obituaries

'A Life Of Substance'

Esther Allweiss Ingber

I Contributing Writer

mericans gazing across the
Detroit River once wished they
had a useable, vibrant river-
side like their Canadian neighbors in
Windsor.
Today's popular Detroit RiverWalk
came about through the efforts of char-
ismatic community leader David Keith
Page, a senior partner of the Detroit law
firm of Honigman Miller Schwartz and
Cohn.
In 2003, while a trustee with the
nonprofit Kresge Foundation (serving
1992-2005), "David played a critical role
in securing $50 million — the largest
Kresge gift to a single project to date —
for the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy,"
said Faye Nelson, the conservancy's
former chief executive officer. David
also was vice chair on the conservancy's
board.
Rip Rapson, CEO of the Kresge
Foundation, said, "David was tenacious
in pursuit of the causes in which he
believed; but invariably brought to the
task his thorough-going decency, won-
derful good humor, deep kindness and
utter graciousness."
Associated 55 years with the
Honigman law firm, David followed his
predecessors there by becoming a leader
of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit. In 1999, David received the
Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award,
Federation's highest communal honor.
Scott Kaufman, CEO of Federation,
called David "a man of immense wis-
dom and impeccable integrity." He was
"a trusted mentor and adviser to count-
less other leaders — including an entire
generation of emerging leaders who
hope to help fill his giant shoes."
David Page, 80, of Bloomfield Hills,
died July 1, 2014, after a brief illness.
His funeral at Ira Kaufman Chapel was
officiated by Rabbi Daniel Syme of
Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township,
where David was a past president.
Speaking at the funeral, oldest son
Mark Page — referring to his father's
legacy of limitless service to the com-
munity — said his father lived "a life of
substance."
"My father was a model of integrity,
honesty and compassion to everyone
who knew him," said Mark.
Former Federation CEO Robert
Aronson said that as Federation presi-
dent, David "with a strong will and great
sensitivity integrated the Federation
and the United Jewish Charities." He
also "co-chaired the Strategic Planning
Committee, which became the blue-

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print for our modern Federation ...
launched the concept of the Millennium
Campaign, which raised $60 million
dollars for innovative programs and
infrastructure ... and advocated for the
creation of a large community endow-
ment fund, which ultimately came to be
the Centennial Fund."
David also served as board mem-
ber of Jewish Family Service, Jewish
Community Center, the Jewish
Fund, Council of Jewish Federations
and American ORT
Federation. Honors he
received included ORT
Man of the Year from
Detroit Men's ORT, of
which he was a past pres-
ident, and the American
Jewish Committee's
Learned Hand Human
Relations Award.
Dr. Conrad Giles, dep-
uty president of World
ORT and himself a for-
mer Federation president,
David K. Pag e
called David "not only
a great professional and
a sensitive, intelligent,
insightful human being, but also a true
delight in terms of his interpersonal
relationships."
David's business associations included
serving as chairman of the board of
Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc. and
former chairman of the board of Allied
Supermarkets Inc. (later Meadowdale
Foods) among numerous other corpo-
rate boards of directors.

Family Life

David was born in 1933 in Detroit to
Hilda Page, a schoolteacher, and Milton
Page, a commercial real estate broker.
He adored his younger sister, Nedra.
The family moved to Youngstown, Ohio,
when David was 10, but returned in
1955.
David graduated from Dartmouth
College in Hanover, N.H.; Harvard
Law School in Cambridge, Mass., and
completed his Fulbright Scholarship
at the London School of Economics in
England.
As Rabbi Syme related, after joining
the Honigman law firm, bachelor David
was considered quite a catch. He was
28 in 1961 when he met 19-year-old
Andrea Burdick. David didn't reconnect
with the young beauty until he saw her
out with another man three years later.
Andrea told Rabbi Syme, "I was so
lucky to be married to such a fine man.
He nurtured his family and his friends,
and this community is a better place
because of his commitment to and car-

ing for all of us."
At the funeral, Sarah Page called her
parents "a perfect pair" because "as
strong-willed as he was, she was just
as strong." David took pride when his
attorney wife earned her Ph.D. in anato-
my and cell biology and began teaching
at Wayne State University.
"There was nothing these two bril-
liant minds put together didn't know,"
said Sarah, marveling at how her father
"could break down problems into man-
ageable pieces."
Her parents enjoyed
"chamber music, opera,
art, antiques, nature, the
English countryside, and
they loved to travel," she
said.
Jason Page said his
father "singlehandedly
kept print media alive,
reading four newspapers
each day, cover to cover,
and still had time to
watch the news.
"If food was Dad's
passion, then clothes
may have been his obses-
sion," Jason noted. "He wore a suit and
tie to work every day, and on weekends
dressed down by losing the tie."
Rabbi Syme said David was one of the
"few people you find in life who com-
bine an incredible professional career
with a close and loving family life."
"His most important qualities as a
father were his affection, his kindness,
his empathy and his ability to always be
there for us whenever we needed him,"
Jason said.
"For much of our childhood, we would
spend half the year in California because
Mark's asthma was so severe in the cold
Michigan winters," Jason said. "Dad
would work around the clock at the
office so he could take a week off each
month and fly out west to be with us.
"Family always came first."
David said he accepted an invitation
to join the board of Children's Hospital
of Michigan more than 40 years ago
because his son Mark's life "was saved a
couple of times there."

A Civic Leader

David's community leadership resume
includes vice chair of the Detroit
Medical Center during the DMC
purchase of Sinai Hospital in 1997
and board director of United Way
Community Services and Barbara
Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.
He was on the board of City Year
Detroit, Community Foundation
for Southeastern Michigan, Detroit

Obituaries

Zoological Society and Detroit Chamber
Music Society.
Former Federation president and close
friend Joel Tauber, said, "David was
always calm, thoughtful, analytical, non-
judgmental, compassionate and loving.
He was known by all to be a man of his
word, supported by his total integrity.
Perhaps for me, his greatest trait was his
fierce loyalty. No matter the situation,
good or bad, he was always there first to
provide support and advice."
Dr. Lynda Giles, an officer of
Federation, said, "David's intellect, com-
munity sensitivities and commitment
have guided all of us. While these quali-
ties will be missed, I will, also, miss
his humor and laughter. David's laugh
was infectious and brought smiles and
happiness. He was a special friend who
made the people in his life feel special."
Perhaps the lasting legacy for David
Page could be what's envisioned as a
51/2-mile Detroit RiverWalk, extending
from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel
Richard Park, east of the Belle Isle
bridge.
Without David's passionate advo-
cacy for the transformational project
in Downtown Detroit, Honigman Vice
Chairman Alan S. Schwartz said, "We
would still have cement plants, not
parks and playgrounds, on our river."
David Page is survived by his wife
of 49 years, Andrea Page; children,
Mark (Pamela Sylvor) Page, Jason (Julie
Hoskow and the late Jinks Jervey-Page)
Page and Sarah Page; grandchildren,
Noah Page, Max Page, Maya Page and
Sydney Page. He is also survived by
Julie's children, Shayne and Aidan
Hoskow; nieces and nephew, Amy
Strasner, Laura Rubens Burdick and
Andrew Rubens Burdick; brother-in-law,
Jim Burdick (Judith Rubens Burdick)
and numerous cousins.
He was the son of the late Milton
and the late Hilda Page; brother of the
late Nedra Strasner; and son-in-law of
the late Benjamin and the late Mary
Burdick.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Detroit RiverFront Conservancy,
600 Renaissance Center, Suite 1720,
Detroit, MI 48243-1802, (313) 566-8200,
www.detroitriverfront.org/ways-help/
make-donation; Children's Hospital of
Michigan Foundation, 3901 Beaubien,
Detroit, MI 48201, (313) 745-KIDS,
www.chmfoundation.org/ways-to-help/
donate-now; or a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements were by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

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Obituaries on page 62

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July 10 • 2014

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