Ituaries
Kind-Hearted Matriarch
Bill Carroll
Contributing Writer
can Frankel had two big pri-
orities in life: (1) Family and (2)
Family. Period.
Her family-oriented philosophy was a
carryover from her teenage years when
her mother and grandmother died within
a short period of each other, leaving Jean
(then Grosberg) to help care for her sib-
lings and cousins.
She carried out these motherly deeds
for the rest of her life, nurturing her
children, grandchildren and great-grand-
children.
Jean Frankel, 97, of Bloomfield Hills,
died May 10, 2012, of natural causes at
her home.
"It seems appropriate that we say
goodbye to Jean on Mother's Day," said
Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Adat Shalom
Synagogue at the May 13 funeral. "She
was thrust into the role of being like a
mother and supporting a family even
before she had her own children. But
she did so with a full heart because she
considered it a privilege to take on these
family responsibilities. She was a surro-
gate mother to everyone."
Rabbi Bergman, the only person to
speak at the funeral, described Mrs.
Frankel as an "understated, modest
and humble person who shunned the
limelight and sought no notoriety. She
preferred that her husband, Sam, be the
`front person for the family."
Samuel Frankel, a noted Detroit area
businessman and philanthropist, died at
age 94 in 2008. During 69 years of mar-
riage, they were a "great team, partners in
everything they did for the family:' Rabbi
LILLIAN FELDMAN,
90, of West Bloomfield,
died May 8, 2012.
She is survived by
her daughters and sons-
in-law, Nancy and Dr.
Ted Schwartzenfeld of
West Bloomfield, and
Feldman
Elaine and Mitch Wolf
of West Bloomfield; son, Stanley Feldman
of Florida; grandchildren, Alissa and
Jeremy Stolberg, Debra Shulman, Erica
Schwartzenfeld, Marni Feldman, Brian
Feldman, Evan Wolf, Michael Wolf and
Sloane Wolf; great-granddaughters, Ava
and Rachel Stolberg; sister and brother-in-
law, Carol Bendersky and Bob Kaufman;
nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandneph-
ews; caregivers, Sharon, Barbara, Drea and
Antrice.
Mrs. Feldman was the beloved wife for
67 years of the late Irving B. Feldman; the
Bergman pointed out.
Jean's family for two years before moving
With her home as her domain, Mrs.
to northwest Detroit on their own to start
Frankel took care of everything on the
raising a family.
home front, always making sure to be
"Jean had idolized her father, and the
there when the children came home for
close-knit family spent many summers
lunch or from school later in the after-
together in a cottage on Pine Lake:' said
noon.
Rabbi Bergman. "And they enjoyed it bet-
"She had a high moral standard and
ter when their father, Charles Grosberg,
strict, but fair rules;' said Rabbi Bergman. relented and had indoor plumbing
"Everyone had to be ready to
installed."
eat dinner together — with
Mrs. Frankel loved to
their hands washed — at
needlepoint and do cross-
6 p.m. And when you used
word and jigsaw puzzles,
something, you had to always
"but one of her greatest
remember to put it back
pleasures was quietly help-
where you found it."
ing people in financial
Meanwhile, Samuel Frankel
need',' said Rabbi Bergman.
parlayed an early career
"Many people in our com-
in the wholesale and retail
munity benefited from her
grocery business, operating
kindness, and they will
Jean Frank el
the well-known Big Bear
never know she was the
supermarket chain into a vast
one who helped them."
real estate empire that included found-
ing of the Somerset Mall in Troy, now the
Education, Religion, Charity
Somerset Collection. In the early days, he
The Frankels championed educational,
often rose at 4 a.m. to help load produce
religious and charitable causes through-
trucks for the markets.
out Southeastern Michigan. Beneficiaries
of their charitable efforts include the Jean
'Very Bright'
and Samuel Frankel Jewish Academy of
Mrs. Frankel was born in Detroit and
Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield;
attended Northern High School and the
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
University of Michigan, getting a B.A.
Detroit, where Mrs. Frankel served in
degree in English. "She was very bright;
the women's division; Adat Shalom
she had both book smarts and common
Synagogue in Farmington Hills, where the
sense, which is a rare combination:' Rabbi Frankels were members for more than 50
Bergman noted. "She insisted on every-
years; Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy;
one using proper grammar because she
the Detroit-based Barbara Ann Karmanos
considered that to be one of the tools to
Cancer Institute; the Detroit Symphony
success:'
Orchestra; the Frankel Center for Judaic
The Frankels met in 1938 after being
Studies at the University of Michigan;
introduced by a mutual friend, and they
Walsh College, and more.
got married a year later. They lived with
"The Frankels left a lasting impact on
loving sister of the late Joseph Levin and
the late Bernard Levin.
Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to JARC, 30301 Northwestern
Highway, Suite 100, Farmington Hills, MI
48334; National Council of Jewish Women,
Meals on Wheels, 26400 Lahser Road,
Suite 306, Southfield, MI 48033; or to a
charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufman Chapel.
SEYMOUR D. FINKEL,
79, of Palm City, Fla.,
died May 10, 2012.
He was a commercial
and residential real
estate developer. He was
also the former owner of
Consolidated Properties
Finkel
Inc.
Mr. Finkel is survived by his wife,
Carol Finkel; sons and daughters-in-law,
Dr. Jerome and Linda Finkel of West
Bloomfield, Paul and Kathy Finkel of West
Bloomfield; daughter and son-in-law,
Linda and Marc Ruben of Farmington
Hills: grandchildren, Lindsay Finkel,
Bradley Finkel, Allie Ruben and fiance,
Eric Wizenberg, Lauren Ruben, Jennifer
Finkel and Rachel Finkel; sister, Dorothy
Weisman. Mr. Finkel is also survived by
Carol's children, Jill and Tony Janisee, and
Suzanne and Dale Schmidt; grandchildren,
Ian Janisee and Kali Matteini; great-
granddaughter, Mia Matteini.
He was the devoted son of the late
Robert and the late Grace Finkel; the
loving brother of the late Irene Fox; the
dear brother-in-law of the late Donald
Weisman.
Interment was at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions
may be made to Karmanos Cancer
JARC," said Rena Friedberg, the organiza-
tion's chief development officer. She cited
a major gift to its capital campaign to
establish the Jean Frankel Garden and to
help purchase its administrative build-
ing, establishing the Samuel and Jean
Frankel Residential Services Division,
the Sadie and Charles Grosberg Home
and, in 1973, a gift allowing JARC to pur-
chase its first home.
Jean Frankel is survived by her sons
and daughters-in-law, Stuart and Maxine
Frankel, Stanley and Judith Frankel, and
Bruce and Dale Frankel, all of Bloomfield
Hills; daughter and son-in-law, Jo Elyn
and George Nyman of Birmingham;
grandchildren, Darren Frankel, Kami and
Jamey Nielson, Caren and Robert Vondell,
Aaron Frankel and fiancee, Carolyn
Kantzler, Matthew and Jennifer Frankel,
Richard and Jennifer Frankel, Jacob
Nyman, Adam and Sara Nyman, and Sara
Nyman; great-grandchildren, Zev Frankel,
Lindsay and Jillian Vondell, Jackson
Frankel, Tyler Frankel, Allie Marie
Nielson, Colin Nielson, Samuel Nyman,
Charlotte Frankel, Samuel Frankel,
Jonas Couzin Frankel and Shasa Couzin
Frankel; brother, Merwin Grosberg.
Mrs. Frankel was the wife of the late
Samuel Frankel; sister of the late Norma
Grant; and sister-in-law of the late Doris
Grosberg, the late Joseph Grant and the
late Tillie and the late Ben Mossman.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Donations may be made to
the American Israel Education Fund,
2301 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite 900, Troy,
MI 48084; JARC, 30301 Northwestern
Highway, Suite 100, Farmington Hills,
MI 48334, or a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. L
Institute, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI 48201,
www.karmanos.org. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
IZA GAVARTIN, 67, of Bloomfield Hills,
died May 11, 2012.
He is survived by his beloved wife,
Eugenia Gavartin of Bloomfield Hills;
sons and daughters-in-law, Leon and Amy
Gavartin of Scottsdale, Ariz., Allen and
Amy Gavartin of Phoenix, Ariz.; sister,
Rina Zilber of Tel Aviv; mother, Sonia
Gavartin; grandchildren, Benjamin and
Shayna Gavartin; many other loving fam-
ily members and friends.
Mr. Gavartin was the son of the late
Chaim Gavartin.
Contributions may be made to a char-
ity of one's choice. Interment took place
at the Hebrew Memorial Cemetery in
Mt. Clemens. Arrangements by Dorfman
Chapel.
Obituaries on page 60
58
May 17 • 2012
Obituaries