Obituaries

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Devoted Volunteer And Caregiver

B

ertha Fischer, 85, of Oak Park,
died May 22, 2008.
Her strong dedication and
devotion to the multiple organizations
and her family has left a strong mark on
the Jewish community and has set an
impressive example for her family and all
generations.
Her leadership and guidance was con-
tinuous, impeccable and there was no
task that she could not fulfill. She will
be deeply missed, and her warm smile
always remembered.
Mrs. Fischer was the beloved wife of 56
years of the late Sam L. Fischer. She was a
caregiver following the loss of Sam's sight
for more than 20 years, as well as for her
late father, Rubin Luks, and late sister-in-
law, Esther "Nettie" Fischer.
Bertha kept Sam active while he was
blind. Activities included bowling with

SOPHIE ALEKMAN,
92, of West Bloomfield,
died May 31, 2008.
She is survived by
sons and a daughter-
in-law, Paul Alekman
of West Bloomfield,
Sidney and Estelle
Alekman
Alekman; grandchil-
dren, Steven Alekman,
Ryan and Rebecca Alekman, Fawn and
Adam Chayet, Jeffrey and Joy Alekman,
Hayley and Mark Snyder, David Alekman;
great-grandchildren, Casey Alekman, Lily
Stowe Alekman, Zachary Stowe Alekman,
Matthew Chayet, Abby Chayet, Mitchell
Alekman, Dean Alekman, Lila Snyder.
Mrs. Alekman was the beloved wife of
the late Louis Alekman.
Interment at Beth El Memorial Park.
Contributions may be made to the
Friendship Circle, 6892 W. Maple, West
Bloomfield, MI 48322, (248) 788-7878,
www.friendshipcircle.org ; or Alzheimer's
Association, Detroit Area Chapter, 20300
Civic Center Drive #100, Southfield, MI
48076, (248) 351-0280, www.alzgmc.org ;
or Beaumont Hospice Fund, 3601 W. 13
Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073-9952,
(248) 551-5330, beaumonthospitals.com .
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

MANNIE BANNER, 85, a decorated vet-
eran of the U.S. Air Force, died May 23,
2008 in Pompano Beach, Fla.
He joins his late wife, Barbara and his
late daughter, Lori.
Mannie grew up in Lynbrook, N.Y., and
enlisted in the then-U.S. Army Air Force.

the B'nai B'rith men's
league and working for
Sinai Hospital in the
Supply and Distribution
Department through
the Jewish Vocational
Service. Sam and
Bertha supplied 60
percent of the cock-
tail napkins and
matches for local
Jewish community
events through their
Bertha Fischer
hot stamping busi-
ness (B.A.S.S. Personal
Monogramming) for more than 10
years.
Bertha was active in multiple organi-
zations and was a lifetime member of
Jewish Women International (formerly
B'nai B'rith Women) since 1956 and

He graduated from Officer's Training
School as a navigator and was stationed
in England with the 390th Bomber Group.
He flew more than 35 combat missions
over heavily-fortified targets in Germany
and occupied Europe (1943-1945) and
received numerous awards including the
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal,
National Defense Medal (1945-1991),
Armed Forces Reserve Medal and others.
At the conclusion of the war in Europe,
he returned to the U.S. and was called
upon to serve during the Korean War.
Mannie retired from the Air Force with the
rank of lieutenant colonel in 1983.
In civilian life, Mannie represented a
number of major apparel manufactur-
ers in the Midwest and, upon retirement,
continued his passion for collecting and
dealing in high-end antiques.
Mannie is survived by his daughter,
Susan of Aventura, Fla.; his partner, Peggy
Lapin of Pompano Beach, Fla.; and his sis-
ter, Yetta Nash of Chevy Chase, Md.; many
brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and
nephews and numerous admiring friends
throughout the country.
Mannie will be long remembered as a
most loyal and caring friend who gave of
himself generously and unconditionally
with acts of kindness. Contributions may
be made to 390th Museum Foundation,
6000 E. Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ 85706.

ALFRED DUBE, 85, of Las Vegas, Nev.,
died May 20, 2008.
Born May 3, 1923, in Pilsen,
Czechoslovakia, he became an Eagle Scout
and graduated as a ceramic engineer from

held many offices including
treasurer and vice-president.
She was active in Marshall,
Israel, Brandeis, Business &
Professional and Pisgah chap-
ters and B'nai B'rith Council
and was an active fundraiser
for the Children's Home and
Residential Treatment Center
in Jerusalem.
Bertha was treasurer for the
Jewish War Veterans Post #510
Shapiro-Rose women's auxil-
iary and a precinct chairman
and worker on the Oak Park
Voting Election Committee since 1960.
She served as a Jewish Vocational Service
Senior Service Corp volunteer for 21
years for which a feature article in the JVS
magazine was published in Vol. 1, Issue
4, 2003. She also was on the board for the

Sinai Guild.
Her employment included serving as
secretary in the 1960s to Rabbi Hayim
Halevy Donin of Congregation B'nai
David.
Bertha Fischer is survived by her
sons and daughter-in-laws, Armin and
Hazel Fischer of West Bloomfield, Steven
"Yisroel" and Elisheva Fischer of Monsey,
N.Y.; brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and
Letha Luks of Clinton Township; grand-
children, Sean Fischer, Marcie and Jamie
McAmmond, Simcha Zissle; nephew and
niece, Brian Luks and Jodi Taylor; many
dear friends, neighbors and organization
affiliates.
Interment was at Beth Tefilo Cemetery.
Contributions can be made to any of the
charitable organizations named above or
a charity of one's choice. Arrangements
by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. E

the Czechoslovakian
Institute of Ceramics.
During World War II,
Mr. Dube was moved
from ghetto to concen-
tration camps, includ-
ing the Lodz Ghetto;
Litzmanstadt Ghetto;
Dube
Czestochown; Munition
Factory Hasag No. 2 in
Tschenstochova, Poland;
Buchenwald; S.A. Dora
Mittlebau V/1 and V/2
assembly plant; and
Bergen-Belsen.
HOIMST
SUVOR
After the war, he
worked in the under-
ground for an organization that facilitated
the acquisition of passports for Jews to
escape occupied territories and find pas-
sage to Palestine.
Mr. Dube became the model and subject
of a series of art pieces by his friend David
Friedman titled The Muselman (skeleton)
series. He arrived in the United States with
his wife and 2-year-old daughter — and
60 cents in his pocket. He worked as a pin-
setter in a bowling alley while he learned
English (he spoke five languages).
Mr. Dube's career included: director of
design research and general manager at
Stetson China Company, general man-
ager of Blue Mountain Pottery, managing
director of Bevex Ceramic Tile Company,
president of Canadiana Pottery Ltd., the
national sales manager of Studiceram Inc.
and the technical director of Holland Brick
and Tile Company.
Michael Pratt, in his book Mid Century

Modern Dinnerware called Mr. Dube the
"father of modern dinnerware design!"
He also served as a consultant to the
Jamaican government. He received letters
of commendation from every president of
the United States since 1949.
Mr. Dube also authored a book Where
Was God? and was visited personally by
Steven Spielberg during a four-hour inter-
view by the Shoah Foundation. He was
active with many organizations, includ-
ing Boys Town U.S.A., American Ceramic
Society (president), Collingwood Chamber
of Commerce (president), Toastmasters,
Huronia Tourist Association (president), a
local chapter of the Rotary International
(president) and the Canadian Ceramic
Society (chairman). He held several patents,
including a time analyzer for ceramics.
Alfred Dube is survived by his wife,
Ellia Dube of Las Vegas; daughter and
son-in-law, Jana and Paul Hletko of
Georgetown, S.C.; son and daughter-in-
law, Otto and Shelley Dube of Farmington
Hills; son and fiancee, Michael Dube and
Dawn Arredondo of San Francisco; daugh-
ter, Nicole Mathis of Pennsylvania; grand-
children, Paul and Liz, Valerie and Katie,
Sarah and Marc, Annie, Danniell, Yoni,
Ami, Danielle and Dominic; great-grand-
children, Joshua, Savannah, Jonathan,
Sofia, Paul Quinn, Sydney, Andrew, and
Ellie.
He was the cherished father-in-law of
the late Patty Lynn Kaufman Dube and
the dear stepfather of the late Clarence
Dunbar Floyd.

Obituaries on page C34

June 5 e 2008

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