Obituaries
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A Pillar Of Detroit Sports
W
hether wielding a referee's
whistle or a reporter's
notebook, George Maskin
was a legendary figure in Detroit ath-
letics for more than six decades.
"There wasn't a part of the local
sports scene that George wasn't
involved in," said Rabbi David
Castiglione of Temple Beth El in
Bloomfield Township, who spoke at the
funeral. Mr. Maskin, 90, of Novi, died
April 6, 2007.
George officiated at sporting events
in eight decades — the 1930s-2000s
— at every level including middle school,
high school and college and in several
sports including football, basketball,
baseball, softball and volleyball.
His lifetime's work won him a place in
the Michigan High School Sports Hall of
Fame and the Catholic League Sports
Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was inducted
into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of
Fame.
As a reporter, he was elected to
the Baseball Writers of America
Association in 1948 and, as its oldest
living local member, voted for every
member of the Hall of Fame since 1948.
As a publicist, he was for many years
the voice of the Detroit Pistons and
local racetracks.
George was born in Hamtramck on
March 14, 1917. A graduate of Northern
High School, he worked on the school
newspaper and interned at the Hearst-
owned Detroit Times.
He attended what is now Michigan
MARGARET
BENNETT-
KAUFMAN, 89, of
Englewood, Colo., for-
merly of Detroit, died
April 1, 2007.
She was active with
medical
scholarships
Bennett-
through
Maimonides
Kaufman
Women. She was also a
member of ZOA, Adat Shalom Synagogue,
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Hadassah,
National Council of Jewish Women, League
of Jewish War Veterans and was a founding
member of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Mrs. Bennett-Kaufman is survived by
sons and a daughter-in-law, Mark Bennett,
David and Sheila Bennett; daughter and
son-in-law, Sharri and Dr. Murray Snyder;
grandchildren, Andrew Bennett, Dr.
Adrienne and Dr. William Silver and Jason
Snyder; great-grandchildren, Benjamin,
Zachary and Ari Silver; sister and brother-
in-law, Shirley and Norman Ackerman;
State University, where
he earned a scholarship
by submitting a story he
had written. He became
the sports editor of the
Michigan State Journal,
where he worked with
the late Hal Schram. It
was at Michigan State
where he began his
sports officiating career.
Directly out of college George Maskin
in 1939, George went to
work for the Times and began by cover-
ing high school and college sports. He
was the first journalist in the state to
establish ratings for high school and
college football and basketball, a prac-
tice that is still being used today.
He joined the Army in 1940 and
became a sports writer for Stars and
Stripes newspaper. He also umpired
baseball and softball games for the
Armed Forces in England, Ireland and
Scotland. After the war, he returned to
the Times, writing about college and
high school sports.
As well as school officiating, George
umpired collegiate baseball games for
the University of Michigan, Michigan
State and the University of Detroit. He
also umpired the sandlot leagues of
Detroit, where many future stars went
on to become major league ballplayers,
including Willie Horton and Bill Freehan.
He continued to officiate baseball, soft-
ball and volleyball until 2003. He was
selected to umpire in the College World
Sylvia Delin and her family, Harvey
Kaufman and his family.
She was the beloved wife of the late Dr.
Sanford A. Bennett and the late Judge Ira
Kaufman.
Interment at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Allied
Jewish Campaign, 6735 Telegraph,
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
LAYNE ROBERT CONN, of Oak Park,
died April 3, 2007.
He is survived by his father, Bernard
Conn of Warren; sister and brother-in-
law, Honey and Steven Frank of Oak Park;
nephews, Jason, Bradley and Amy Frank;
great-nephew, Evan. He was the loving son
of the late Jeri Conn.
Contributions may be made to Crohn's
and Colitis Foundation. Services and
interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
Series in Omaha, Neb.
Annually, he took local
baseball players to New
York City to play in the
Hearst All-Star Game;
among those were players
such as Bill Freehan.
While covering the
Detroit Pistons for the
Times in the 1950s, the
commissioner of the NBA
asked him to referee a
game when the regular
official became ill. He refereed and
then wrote the story for the newspaper
afterwards.
Public Relations
George served as the public rela-
tions director and assistant executive
manager of the Detroit Pistons from
1960-1974. His job included scheduling
games and travel, game announcing
and attending league functions.
He also wrote stories for the Detroit
Free Press and the Detroit News after
each game. He worked in the sports
department for the Free Press and
became the sports editor. He covered
all high school sports for the Observer-
Eccentric newspapers during the 1960s
and 1970s.
He was the public relations director
for the Michigan Stags World Hockey
Association team in 1974 and public
relations director for the Hazel Park
and Detroit racetracks from 1974-1984.
A longtime member of Temple Beth
ROBERT FEINBERG, 52, of Clinton
Twp., died April 4, 2007.
He is survived by his parents, Roual and
Barbara Feinberg of Sunny Isles Beach,
Fla.; companion, Teena Taylor of Clinton
Twp.; brothers and sister-in-law, Gary
and Shelli Feinberg of Farmington Hills,
Daniel Feinberg of Warren; nephew, Josh
Feinberg; niece, Samantha Feinberg; many
other loving family members and friends.
Contributions can be made to a charity
of one's choice. Arrangements by Dorfman
Chapel.
CLARA FEINSTEIN,
Feinstein
93, of Delray Beach, Fla.,
formerly of Michigan,
died April 4, 2007.
She is survived by
sons and daughters-
in-law, David Feinstein
and Ann Abrams-
Feinstein of Boca Raton,
Fla., Eddie and Gloria
El, George traveled the world, including
a trip to Israel to celebrate his grand-
son's bar mitzvah in 1993. He and his
wife, Elaine, recently celebrated their
60th wedding anniversary.
"I always marveled at his gentle
humility and his love for his family,"
said Rabbi Castiglione.
George Maskin is survived by his
wife, Elaine; sons and daughters-in-
law, Richard and Dorothy Maskin of
Royal Oak, Douglas and Marie Maskin
of Bloomfield Hills; daughter and
son-in-law, Julie and David Rollins
of Farmington Hills; grandchildren,
Tricia Maskin and Dale Kortes, Bridget
and Matthew Genette, Genevieve
and Claudio Caffeli, Colleen and Todd
Preheim, Robert Maskin, Joshua
Rollins, Sarah Rollins; great-grand-
children, Thomas, Aiden and Sydney
Genette, Alyssa Kortes, Derek and
Katherine Preheim; brothers-in-law
and sisters-in-law, Robert and Sonny
Barnett, Dr. Benjamin and Jeanette
Reder.
He was the beloved son of the late
Louis and the late Jennie Maskin and
the dear brother of the late Rosalyn
Reder, the late Philip Maskin and the
late Dr. Meyer Maskin.
Interment was at Beth El Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to
Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation,
George Maskin Memorial Fund, 2000
Oakley Park Road, Suite 104, Walled
Lake, MI 48390. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel. Li
Feinstein of Kansas City, Mo.; son-in-
law, Chuck Tait; grandchildren, Rebecca
Feinstein, Isaac Feinstein, Abigail and Sam
Brandao, Max Feinstein, Andrea Razon,
Michael and Elvie Tait, Elayna and Steven
Weisel; great-grandchildren, Benjamin
Shai, Jonathon Razon, Jordan and Jeffrey
Tait, Marty, Jessica and Aviva Weisel.
She was the beloved wife of the late
Avrum Feinstein; dear mother of the late
Sophie "Sunnie" Tait; cherished sister
of the late Nate Feinstein, the late Ben
Feinstein, the late Gitla Ileiescu, the late
Rochel Schwartz.
Interment at Beth Moses Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to a char-
ity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
Obituaries on page 75
April 12 • 2007
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