Obituaries
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A Woman Of Valor
Esther Aliweiss Ingber
Special to the Jewish News
L
ove can happen under the most
unlikely circumstances. How else
to explain the meeting of Regina
and William Weiss, two orphaned survi-
vors of the Holocaust? They were beshert
— meant to be.
In 1945, both were recuperating at
makeshift hospitals for men and women
across the street from each other in
Germany. Bill was taking a stroll when
Regina Rusinek spotted the handsome
stranger outside her street-side room.
Instinctively, she extended her hand and
pulled him by his bushy hair through her
open window. They wed a year later.
Bill called his wife "Regina The Queen:
A Woman Of Valor" until her passing
on Feb. 20, 2010. The Weisses of West
Bloomfield were 15-year, active mem-
bers at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield
Township, where their friend Rabbi
Daniel Syme delivered a moving eulogy at
her funeral.
Born May 13, 1926, Regina was the pam-
pered, youngest child of Perla and Szlama,
a kosher butcher. The eight Rusineks were
among 6,000 Jews living in Dombrowa
Gornicza, a town of 40,000 near Krakow.
HERBERT A. APPLEBAUM, 84, of West
Bloomfield, died March 5, 2010.
He is survived by his beloved wife,
Natalie Applebaum; sons, Steven
Applebaum of Livonia, David Applebaum
of California; daughter and son-in-law,
Cheryl and Brayford Bobo of Arizona;
sister, Jean Pate of Southfield; 11 grand-
children; three great-grandchildren; many
loving nieces, nephews, other family mem-
bers and friends.
The ghetto was liquidated in 1942, but
Regina lived to make uniforms for the
German army. In 1945, she and 300 fac-
tory workers, ages 17-19, were relocated
to a German concentration camp in
northern Poland. Then the Nazis forced
the girls to march to Czechoslovakia. Only
50 survived the five-week ordeal.
Liberation
brought
access to food
and shelter
in Volary,
Czechoslovakia,
but 17 more
girls perished.
An American
army chaplain,
Regina Weiss
a rabbi, trans-
ferred Regina
and others to Feldafing, a displaced per-
sons' camp close to Munich.
The Weisses had a son, Samuel, and
were expecting Frederick, when their visa
to America came through. They joined
her cousin in Detroit, Kopel Rosen, arriv-
ing Aug. 14, 1949.
Bill, with his own shop, became direc-
tor of tailoring alterations for Hughes and
Hatcher men's store. Regina raised their
children."
"While Dad was working sometimes
seven days a week, Mom would take me
and my brothers to Cranbrook Science
Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts,"
said Dr. Michael Weiss, the youngest son.
They also "experienced Jewish culture,"
as Bill put it, visiting Regina's cousins in
Brooklyn, Manhattan and Vineland, N.J.
When the boys
were teenagers, Bill
said Regina told
them: "Instead of
going out to work for
money, you will work
for me." That meant
d UST she expected them to
STIVATOR
spend their free time
reading books, her
path to being edu-
cated.
"She saw to it that all of them were put
through college," said Bill.
Regina enjoyed her grandchildren,
embroidering and knitting. She sewed
much of her wardrobe, including party
dresses.
Never a driver, Regina rode buses and
walked everywhere. Bill took the family
to the beach on summer Sundays. As a
couple, the Weisses went cruising and vis-
ited Israel twice.
Their favorite thing was speaking
at the Holocaust Memorial Center in
Farmington Hills. "My mother connected
especially well with all the youth groups,"
Michael said. "That was her passion."
For the last two years, she'd addressed
150-200 juniors attending the University
of Michigan.
Observing his parents' 65-year mar-
riage, Michael maintained, "I never heard
them argue over anything."
Bill's marital advice is "be nice to each
other and help each other. And build a
strong family." That, they did well.
Regina Weiss is survived by her
beloved husband, William; sons and
daughters-in-law, Samuel (Wynne) Weiss
of San Diego, Frederick (Mindi) of San
Antonio, Texas, and Dr. Michael Weiss
of Troy; grandchildren Emily, Ashley,
Benjamin, Megan, Emma and Ethan. She
also was the mother-in-law of the late
Maria Weiss.
Interment was at Beth El Memorial
Park, Livonia.
Contributions may be directed to
the Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123
Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI
48334, www.holocaustcenter.org , (248)
553-2400; or a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. _I
Interment at the Adat Shalom Memorial
Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions
may be made to a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
Barris Cook and Laurence Barris; great-
grandchildren, Carly and Alissa; many
other loving family members and friends.
Mrs. Barris was the beloved wife of the
late Seldon Barris.
Interment at Fountainhead Memorial
Park Cemetery in Florida. Contributions
may be made to a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
He was the founder of Rite Electric
Company in 1945.
He is survived by his dear children,
Norman Cohen, Paula (Arni) Zalesin,
Ilona Cohen and Beverly Cohen; devoted
sister, Ruth Levin; loving grandchildren,
Halli Zalesin, Aaron Cohen, Ashley Cohen,
Stephanie Cohen, Leslee Milgrom; many
loving nieces, nephews, other family mem-
bers and friends.
Mr. Cohen was the beloved hus-
band of the late Constance Ann
Cohen; grandfather of the late David
Zalesin. He was well cared for these past
10 months by the loving staff at the
Eiland's Assisted Living in Southfield.
Services and interment at the Clover
Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may
be made to the Isaac Agree Downtown
Synagogue, the Jewish Hospice &
Chaplaincy Network, the Alzheimer's
Association or a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
BIRDIE BARRIS, 97, of West Bloomfield,
died March 3, 2010.
She is survived by her sons and daugh-
ter-in-law, Allen Barris of Birmingham,
Ronald Barris and Maureen Heller of W.
Palm Beach, Fla.; grandchildren, Stacy
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Obituaries
KURT BAUER, 90, of Farmington Hills,
died March 1, 2010.
He is survived by his beloved wife,
Elisabeth Bauer; sons and daughters-in-
law, Jonathan and Peggy Bauer of Andover,
Mass., Michael and Rhonda Bauer of
Wayne, N.J.; grandchildren, Matthew
Bauer, Andrew Bauer, Deborah Bauer,
James Bauer.
Contributions may be made to the
American Heart Association, Memorials
and Tributes Lockbox, 3816 Paysphere
Circle, Chicago, IL 60674. Services and
interment at Adat Shalom Memorial Park
in Livonia. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
ISADORE "IZZY" COHEN, 92, of
Southfield, died Feb. 27, 2010.
ROBERT ESTON, 91, of Farmington Hills,
died March 7, 2010.
He was a bailiff in the Wayne County
Circuit Court, handling landlord tenant
cases for 45 years.