obituaries

A Hall Of Fame Guy

Steve Stein
Contributing Writer

DR. JUDITH ACKERMAN, 71, of

Tinton Falls, N.J., died Jan. 8, 2013.
She was born in Detroit and lived in
West Long Branch, N.J., for 20 years
before moving to Tinton Falls.
Dr. Ackerman received her B.A. and
M.S.W. degrees from the University of
Michigan and her Ph.D. in psychol-
ogy in 1983 from Farleigh Dickinson
University. She worked as a clinical psy-
chologist in Allenhurst, N.J.
Dr. Ackerman is survived by her
life partner, Jerald Schreiber, DVM,
of Tinton Falls; his children, Ariella
Schreiber Stoegemann and her husband,
Eric, and Melissa Bell; his grandchil-
dren, Alexandria and Bailey Bell; sister,
Tamara Ackerman of California; brother
and sister-in-law, Alan and Sharyl
Ackerman of Bloomfield Hills and their
children, Elana Ackerman, Matthew
Ackerman and Daniel Ackerman.
She was the devoted daughter of
the late Irving B. and the late Feige
Ackerman.
Interment was out of state. Contributions
may be made to a charity of one's choice.
This announcement was placed at the
request of the family by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

PAULINE CANNER, 97, of Bloomfield

Hills, died Jan. 9, 2013.
She is survived by her sons and
daughters-in-law, James and Susan
Canner of Bloomfield Hills, and Robert
and Raelon Canner of West Bloomfield;
grandchildren, Dr. Jason and Dr. Janie
Canner, Jennifer Canner, Kimberly Wish,
Linda Hoffman, Kristi and Craig Kallen,
Carl and Julie Routzahn, Michael and
Lauren Canner, and Jillian and Jeffrey
Foster; great-grandchildren, Carson and
Chloe Kallen, Max and Will Canner,
Peyton Routzahn, Quinn and Dylan
Canner; sister-in-law, Lorraine Canner.
Mrs. Canner was the beloved wife
of the late Herman Canner; the loving
sister of the late Edith Deitch and the
late Israel Weiner; the dear sister-in-law
of the late Sidney Deitch, the late Anne
Weiner, the late Marvin E. Canner and
the late Bernard Canner.
Interment was at Machpelah
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Kettering University, 1700 W. Third
Ave., Flint, MI 48504, www.kettering.
edu. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

Obituaries on page 50

M

Mickey

ickey Fishman was "in many
Fishman,
ways, a true icon — he was
right, a
larger than life and, most
star pitcher
importantly, he always lived his values:'
with the
This is how Rabbi Joseph Krakoff
University
of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
of Michigan,
Southfield eulogized the famed sports
with his
hero of the University of Michigan and
brother
Detroit Northern High School. Mr.
Herman, who
Fishman led the U-M baseball team to
was pitching
the Big Ten Conference championship
for the Great
in 1942.
Lakes Naval
At U-M, he followed in the footsteps
Station
of older brothers Ben, Manny and
Herman — all four brothers earning
"He loved his camp experiences and
varsity letters at the school. The feat has
believed it was a place where so many life
never been repeated in U-M history.
Milton "Mickey" Fishman, of
lessons were learned" said Rabbi Krakoff.
"It was early on in his life that he began
Southfield, who helped found the
Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
a dream of one day starting a camp him-
self"
and was later inducted into it, died Jan.
11, 2013, after a short illness. He was
After the war, Mickey and Herman cre-
92. Along with his brother Herman, he
ated Camp Michigama in West Branch,
opening it in 1946. Hundreds of Detroit-
founded Camp Michigama, a sports-
area Jewish youth went to
oriented camp for Jewish
the summer camp during
youth.
the more than 20 years it
Mickey and his wife,
was in operation to learn
Bertha "Boots" Schneider,
about sports, sportsmanship
had four daughters, Nancy,
Marcia, Bonnie and Cindy.
and discipline. The camp
Boots passed away in 1971,
was named for an honor
society at U-M. "Campers
and Cindy died in 1999
saluted the flag in the morn-
Nephew Steve Fishman
ing and went to bed with
spoke at the funeral Sunday
Mickey Fish man
at Ira Kaufman Chapel.
taps playing" said Steve.
Mickey had a career in
"My uncle loved his fam-
ily first, then his country,
the scrap business and was
then the University of Michigan" Steve
a steel broker. In 1985, he was one of
Fishman told the JN. "He was a huge
the founding members of the Michigan
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was
U-M sports fan, and he loved Detroit
inducted in 1998, 11 years after Herman.
sports teams, too.
"Like many of his generation, my uncle
"The group that started the Hall of
Fame wanted the general public to
was an optimistic guy. They survived the
know about all the great Jewish athletes
Great Depression, then went off to war.
through the years:' Steve said. "It also
You had to be optimistic, or you couldn't
make it in life:'
was important to them that the Hall of
The son of Russian immigrants, Mr.
Fame raises money for charity"
Fishman was born Jan. 28, 1920, in
David Blatt, executive director of the
Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation,
Detroit. He graduated in 1937 from
which oversees the Hall of Fame, was
Northern High School, where he was a
standout baseball player and swimmer.
a longtime friend of Mickey. He visited
After he graduated from U-M, he
with him often recently at the Heritage of
Southfield assisted living facility.
enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was com-
missioned an ensign. His ship was sent
"Mickey was a fun, class guy and a
to the Pacific Theater and participated
terrific athlete back in the day" Blatt
in seven invasions during World War
said. "He was still very sharp mentally
II, including the Battle of Iwo Jima and
and very competitive. He loved to play
gin and poker at the Jewish Community
Battle of Okinawa. Before he left the
Center in Oak Park. That was his com-
Navy, he'd been promoted to lieuten-
ant.
petition"
Blatt said he's honored to carry on
Created Summer Camp
what the founders of the Hall of Fame
Summer camp was an important part
envisioned.
of Mickey's childhood, since he began
"They felt it was important to do char-
attending at age 7.
itable work through sports" he said.

Obituaries

Warmth And Generosity
"Mickey was a man of genuine warmth
and sincere acceptance whose per-
sonal policy and mantra focused on
total inclusion of others," said Rabbi
Krakoff.
"It is no exaggeration to say that he
would literally bring people in off the
street and into his house for a meal.
"Mickey had an open-door policy,
which meant the house was full all the
time said Rabbi Krakoff. "He embod-
ied a simple, but profound, truth — the
more, the merrier.
"And he was beyond generous. He
never valued material things. Countless
stories exist on how he created jobs for
some, got houses for others. Whatever
people needed, he did"
Mickey Fishman is survived by his
daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy
Fishman and Ronnie Wilner of
Birmingham, Marcia Fishman of Royal
Oak, Bonnie Fishman and Dr. Robert
Ketai of West Bloomfield; grandchildren,
Beth and Eric Killough, Ben and Rachel
Ketai, Hanna Ketai, Laura Leebove,
Joey Leebove and Kyle DeMaagd; great-
granddaughter, Emma Jane Killough;
nieces, nephews and great-nieces and
great-nephews.
Mr. Fishman was the beloved husband
of the late Boots Fishman; the cher-
ished father of the late Cynthia Hope
Fishman-DeMaagd; the loving brother of
the late Ben Fishman, the late Emanuel
Fishman, the late Herman Fishman; and
the dear brother-in-law of the late Betty
Fishman.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to
Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation,
2000 Oakley Park Road, Suite 104,
Walled Lake, MI 48390, www.
michiganjewishsports.org; or Forgotten
Harvest, 21800 Greenfield, Oak Park, MI
48237, www.forgottenharvest.org.
Arrangements were by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

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January 17 • 2013

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