DR. ABRAHAM ELSON, 87, of
Southfield, died Dec. 12, 2010.
He is survived by his beloved wife,
Pearl Elson; sons and daughter-in-law,
Jerome Elson of Southfield, Larry and
Barbara Elson of Commerce; daughters
and sons-in-law, Elaine and Dr. Eric
Robb of Port Huron, Roberta and Marc
Gantman of Saginaw; brother and
sister-in-law, Charles and Joanne Elson
of Gurnie, Ill.; sister and brother-in-
law, Rosalie and George Ohrenstein of
Walled Lake; grandchildren, Jonathan,
Aaron and Miriam Elson, Julia and
Daniel Gantman, Emily and Diane
Robb; sister-in-law and brother-in-law,
Sylvia and Meyer Danzig; many loving
nieces, nephews, other family members
and friends.
Dr. Elson was the dear brother of the
late Freda Elson.
Interment at the Adat Shalom
Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia.
Contributions may be made to
Meir Panim Relief Centers in Israel.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

Committee/Imperial notable. For six
years, she had underwritten the pre-
view party for the Diabetes Research
Institute's Love and Hope Ball and was
its 2000 Ball Honoree.
She is survived by her son and
daughter-in-law, Larry Wolf and Susan
Jones of Birmingham.
She was the beloved wife of the late
Bob Fletcher; cherished mother of the
late Michael Alan Wolf; devoted daugh-
ter of the late Samuel G. and the late
Faye M. Keywell.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to Holtz Children's Hospital,
U-M Jackson Memorial Hospital,
1611 NW 12th Street, East Tower,
Miami, FL 33136, www.jhsmiami.org .
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

DR. PAUL L.
FRAIBERG, 93, of
West Bloomfield,
died Dec. 14, 2010.
He is survived
by his sons and
SHIRLEY KEYWELL
daughters-in-law,
FLETCHER, 91, of
Dr. Elliott and Judy
Fraiberg
Miami Beach, Fla.,
Fraiberg of West
died Dec. 15, 2010.
Bloomfield, Dr. Allan and Cheryl
She was a devoted
Fraiberg of Farmington Hills; daughter
member of the Mount and son-in-law, Enid and Neil Madgy of
Sinai Medical Center
West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Steven
family
in Miami
(Selin) Fraiberg, Caren (Colonel Randy)
Fletcher
Beach, Fla. She and
Lawrence, Matthew (Karen) Fraiberg,
her late husband, Bob, were founders
Adam Fraiberg, Elizabeth Fraiberg,
and original members of the Society
Andrew Fraiberg, Dr. David (Nichole)
of Mount Sinai, having ascended to the
Edelman, Dr. Anthony (Dr. Jessa)
level of Benefactor. Mrs. Fletcher was
Edelman, Dr. Alexander (Amanda)
also a member of the Cancer Lifeline
Madgy and Victoria Madgy; great-
and had generously underwritten
grandchildren, Joshua, Sophie, Noah,
numerous events for Mount Sinai.
Jacob, Ashley, Michael, Ryan, Michael
In 1988, she established the Fletcher
and Jordan.
Addiction Treatment Program in mem-
Dr. Fraiberg was the beloved husband
ory of her beloved son Michael Alan
of the late Edith Fraiberg.
Wolf. With this gift, she demonstrated
Interment at the Hebrew Memorial
her compassion and concern for the
Park Cemetery in Mt. Clemens.
community; she responded to her own
Contributions may be made to the
great loss by helping others gain a new
American Heart Association or to a
start.
charity of one's choice. Arrangements
Mrs. Fletcher also continued her
by Dorfman Chapel.
commitment to support pulmonary
disease treatment and services at the
NATHAN GREENBERG, 89, of Detroit,
medical center. In addition to involve-
died Dec. 17, 2010.
ment at Mount Sinai, she and her
He is survived by his beloved wife,
husband donated a building to serve as
Shirley Greenberg; daughter and son-
the live-in facility for Concept House, a
in-law, Elaine and Ira Rubin of Detroit;
drug rehabilitation facility in memory
son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and
of her son.
Odee Greenberg of White Lake; grand-
Mrs. Fletcher was also a founder of
daughter, Mara Faye Rubin.
the Miami Jewish Home and Hospital
Interment at the B'nai Israel
for the Aged, was active with the
Memorial Gardens in Novi.
Foundation for the Blind, and was a
Contributions may be made to a char-
Banyon Society member of Project
ity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Newborn and an Alzheimer's Care
Dorfman Chapel.

Tamarack Visionary

Ronelle Grier
Special to the Jewish News

A

visionary. Kind and supportive. A
real mentsh.
These are some of the words
used to describe Sam Marcus, former
Detroiter who was instru-
mental in the leadership
and development of Camp
Tamarack for more than
30 years. Marcus died Oct.
28, 2010, at age 92. He will
be missed by the many in
Metro Detroit and in Florida,
where he spent the last years
of his life.
Mr. Marcus, a native New
Yorker, attended New York
Sam Marcus
University and Columbia
c. 1981
University before coming
to Michigan to work for the
Fresh Air Society, which ran Tamarack.
Marvin Berman still remembers when
Mr. Marcus gave him his first camp job
as counselor and assistant supervisor of
Deroy Village. It was 1955: Tamarack's sec-
ond year of existence in Ortonville, and Mr.
Marcus' first year as executive director for
Fresh Air Society. Berman continued to be
involved with Tamarack for more than 26
years, eventually serving as director and
assistant executive director.
"Sam was very instrumental in develop-
ing that camp:' said Berman, who lives
in Southfield. "He was not only a social
worker, he was a businessman:'
Mr. Marcus was responsible for intro-
ducing some of Camp Tamarack's most
original and inventive programs, such as
the workshop where campers designed and
created their own marionettes. He recruited
a specialist from a kibbutz in Israel to
supervise the program.
"He was very creative said Berman.
"Most people are not aware that many of
the innovations at camp came from Sam."
According to Berman, Marcus was influ-
ential in the creation of the decentralized
camping concept, where the camp was
divided into separate self-sustaining vil-
lages based on age and gender. This idea,
which was groundbreaking at the time,
is still used today, at Tamarack and other
camps.
"Despite a sometimes austere demeanor,
he was a caring and compassionate man
who Ivelled' and even shed a tear over
the accomplishments and success of those
around him:' said Berman.
Lenny Newman is another early proteges
who went on to become a Tamarack director.

Newman, who resides in Huntington Woods,
remembers Mr. Marcus for his commitment
to the organization and its staff.
"He gave me a chance said Newman.
"He always had his eye on the big picture.
I will be forever grateful to him for seeing
whatever he saw in me."
Berman was among the group
of local friends and Tamarack
alumni who attended a memorial
service held at Newman's house
in honor of Mr. Marcus, whose
funeral took place in New York.
"We needed some closure
said Newman. "We all had sto-
ries to share, and we said a few
prayers. He'll be missed. He'll
always be part of camp for us.
He helped a lot of kids have
a time they otherwise would
not have been able to have said
Newman.
Bobbi Gottfried, a former Detroiter
who now lives in Florida, met Mr. Marcus
almost 40 years ago at the Fresh Air Society.
She was a single parent who was strug-
gling financially to send her three children
to camp. She recalls the way Mr. Marcus
granted her request for financial assistance
without assaulting her dignity.
"I walked out of there instead of crawling
out," she said.
Gottfried promised him she would repay
the money someday. She kept her word
by helping to establish the Mitchell Allen
Briton Arts and Crafts Memorial Fund at
Camp Tamarack. When she and her hus-
band moved to Florida, she developed a
strong friendship with the man who had
once been her benefactor.
"He was a very nice man, a real mentsh,"
she said.
After retiring from Tamarack, Marcus
joined his wife, Irma, who had opened a
knitting store in Southfield where she sold
imported yarn. The couple moved to New
York, where they continued to expand the
business. They eventually settled in Florida,
where Mr. Marcus continued to reside after
Irma passed away about 10 years ago.
Anita Gaines, Mr. Marcus' companion
during his later years, described him as a
kind and loving man who was quiet and
well read.
"He was a gentleman in all respects:' said
Gaines. "He was very philanthropic. He had
friends all over the world."
Sam Marcus is survived by his loving
companion, Anita Gaines of Delray Beach,
Fla.; nieces and nephews, Stacy Charles,
Neil Charles, Roy Marcus, Gail Page, Cherie
Marcus. Interment was in New York.

❑

Obituaries on page 50

Obituaries

December 23 • 2010

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