Obituaries
Teacher And Healer
p
atricia Milner Sachs was a dogged
idealist who relentlessly pursued
the Jewish quest for tikkun °kin/
— healing the world.
A social worker and melanoma patient
who fought the deadly skin cancer for
more than a decade, Pat — as she liked to
be called — devoted her 12-year career
at the Karmanos Cancer Institute to eas-
ing the lives of fellow cancer patients and
teaching the public cancer prevention. Mrs.
Sachs, 54, of Southfield, died June 23, 2006.
One of the innovative health education
programs Pat created as director of com-
munity partnerships at the Detroit-based
comprehensive cancer center was SHIELD
(Skin Health is Easy to Learn and Do), a
sun-safety educational program to protect
children from melanoma.
She was also founding dean of
Survivorship University, a lecture series
aimed at improving the lives of cancer
patients.
"Pat always said people were not born
knowing how to cope with cancer and
needed to learn',' said Karen Goldman, vice
president of patient care at Karmanos.
In addition, Pat established N'siah
GERTRUDE I. CHAIFETZ, 88, of
Atlanta, Ga., formerly of Southfield, died
June 24, 2006.
She is survived by her daughter, Marilyn
Diamond of Atlanta; sister, Lillian Loren;
grandson, Matthew (Laura) Diamond;
sister-in-law, Pearl (Al) Leach. She was the
beloved wife of the late Harold Chaifetz.
Interment at Temple Israel Gardens
of Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the demen-
tia research of one's choice, to the Sarah
Cannon Research Institute in Nashville,
Tenn., or to Crossroads Hospice in Tucker,
Ga. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
HIRAM A. DORFMAN, 85 , former
Detroiter of California, died June 20, 2006.
He was very active
with the Jewish
Federation in Detroit
and the Michigan
Jewish Sports Hall
of Fame as well as
numerous philanthro-
pies in science, medi-
Dorfman
cine, education and the
arts. He also helped
fund a program to bring together interfaith
religious leaders.
He is survived by the love of his life,
Lucille, his wife for the past 56 years;
daughter Lynn du Celliee Muller and her
husband, Noel; son, Lee, and his wife, Sally;
grandchildren, Alexandra and Remy du
Celliee Muller, Caleb and Noah Dorfman;
("journey" in Hebrew), a spiritual support
group for Jewish cancer patients.
"Pat viewed her work at Karmanos
not merely as a professional, but as a
part of who she was — a part of her
Jewishness," said Rabbi Steven Rubenstein
of Congregation Beth Ahm in West
Bloomfield. "Pat had energy. She had ideas.
She had goals. She had a tremendous work
ethic that pushed her toward those goals:'
he said.
On May 24, Karmanos honored Pat with
an award for "outstanding contribution
to cancer survivors everywhere." When
presenting the plaque, Karmanos President
Dr. John Ruckdeschel referred to Pat, who
continued her quest to aid others despite
suffering from metastatic melanoma, as
probably the bravest person I've ever
met."
The institute asked Pat to speak at its
annual dinner on June 3, less than three
weeks before she died.
"Pat looked beautiful as she stood at her
table and told the crowd of the importance
of support programs for cancer patients
and their families," said Goldman. "That
speech raised $100,000 in the next 10
minutes."
Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Pat
trained as a public school educator and
taught religious school for 25 years at
Temple Emanu El in University Heights,
Ohio, Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor
and Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield.
She cherished what she felt was a lov-
ing atmosphere at Beth Ahm, where she
served on the board and created the popu-
lar Friday night Shabbat Limud dinner-
lecture series.
At the Karmanos annual dinner, Pat's
speech was preceded by a video in which
she said, "If our efforts help diagnose
someone earlier — if they help prevent
someone from even getting cancer — then
our lives would have made a difference."
The video noted that thousands of
people have benefited from Pat's cancer-
education efforts.
Her sister, Debbie Gorenberg of Los
Gatos, Calif., said Pat, even as a young
child, wanted to be an educator and her
life's work serves as a model for those who
seek to heal the world.
"We were her students, and she was
our teacher," Debbie said. "And she will be
brother, Louis Dorfman of Michigan;
numerous nieces and nephews. He was the
brother of the late Alex Dorfman and the
late Sally Schneider.
Services and internment at Home of Peace
Cemetery in Colma, Calif. Contributions may
be made to Kreider Services, JARC or the
California Pacific Medical Center Pediatric
Epilepsy Program. Condolences may be sent
to 3053 Fillmore #42, San Francisco, CA
94123. His photos and poetry are available at
www.hidorfman.com.
Mrs. Faitler loved to dance, draw and
loved to be with her children and grand-
children.
She is survived by her daughters and
sons-in-law, Leslee and Bill Goldstein of
Fairfield, Demerie Faitler and Li Chuan
of Taiwan, China, and Washington, D.C.,
Wendy and Jack Scull of Rochester, N.Y.;
son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Sue
Faitler of Oak Park; sister and brother-
in-law, Betty and Irving Baron of Beverly
Hills; grandchildren, Sam Goldstein, Lanie
Goldstein, Gabriella Scull, Sabrina Scull,
Chava and Saadya Cohen, Yeshaya Faitler;
great-grandchildren, Aharon Faitler, Yisroel
Faitler, Reva Faitler, Elana Faitler, Avigail
Faitler. She was the beloved wife of the late
Irving Faitler.
Contributions may be made to Yeshiva
Darchai Torah, 21550 W. 12 Mile Road,
Southfield, MI 48076; Yeshiva Beth Yehudah,
P.O. Box 2044, Southfield, MI 48037; or to a
charity of one's choice. Interment at Hebrew
Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel
((
EDITH DUBROW, former Detroiter of
Los Angeles, died May 19, 2006. She had
her husband started one of many women's
retail store, Edith Dee Shops, in downtown
Detroit in the 1930s. They later expanded
the business to Royal Oak, where it was
known as Fields. She loved going fishing
with her husband, and the couple had a
boat on Lake St. Clair for almost 50 years.
Mrs. Dubrow is survived by her hus-
band of 72 years, Harry; children, Dennis
Dubrow, Joyce and Marshall Deutelbaum;
grandchildren, Ethan, Greg; great-grandson,
Griffin; many nephews and nieces.
ADELE FAITLER, 77, of Fairfield, Iowa,
formerly of Detroit, died June 21, 2006. She
was born May 3, 1929 in Lansing, to Sam
and Anna Bronstein Abrams. She lived in
the Detroit area until moving to Fairfield
in 2002. She married Irving Faitler in
November 1948 in Lansing. He preceded
her in death in 2001.
JERRY FINE, 67, of
Southfield, died June
25, 2006.
He is survived by
his daughter and
son-in-law, Shari
and Douglas Fesko
of Canton; parents,
Jimmy and Caroline
Fine of West Bloomfield; sister and brother-
Pat Sachs
remembered."
Pat Sachs is survived by her husband,
David Sachs; father, Paul Milner of
Beachwood, Ohio; sister, Debra Milner
Gorenberg; niece, Rita Gorenberg of Los
Gatos; mother-in-law, Sylvia Sachs of
Southfield; and brother-in-law, Ralph
Sachs of Detroit.
She was the beloved daughter of the late
Rita Milner; the dear daughter-in-law of
the late Frank Sachs; and loving sister-in-
law of the late Alan Sachs.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to the Karmanos Cancer Institute,
Survivorship University Fund, 4100 John
R, Detroit, MI 48201; or Congregation Beth
Ahm, 5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield,
MI 48322. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel. El
in-law, Sandra and Richard Smith of West
Bloomfield; nieces, Stacey and Lindsay
Smith; s former spouse, Celia Fine; and her
mother Marion Rutter.
Interment at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the Detroit
Public Library, to the Hechtman and Meer
Jewish Apartments in West Bloomfield or to
a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Dorfman Chapel.
LILLIAN "LILLY" FINKELSTEIN, 87,
of West Bloomfield, died June 23, 2006.
She is survived
by her daughter and
son-in-law, Barbara
and Marty Burnstein
of West Bloomfield;
son and daughter-in-
law, David and Sue
Finkelstein of Boston,
Finkelstein
Mass.; brother and
sister-in-law, Jack and
Miriam Shenkman of Farmington Hills;
sister and brother-in-law, Eileen Kozloff
Kirman of West Bloomfield; grandchildren,
Erin (Dennis) Kierney, Ian (Amy) Browne
and Scott Burnstein; great-grandchildren,
Tyler, Ryan and Casey. She was the beloved
wife of the late Samuel Finkelstein.
Interment at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to the Alzheimer's Association, the Jewish
Hospice and Chaplaincy Network or to a
charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Dorfman Chapel.
Obituaries on page 74
June 29 e 2006
73