Obituaries

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A Partner And Leader

V

ictoria S. Levin, 74, of Royal
Oak, wife of U.S. Rep. Sander
Levin and a leader in federally
funded research on infant and children's
mental health and development issues,
died peacefully, surrounded by her family
on Sept. 4, 2008.
She had struggled for many months
with metastatic breast cancer with
unflagging good cheer and concern for
those around her.
Speaking at the funeral Sept. 7 at Ira
Kaufman Chapel, Gov. Jennifer Granholm
praised Mrs. Levin political acumen,
saying, "She understood people and com-
munities across the district and across
the region, whether it was the Orthodox
community in Oak Park or the Polish
immigrants or the Italian immigrants or
their food.
"She was so much a part of the fabric
of the community and certainly the fabric
of Sandy's life.
"She was certainly her own person, and
she enhanced Sandy and Sandy enhanced
her," the governor added.
Born in Detroit to Nathan and Adele
Schlafer, Mrs. Levin grew up in Detroit
and attended the Liggett School. She
earned a bachelor's degree in history
from Wellesley College in Massachusetts
in 1955 and master's from the Simmons
School of Social Work in Boston in 1957.

HILDA "HONEY" ALEXANDER, 87, of
Farmington Hills, died Aug. 28, 2008. She
was an insurance agent.
She is survived by her nephews and
nieces, Neil and Peggy Hiller, David and
Shelley Hiller, Michael and Teresa Hiller;
great-nephews and great-nieces, Evan,
Kim, Joey, Benjie and Caitlin Hiller, Zach
Simms; sister-in-law, Ruth Alexander.
Ms. Alexander was the devoted sister
of the late Rita Hiller, the late Jeanette
Alexander, the late Cecil Alexander; dear
sister-in-law of the late Leo Hiller.
Interment at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Alzheimer's
Association, Detroit Area Chapter, 20300
Civic Center Drive, Suite 100, Southfield,
MI 48076, www.alzgmc.org or to a char-
ity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

RHEA LEE BROWN-SHERMAN, 71, for-
merly of Grand Rapids of Cherry Hill, N.J.,
died Aug. 21, 2008.
She owned and operated a condomini-
um management company.

That same year, she married Sander
Levin, beginning a half-century partner-
ship that served as a very public model
of love, shared public
service and progressive
advocacy for so many
people in Michigan and
Washington, D.C.
She began her career
in psychiatric social
work at the Oakland
Child Guidance Clinic
in Royal Oak but inter-
rupted it to raise a fam-
ily with Sander and to
Victoria Levin
engage in a wide range
of community and
political work. In 1959, the Levins moved
to Berkley and Vicki joined the Berkley
Council for Better Schools to advocate
for better public education. From 1967 to
1970, she served on the Oakland County
Community Mental Health Board. Her
interest in children with mental health
challenges spurred Sander to lead an
effort to rewrite Michigan's special educa-
tion laws when he was a state senator.
In 1970 and 1974, Mrs. Levin worked
full-time in Sander's gubernatorial cam-
paigns. She played a pioneering role as
a full political partner, maintaining an
independent campaign schedule and
serving as a core campaign adviser

Mrs. Brown-Sherman
is survived by her hus-
band, Alan J. Sherman
of Buena Park, Calif.;
daughter and son-in-
law, Kimberly and Jay
Boyle of Richmond, Va.;
son and daughter-in-
Brown-Sherman
law, Richard and Janice
Brown of Jupiter, Fla.; brother and sister-
in-law, Paul and Shelly Rubenstein of Lake
Worth, Fla.; brother-in-law and sister-
in-law, Ron and Mitzi Brown of Boynton
Beach, Fla.; nieces, Jennifer and Wendy
Brown of Chicago; grandchildren, David
and Morgan Boyle.
She was the beloved wife of the late
Harry M. Brown; loving daughter of the
late Ida and the late Norman Rubenstein.
Services were held in Cherry Hill.
Contributions may be made to the
American Diabetes Association, 1060 N.
Kings Highway, Suite 309, Cherry Hill, NJ
08002; to the American Heart Association,
1 Union St., Suite 301, Robbinsville, NJ
08691; or to a charity of one's choice.

In 1979, Mrs. Levin started a whole
new career using her social work back-
ground, this time serving as an expert in
child and family men-
tal health. For almost
30 years, until failing
health forced her to
retire this spring, she
served as a science
research officer for
several federal agen-
cies within the U.S.
Department of Health
and Human Services.
In those three
decades, Mrs. Levin
nurtured the careers of
scores of scientists, helping them navi-
gate the complex waters and rigorous
requirements of federal research funding,
serving as network central to help them
find colleagues and advance their careers;
doling out advice on love, marriage, chil-
dren, grandchildren, cooking, gardening,
and world travel; cajoling the best among
them to serve on her panels that deter-
mined how funding would be distributed;
and feeding everyone in sight with her
baked goods and other delicacies.
After Vicki's retirement, the Levin fam-
ily was overwhelmed by an outpouring of
respect and affection from her colleagues
from coast to coast. They commissioned

an original painting as a gift, organized a
professional symposium in her honor and
created a book with letters of commenda-
tion written by dozens of scientists rep-
resenting virtually every major research
university from coast to coast.
Among other things, they credited her
with playing a key role in the growth of
the field of developmental psychopathol-
ogy and, in the words of University of
Wisconsin Distinguished Professor Seth
Pollack, "improving the lives of countless
children."
Vicki Levin is survived by her loving
husband, Sander; daughters and son-in-
law, Jennifer and Alan Pensler of Chevy
Chase, Md., Madeleine Levin of Silver
Spring, Md.; sons and daughters-in-law,
Andrew Levin and Mary Freeman of
Bloomfield Hills; Matthew and Allison
Levin of Mount Pelier, Vt.; grandchildren,
Nathan, Sam and Leah Penslar, Jacob
"Koby", Saul, Benjamin and Mary Levin
and Seth Nosanchuk; brother and sister-
in-law, Dale and Susan Schlafer; brother-
in-law and sister-in-law, Sen. Carl and
Barbara Levin.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Karmanos Cancer Institute, Victoria
S. Levin Fund, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI
48201, www.karmanos.org . Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

DR. MOREY FIRESTONE, 92, of
Birmingham, died Aug. 30, 2008. He was
an optometrist and owner of Dearborn
Optical for over 50 years.
Dr. Firestone is survived by his daugh-
ter, Ellen Firestone of Birmingham; sister,
Sylvia Ungar; also survived by Sadie and
caregivers, Steffanyes Watkins, Brandi
Kemp, Tina Layman James, Lucinda
Bowman, Camela Hayes.
He was the beloved husband of the late
Nettie Firestone; loving brother of the late
Helen Iszauk.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Beaumont Foundation, c/o Firestone
Cancer Fund, 3711 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal
Oak, MI 48073 or Beaumont Hospice
Fund, William Beaumont Hospital, 3601
W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073-
9952, www.beaumonthospitals.com .
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

SANDRA BEA (KLEIN) GOLD, 72, for-
merly of Southfield of Dunedin, Fla., died
July 21, 2008.
She is survived by her loving children,
Lydia (David) Silver of Dunedin, Stacy
(Noam) Carmen of Southfield, Marla
(Mitchell) Peyser of Annandale, Va., and
Anissa (Jerry) Forsythe of Bellevue, Ohio;
sisters and brothers-in-law, Faith and
Marvin Goodman Yoblon of Delray Beach,
Fla., and Pamela and Bruce Goldman of
North Easton; grandchildren, Afi (Nili),
Esti, Kayla, and Talya Carmen, Joshua
Silver, Madeline and Jacob Peyser and
Abigail Forsythe.
She was the devoted daughter of the late
Jack and the late Gertrude Klein.
A memorial service was held in
Clearwater, Fla. Contributions may be
made to the American Heart Association
or the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

❑

Obituaries on page B40

September 11 = 2008

B39