Obituaries

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Distinguished Mathematician

S

amuel Kaplan,

a mathematician
who both attended and taught at
Wayne State University in Detroit,
passed away at home in Marshfield, Wis.,
on Oct. 10, 2010, at age 94.
He was born Sept. 13, 1916, to Isaac
and Faigel Steinberg Kaplan in Detroit,
the second oldest of their four sons and
a daughter. As a boy, he and his broth-
ers had the largest newspaper route in
Detroit. He used the proceeds of his
newspaper sales to attend college at
Wayne University before transferring
to the University of Michigan in Ann
Arbor. He continued his studies there
and received his Ph.D. degree in math-
ematics in 1942.
Following completion of his doc-
torate, with World War II raging, he
enlisted in the United States Army and
served in the signal corps. This work
took him to the Pacific Theater where
he was part of the advance group that
set up radio communications for Gen.
Douglas MacArthur.
Upon returning to civilian life and
resuming his career in mathematics,

HERBERT AMSTER,
75, of Ann Arbor, died
Oct. 13, 2010.
He was the founder
and chief execu-
tive officer of Irwin
Magnetic Systems Inc.
He was also senior
Amster
vice president of Irwin
International, chief
financial officer of Sycor Inc. and vice
president/director of Jacobson Stores.
He then became a director of the Bartec
group, RECellular, Wise Solutions Inc.
and North Plains Systems Corp.
Mr. Amster has chaired the board of
Industrial Technology Institute and has
been a director of First America Bank-
Michigan and TriMas Corp.
He was honored as Michigan
Industrialist of the Year in 1987 and
has been recognized for entrepreneurial
achievements by the Council of Great
Lakes Governors. Most recently, he
was named to the Board of NanoBio
Corporation.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years,
Carol Amster; sons and daughters-
in-law, Aaron and Susan Amster of
California, Barry and Jaye Amster
of California; daughter and son-in-

Samuel received a grant to do research
at the Institute for Advanced Studies in
Princeton, N.J. The institute was direct-
ed at the time by Dr. J.
Robert Oppenheimer,
and the distinguished
faculty included Albert
Einstein.
He married Marjorie
Lois Penniman on June
25, 1953. After sev-
eral years of teaching at
Wayne State in Detroit,
Samuel accepted a posi-
tion as professor of
mathematics at Purdue
University in Indiana in
1961 where he contin-
Samuel Kaplan
ued teaching and doing
c. 1986
research for many years.
During that time, he
mentored nine graduate students for
their doctorates and published original
mathematics research articles.
He spent the academic year 1967-
1968 in London, England, at Kings
College. During this time, he became

quite an Anglophile and subsequently
spent many additional summers and
retirement months in England.
Following retirement at
Purdue University, Samuel
and Marjorie moved to
Chapel Hill, N.C., to be
near their daughter and
four of their grandchil-
dren. He was given an
adjunct faculty position
at the University of North
Carolina and continued to
do mathematics research
publishing his last piece
of original research
"Lebesgue Theory in the
Bidual of C(X)" in the
Memoirs of the American
Mathematical Society in
1996 at the age of 80. In
2004, Samuel and Marjorie moved to
Marshfield to be near their daughter
and family.
In addition to his love for his family
and for mathematics, Samuel had a love
for poetry and words, and few people

law, Lisa and Doug Schoenberg of
Pennsylvania; grandchildren, Lauren,
Joshua, Zachary and Michael Amster,
Adam and Allison Schoenberg; sister-
in-law, Andrea Puterman; nephews and
nieces, Andrew Lund and Ruth Ben-
Artzi and Giuliana Lund.
He was the loving brother of the late
Sally Amster Lund.
Interment at Arborcrest Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Herbert
and Carol L. Amster Lupus Research
Fund, 301 E. Liberty, Suite 400, Ann
Arbor, MI 48104, or Beth Israel
Congregation of Ann Arbor, 2000
Washtenaw, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

and Jennifer Lefton, Kevin and Nicole
Lefton, William D. Bluford and Danielle
C. Bluford; great-grandchildren, Dylan,
Owen, Caroline and Mallory Lefton;
brother-in-law, Dr. Richard L. Bluford;
sister and brother-in-law, Bertha Babe
and Dr. Sam Fink.
She was the beloved wife of the late
William E. Bluford and the late Hyman
I. Ash; the loving sister of the late Pearl
Adler, the late Mary Bloomgarden
Frankel and the late Alan Slutsky.
Contributions may be made to
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 24359
Northwestern Highway, Southfield,
MI 48075, www.jdrf.org or American
Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive,
Southfield, MI 48076, www.cancer.org .
Interment at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

HELEN M. BLUFORD, 92, of West
Bloomfield, died Oct. 4, 2010.
Upon the death of her husband,
William, she became owner and CEO
of Bluford Jewelers of Plymouth, Mich.,
and served in that capacity for 27 years
until her retirement in 1988.
Mrs. Bluford is survived by her
daughter and son-in-law, Hannah
Bluford Lefton and Dr. Charles Lefton
of Virginia; son and daughter-in-law,
Frederick and Gaye Bluford of West
Bloomfield; grandchildren, Steven

HENRY "HANK" BOOKE, 80, of
Calabasas, Calif., died Sept. 17, 2010.
Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., he moved
to Michigan following his marriage to
Detroiter Joyce Licht. Many may remem-
ber Mr. Booke as the owner of K & M Yam
Company for 20 years.
He was an avid fisherman and gour-
met cook who loved to travel and wheel
and deal. He had friends from around

Obituariei.;.

could match his knowledge of either.
"A more honest man cannot be
found:' said his family.
Samuel Kaplan is survived by
his wife of 57 years, Marjorie Lois
Penniman Kaplan; two younger broth-
ers, Barney and Philip (Diane) Kaplan
of Detroit; sister Sarah Koenigsberg
of Kendall, Fla. He is also survived
by his children, Dr. Katherine Kaplan
of Marshfield (husband Dr. Daniel
Schenkman) and David Kaplan of
Coconut Creek, Fla.; five grandchildren,
Dr. Lucy Schenkman (husband Andrew
DeSimone), Nathan Schenkman, all
of Durham, N.C., Samuel Schenkman
and Edward "Teddy" Schenkman of
Marshfield, and Krista Kaplan of
Indianapolis; and great-grandchil-
dren, Alice DeSimone and Benjamin
DeSimone.
He was preceded in death by his
parents and his older brother Sidney
Kaplan.
A memorial service for Samuel
Kaplan is being planned for a future
date.

❑

the world and was a
lover of life.
After moving from
Detroit to Southern
California 35 years ago,
Mr. Booke worked in
sales and was in the
importing and export-
Booke
ing business.
He is survived by
his beloved wife of 56 years, Joyce. He
was the cherished father to daugh-
ters and sons-in-Iaw, Jaime and Gary
Rubenstein, Carin and Mark Nathanson,
Kelly Booke Sher. He was loving "Papa
Hank" to grandchildren Jason and Alex
Rubenstein, Josh and Drew Nathanson,
and Austin and Haleigh Sher. He was
the dear brother to Anita Kaplan and
brother-in-law to Arlene Licht and the
late Philip Kaplan and Ronnie Licht.
He also was a very special uncle to his
nieces and nephews.
Interment at Mount Sinai Memorial
Parks and Mortuaries, Hollywood Hills,
Calif. The family requests that you "do a
mitzvah" in memory of Hank Booke to
continue his legacy of giving that he did
throughout his life.

Obituaries on page 74

October 21 c 2010

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