obituaries

A Pioneer In Business

A

udrey Joyce (Cornfield) Lacoff,
84, of Boynton Beach, Fla.,
died on Dec. 24, 2013.
This trailblazing businesswoman and
leader and matriarch of her Detroit-
area family passed away at her home in
Florida surrounded by family. The cause
of death was cancer.
A professional in an era of stay-at-
home wives and mothers, Audrey Lacoff
was a full partner with her husband, the
late Norman Lacoff, in their business,
Norman Lacoff and Associates, for more
than 40 years. They were among the
premier manufacturer representatives
for home furnishings in the region and
for many years welcomed customers,
colleagues and friends to their anchor
showroom in the Michigan Design
Center in Troy.
Unusual at the time, with three teen-
age daughters, Mrs. Lacoff traveled alone
as a "road rep" throughout Michigan
beginning in the 1970s and participated
in buying trips across the United States
and around the world. She quickly
gained a reputation as a consummate
salesperson. It was said she could sell
anything, anywhere, anytime; and, in
fact, she initiated and completed sales
in elevators and other unconventional
locations.
She served as charter president of the
Michigan Chapter of the International
Furnishing and Design Association and

EUGENE "GENE"
AGINS, 93, died Dec.
22, 2013.
For 64 years, he was
the loving husband of
Rose, who predeceased
him in 2007, having
worked together at
Agins
the Agins Insurance
Agency for many of those years. He was
beloved father, grandfather, uncle and
friend to many and asked to be celebrat-
ed when he left us.
Mr. Agins is survived by his daughter,
Ruth; son, Bruce; grandchildren, Tonya,
Jonathan, Noah and Tamara; three great-
grandchildren; sisters and brothers,
Joyce and Alvin Kurz, Mary Lewis, Paul,
Millie, Jack and Shirley Sirotkin; many
loving nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made to the
Jewish War Veterans Association, Jewish
Family Services, Anti-Defamation
League or the Southern Poverty Law
Center.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

42

January 2 • 2014

lectured at Michigan State and Eastern
of Detroit's Jewish community as long-
Michigan universities, as well as at
time members of Temple Israel in West
Northwood Institute. She also served on
Bloomfield, where Mrs. Lacoff taught
religious school for many years. All
the board of directors of the Randolph
Career and Technical Center in Detroit.
three of her daughters, Ellen, Renee and
Her personal life was as adventurous
Susi, became bat mitzvah and were con-
and entrepreneurial as her professional
firmed, graduated religious school and
were married at Temple
endeavors.
In 1979, she and her
Israel.
husband purchased a long-
Audrey Joyce Cornfield
unoccupied A-frame house
was born May 25, 1929,
in a remote section of the
to Maurice and Sadie
island of Eleuthera in the
Cornfield of Detroit. She
Bahamas, renovated it and
was the middle child of
three, including older
for more than 20 years wel-
comed family and friends to
sister Harriet (Shubin
their beloved home-away-
Travis) and the late
from-home called Wings of Audrey Lac off
Loretta (Globerson).
a Dove.
She graduated from
The Lacoffs retired from
Detroit Central High
their business and moved to Boynton
School in 1947 and wed Norman Lacoff,
Beach, Fla., on a full-time basis in 2005.
also of Detroit, on Nov. 7, 1948. They
Mrs. Lacoff became actively engaged
were married for 60 years until his pass-
in her Boynton Beach community,
ing in 2009.
volunteering as a mentor in the local
Her childhood hero and role model
schools and Hospice of Palm Beach
was Eleanor Roosevelt, and she proudly
County. She also sang in the community
displayed on a wall in her Florida home
chorus and became active in the PAP
an autograph she received of the then-
Corps, a South Florida organization that
first lady upon meeting her at Masonic
raises funds for cancer research. She was Temple in Detroit on Nov. 11, 1941. Her
devoted to her grandchildren and great-
diary entry for that day reads, "Oh, she
grandchildren, traveling regularly to
was so gracious. When she came to me I
New York, Washington, D.C., Detroit and was so nervous my voice cracked ... Oh,
Kennett Square, Pa.
she was marvelous?'
The Lacoff family has been a fixture
Known for her own indomitable spirit,

ROBERT BARNETT,
86, of Birmingham, died
Dec. 23, 2013.
For 36 years he was
the owner of Barnett
Pontiac in Dearborn.
Mr. Barnett is sur-
vived by his wife, Sonny
Barnett
Barnett; sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, Steven and Stacey Barnett,
David Barnett, and James and Julie
Barnett; Sonny's children, Jon and Lynn
Purther, Julianne Purther, and Jim Purther
and Jessica Purther; grandchildren, Brian,
Michael and Amanda Barnett, and Halle
and Jenna Purther.
Mr. Barnett was the loving brother of
the late Elaine Maskin; the dear brother-
in-law of the late George Maskin.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufman Chapel.

LOUIS BIALICK, 94, of Farmington Hills,
died Dec. 29, 2013.
He is survived by his beloved wife,
Esther Bialick; son and daughter-in-law,

Obituaries

Dr. Howard and Mary Beth Bialick of
North Bend, Ohio; daughter, Barbara
Bialick of Newton, Mass.
Mr. Bialick was the brother of the late
Lena Wolk and the late Hymie Bialick.
Contributions may be made to a char-
ity of one's choice. Interment took place at
the Workmen's Circle Cemetery in Clinton
Township. Arrangements by Dorfman
Chapel.

FLOYD BORNSTEIN,
88, of Farmington Hills,
died Dec. 18, 2013.
He was a World War
I
4
II veteran, a CPA for
more than 60 years and
was active in several
philanthropic organi-
Bornstein
zations. He especially
loved his volunteer work with B'nai B'rith
and served as president of the Detroit
Metropolitan Council. Above all, he loved
spending time with his family.
Mr. Bornstein is survived by his lov-
ing wife of 65 years, Esther Bornstein;
his children, Linda (Daniel) Dunn, Carol
Bornstein, and Allan (Nancy) Bornstein;

-

graciousness and what she described as
her joie de vivre (love of life), Audrey
Lacoff met her final challenge in the
same manner in which she lived her
life. In her final weeks, her family and
friends engaged in a pilgrimage to her
Florida home to have one more visit
with her. On Saturday evening, Dec.
21, she contacted her daughters with
word it was time for them to join her.
Forty-eight hours later, she signed a
"do not resuscitate" document and then
motioned for her daughters to give her
another sheet of paper. On it she wrote,
"It's been a great ride!!"
Mrs. Lacoff is survived by her chil-
dren, Ellen (and Cary) Adelman of Oak
Park, Renee (and Michael) Freedman of
Alexandria, Va., and Susi (and Jeffrey)
Resner of Centerport, N.Y.; grandchil-
dren, Eric (and Karen) Adelman, Scott
(and Rebecca) Adelman, Brian (and
Erica) Freedman, Daniel (and Angela)
Freedman, Lyel Resner and Ben Resner;
seven great-grandchildren; her sister,
Harriet Shubin Travis; sister-in-law
Elaine Lacoff; and her loving compan-
ion, Harold Friedman of Boynton Beach.
Contributions may be made to Hospice
of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Ave.,
West Palm Beach, FL 33407; or Jewish
Hospice and Chaplaincy Network,
6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield,
Michigan 48322. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

❑

grandchildren, Laura Dunn, Aaron (Erica)
Bornstein, and Sam Bornstein; great-
grandchildren, Liam and Owen Bornstein;
brother and sister-in-law, Norman and
Barbara Bornstein; sisters and brothers-
in-law, Marilyn (late Sonny) Klein, Bob
and Sandy Russman; nieces and neph-
ews, Sue (Ron) Hodess, Leslie (Michael)
Molder, Rick (Paula) Bornstein, Rob
(Sandy) Bornstein, Stephanie Zaft, Allen
(Katya) Klein, Sam Klein, Larry (Helaine)
Russman, Scott (Mickey) Russman, Leslie
(Bob) Iwrey, Ellen Blumenkrantz.
He was preceded in death by his brother
Phillip (the late Lois) Bornstein.
Contributions can be made to the charity
of your choice. Interment took place at the
Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham.
Arrangements by the Dorfman Chapel.

DR. MARLENE COHEN, 82, of
Southfield, died Dec. 22, 2013.
She graduated from Wayne State
University School in 1956 and practiced
medicine as Dr. Marlene J. Wilhelm.
Dr. Cohen is survived by her husband
of 56 years, Dr. Jack J. Cohen; daughters
and son-in-law, Dr. Sharon and Dr. David