomfield, died
unexpectedly of a heart attack Aug. 1, 2005.
Cass Tech honored her when she retired in the
spring of 1989 by having the school's auditorium
named for her. Over the years, she led fund-raising
campaigns that generated thousands of dollars for the
auditorium's renovation and seat replacement.
At Cass Tech, Mrs. Hamburger's speech and per-
forming arts students won numerous state and nation-
al awards during her 36 years there. Among her "grad-
uates" were actress-comedienne Lily Tomlin and Tom
Wilson, longtime Detroit Pistons' CEO. During her
career, Mrs. Hamburger received many e-mails and
letters from former students expressing their gratitude
for her classes.

Mrs. Hamburger's sister Zelda Shwedel remembered
her creative skills in composing her own poems for
every Cass Tech and Andover teacher at their retire-
ment.
Mrs. Hamburger was born and raised in Detroit,
graduating from Central High School
and Wayne University with bachelor's and
master's degrees
She was a member of Congregation
B'nai Moshe and the Delta Phi Epsilon
Sorority, whose members include women
she had known since elementary school.
A profile in the Jewish News on her
retirement from Cass Tech 16 years ago
noted that Mrs. Hamburger won Wayne
University's Best Actress award in 1952.
Her speech skills were developed early,
represented by her being on a Detroit
radio station's Story Land program at the
young age of 11. As an adult, she was
radio station WWJ's "Story Lady."
Mrs. Hamburger was a warm, loving mother, said
daughter Susan Lieberman. She remembered her
mother as the "best mother, best friend and adviser.
She gave me strength. Her love of communications,
language and drama inspired me to go on and become
a speech pathologist [in the Pontiac school district].
"We did everything together — shopping, going to the
salon, taking vacations. She was unbelievably generous."
Susan recalled that one affectionate activity they
shared was making Hamburger "sandwiches" — a play

.

on their surname. "I was the meat and she and my
dad were the buns."
Mrs. Hamburger added a special touch to her two
grandsons' b'nai mitzvah.
When grandson Adam Lieberman was preparing for
his bar mitzvah, Mrs. Hamburger wrote
a non-relative, U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman
— the Democratic vice-presidential
nominee in the 2000 election — asking
for a personalized letter for Adam.
At the recent bar mitzvah of grandson
Andrew Lieberman, Mrs. Hamburger
contacted former student Wilson for a
personalized,letter. He not only sent a
letter to Andrew, he included a Pistons'
jersey.
Sister Zelda and brother Harold Black
said Mrs. Hamburger was "the glue
that kept our family together, including
the extended family," attending all of
her relatives' milestone events across the country.
Frances Hamburger is survived by her beloved hus-
band, William; daughter and son-in-law, Gary and
Susan Lieberman of West Bloomfield; brother and sis-
ter-in-law, Harold and Ann Black of Southfield; sister
and brother-in-law, Zelda and Norman Shwedel of
Miami, Fla.; grandchildren, Adam and Andrew
Lieberman; brother-in-law, Ronald (Gail) Hamburger.
Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park.
Contributions may be made to a charity of one's
choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. E

`A Wonderful Person'

And he was always doing the unexpected for rela-
tives. One example, Arlene recalled, was getting up at
3 in the morning and driving his mother-in-law in a
heavy rainstorm to the Cleveland Clinic so she could
ark Millman was devoted to his family and
make an 8 a.m. appointment.
to his work as a pharmacist and will be
Mark and Arlene met as teenagers at a United
remembered as an "honest, honorable,
Synagogue Youth retreat 32 years ago and
humble, compassionate, hard-working
have been together ever since. The day
and sincere guy," said his wife, Arlene.
after they met, Mark asked Arlene to be
Mr. Millman, 48, of West Bloomfield,
his girlfriend, "and thank God I said,
died Aug. 7, 2005, after a yearlong battle
`Yee" she said.
with cancer.
"Mark has always been there for me
As pharmacy coordinator at the Henry
and for everyone I know," said Arlene.
Ford Medical Center in West Bloom-
"Mark was an all-around wonderful per-
field, Mr. Millman spoke to seniors'
son. If you needed any kind of help he
home health care aides about the latest
was there, no questions asked.
developments of new drugs. He also
"That's who Mark was, always watch-
went the extra mile to make sure that
ing out for the next person. It didn't mat-
patients, particularly the elderly, received
ter if you were family or friend because
their medications — many times driving
once you were a friend of Mark's, he
to their homes or nursing homes himself
always treated you as family and with
Mr. Millman did "whatever he had to Mark Millman
great respect."
do to make sure his patients received
Born in Detroit and raised in Southfield, Mr.
their prescriptions and were satisfied," said Steve
Millman received a bachelor's degree in microbiology
Duda, Henry Ford Health System director of the
from the University of Michigan and his graduate .
ambulatory pharmacy department and Mr. Millman's
degree from the Wayne State University College of
supervisor.
Pharmacy
Arlene Millman said that family was the most
He served as president of the Congregation B'nai
important thing to her husband. He was dedicated to
Moshe Men's Club for several years.
their two children, Bradley, 16, and Rebecca, 12.

LEONARD POGER

Copy Editor

N

7,*

8/11

2005

84

Although he never played in competitive sports, Mr.
Millman had an avid appetite for sports statistics, par-
ticularly hockey, and a love for U-M. Visitors to his
home are-greeted by a Wolverine windsock and wel-
come mat. His pet dog, Cody, wears a U-M collar in
addition to a maize-and-blue vest in winter months.
Despite his illness, Mr. Millman didn't let it inter-
fere with his ongoing interest in sports and how rela-
tives were doing. He closely followed the progress
nephew Dani Wohl, a basketball point guard for U-
M.
"No one will ever forget Mark's kindness or quick
wit when telling a joke or a story," said his wife.
"Mark would always be happy as long as he knew
that he put a smile on another person's face."
Mark Millman is survived by his wife of 23 years,
Arlene Wohl Millman; son, Bradley; daughter,
Rebecca; mother, Eleanor Millman; sister, Lisa
Millman of Chicago; brother-in-law and sister-in-law,
Milt and Renee Wohl; and nephews and niece, Josh
and Julie Wohl, Dani Wohl.
He was the loving son of the late Leo Millman; and
son-in-law of the late Sam and the late Lillian Wohl.
Contributions may be made to Congregation B'nai
Moshe, Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit,
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit or Angela
Hospice.
Interment was at Oakview Cemetery Arrangements
by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. El