Obituaries
described her sister's
street and empty her
younger persona as a
wallet every time there
Senior Copy Editor
qurky, free spirit, "Julia
was a person in need."
grew into this beautiful,
At Julia's funeral,
Ann Arbor
forceful young woman,"
Maggie read poems
she said.
her sister wrote as a
s a child, Julia Segall-Derfler
Julia studied languages
teenager. "Julia was
was a free spirit who was never in high school and
a poet, which is not
afraid to be who she was.
became fluent in French
surprising given her
"I don't walk — I prefer to fly:' was the and Hebrew. Entering
extraordinary ability
sentiment she expressed in a poem she
college, she discovered
with words," Maggie
wrote when she was 15.
she also enjoyed studying
said.
"In school, Julia was this funny, charm- the Arabic language and
But, tragically, at
ingly weird, whippersnapper kid," said
graduated magna cum
the onset of a life of
older sister Maggie.
laude in it at Georgetown Julia Segall-Derfler
enormous promise,
"She recognized that she was a quirky
University in Washington,
time ran out for Julia
person — and was able to see the quirki- D.C. She also did post-
— just three months
ness present in everyone. Seeing how
graduate training at Georgetown's Center
after her wedding and just one month
valuable individuality was, she never
for Advanced Proficiency in Arabic.
after her 24th birthday.
compromised herself.
One of her teachers was the senior
There was an instant, however, nine
"She saw the weirdness in me, too:'
Arabic translator at the State Department years earlier, when, as a quirky teenager,
said Maggie. "We had a special bond, and and invited her to work in its diplomatic
she expressed in a poem how she gained
she had that same bond with so many
service. "They were hoping that Julia's
control over time, if for just a fleeting
different people. She would look beneath
entire career would be there and she
moment:
the surface because she didn't care about
could eventually take over for her men-
surface. This led her to seek out people
tor," said her father, Dr. Thomas Segall.
"Time"
who were different from her and different
He noted that Julia probably would
by Julia H. Segall, age 15
from other people."
have been utilized this week as a trans-
In high school, Julia won the
lator at the Middle East summit in
As I breathe in, the thick air fills my
"Understanding and Sharing Diversity
Annapolis, Md.
lungs. The smell of warmth lingers as the
Award" as the student who best exempli-
Julia married Yotam Derfler, an Israeli
sun hangs low in the sky and soon disap-
fied and promoted diversity. Her family
she met at a Georgetown rally where she
pears. The sand flows through my fingers,
decided to use the title of that award to
was raising charity funds to counter the
much like the summer has. The water
name the charitable fund in Ann Arbor
genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
sings to me a drowsy song as it crashes
established in her memory.
"She was always thinking of how to
onto the beach.
Julia Segall-Derfler, 24, of Chevy Chase, help people," said her husband. "Recently,
And it sounds like time.
Md., died Nov. 19, 2007, of complica-
she decided she should start in our
And I feel like I could almost reach out
tions from pneumonia. Although Maggie
neighborhood. She would walk down the
and touch it. For just one moment, it was
David Sachs
A
JOSEPH BOBRICK, 87, of Denver, Colo.,
died Nov. 22, 2007.
He is survived by his wife, Irene
Bobrick; daughters and sons-in-law, Angel
and Gary Berger of West Bloomfield, Niki
and Dov Malach of Castle Rock, Colo.;
sister, Micki Pollack of Denver; grandchil-
dren, Scott (Marla) Berger, Stacy (Paul)
O'Bryan, Shay (Kristina) Berger, Taami
(Walter) Dash, Steve (Mary) Malach and
Nili (Rob) Poynter; nine loving great-
grandchildren.
Interment at Rose Hill Cemetery in
Denver. Contributions may be made to the
American Cancer Society or to a charity of
one's choice. This notice was placed at the
request of the family by Dorfman Chapel.
Anna Paberzs.
He was the dear father of the late
Dennis Coffman.
Interment at the Hebrew Memorial Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Dorfman Chapel.
ALBERT SAMUEL COFFMAN, 85, of
Farmington Hills, died Nov. 21, 2007.
He is survived by his beloved wife of
55 years, Ilene Coffman; son and daugh-
BERNARD R. COHEN, 75, of West
Bloomfield, died Nov. 21, 2007. He was a
stockbroker, attorney, arbitrator for secu-
rity cases and a former art dealer.
Coffman
ter-in-law, Joseph and
Nancy Coffman; daugh-
ter and son-in-law, Heidi
Coffman of Huntington
Woods (fiancé, Craig
Cesarone), Amy and
Andrew Paberzs of Ann
Arbor; grandchildren,
Sam, Lisa and Joel
Tencer, Alan, Adam and
Mr. Cohen is survived by his daugh-
ters and son-in-law, Dr. Susan and Elliot
Zeltzer of Farmington Hills; Alison Cohen
of Huntington Woods; son and daughter-
in-law, Jordan Cohen and Kim Susser of
New York; grandchildren, Stuart, Paul and
Barry Zeltzer and Charlie Cohen; sister
and brother-in-law, Lorraine and David
Moss of Farmington Hills; companion,
Sabina Brody.
He was the beloved husband of the late
Gladys "Gig" Cohen.
Interment at Beth Tefilo Emanuel
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
Birmingham Temple, 28611 W. 12 Mile,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334 or St. John's
Hospice, P.O. Box 673271, Detroit, MI
48267. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.
NORMAN NATHAN COHEN, 83, of
Sunrise, Fla., died Nov. 20, 2007. He was a
mine. My slave, which I could command
to be still and not let pass by me as it too
often does. For once, at the end of the day,
time was just there. Waiting for me.
So I opened my hands and closed my
eyes and caught it.
And when I walked home from the
beach late into the hours of that night, I
took it home with me. And now, when I
feel like the world is spinning under my
toes and time is racing beyond without
me, I remember. Once when I made time
stand motionless around me.
And then, I take off my watch.
Julia Segall-Derfler is survived by her
husband, Yotam Derfler; parents, Dr.
Thomas and Anne Brantley Segall of Ann
Arbor; sister, Margaret "Maggie" Segall
of Massachusetts; uncles and aunts,
Dr. John and Carole Flax Segall, James
H. Brantley, Mark H. Brantley, Paul A.
Brantley, Jane and Dr. Hugh Smith, Shiela
Brantley; great-aunts and great-uncles,
Margaret Gibbs, Robert H. and Angie
Thorner, Margaret Thorner Inman; cous-
ins, Lauren Segall, Bradley Segall, Robin
Worley, Palmer Worley, Harris Worley,
James Brantley, Beth Brantley, Meghan
Brantley.
Interment was at Arborcrest Cemetery
in Ann Arbor. Contributions may be
sent to the Julia Segall-Derfler Fund for
Understanding and Sharing Diversity
c/o Ann Arbor Community Foundation,
301 N. Main St., Suite 300, Ann Arbor, MI
48104. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel. l I
sheet metal worker. He was also a member
of Perfection Lodge and the Jewish War
Veterans.
Mr. Cohen is survived by his wife,
Frances Brand Cohen; sons and daugh-
ter-in-law, Ken Cohen, Jeff Cohen of
Southfield, Freddy Cohen and Karen
Newman of Bloomfield Hills; Frances'
sons and their spouses, Dr. Ted and
Bonnie Brand, Bruce and Marsha Brand,
Richard Brand; grandchildren, Jessica
Jeanette Cohen, Kylie and Dylan Cohen,
Jacob, Shana, Muriel, Sara and Eli Brand.
He was the beloved husband of the late
Jeanette Cohen.
Interment at Workmen's Circle
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Kids Kicking Cancer, 645 Griswold
Street, Suite 444, Detroit, MI 48226.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
Obituaries on page C55
November 29 • 2007
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