obituaries

Caring For People

Louis Finkelmen
Special to the Jewish News

H

oward B. Sherizen, known by
his Hebrew name Tzvi, died on
Aug.13, 2014, at age 61.
Even after receiving the diagnosis that
he had terminal brain cancer, Howard
would say, "I never bought a lottery
ticket, but I feel like I've have won it all:'
He believed his life was perfect, with a
wonderful wife and family, a fulfilling
career, the ability to perform acts of kind-
ness to help others and a life devoted to
religious study.
Howard became committed to full
Jewish observance as a teenager. Early
Jewish activities included the choir at
Congregation B'nai David, the Midrasha
of United Hebrew Schools, the National
Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY)
and Torah Leadership Seminars of
Yeshiva University.
Encouraged by his NCSY adviser, Rabbi
Avi Weiss, Howard took the bold step of
wearing a kippah in public as a student at
Oak Park High School. After graduation,
he took part in a summer study program
at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He
later became part of the first class at
Touro College in New York City, followed
by half a year at the David Shapell College
of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.
Howard studied at Cooley Law School
for two years, but later decided to join the
Mass Mutual insurance company like his
father, the late Paul Sherizen. During his
35-year career in the business, he became
a lifetime member of the Million Dollar
Round Table.
Insurance, though, meant more than a
job to him. He found it to be a profoundly
satisfying career, since every family who
purchased an appropriate policy protected
itself against disaster. A preventable
compound tragedy occurs, he would say,
whenever a person dies without insurance

DR. LAWRENCE
DENNIS CASTLEMAN,

72, of Birmingham, died
Aug. 13, 2014.
He was an ophthal-
mologist and owner
of the Castleman Eye
Center in Southgate.
Castleman
Dr. Castleman is
survived by his wife of
49 years, Diana Castleman; daughters
and sons-in-law, Dr. Laura Castleman
and Daniel Solomon Schechter, Melissa
Castleman and Jordan Peccia of
Connecticut; son and daughter-in-law,
Scott Castleman and Van Cam Tran of
Ann Arbor; grandchildren, Nathan Locks

from the Jewish News.
or with insufficient insurance, leaving a
family in emotional and economic disar-
An aficionado of scholarship, Howard
ray. If he did not make a sale, he would
subscribed to journals of rabbinic and aca-
say, "I hope someone else sells them a
demic thought, and looked for opportuni-
policy, for their family's own benefit:'
ties to meet scholars whenever they visited
He contributed financially and person-
the Detroit area. In his own travels around
ally to a wide variety of communal causes. the world, he made appointments at rare
Several of his favorite causes
book rooms to examine
provided benefits to Israel.
um original manuscripts. At the
Enthusiastic about bicycle
Bodleian Library in Oxford,
riding, Howard joined in
England, he felt profoundly
bike-a-thons to raise funds
moved to hold a manuscript
for ALYN Hospital, an Israeli
of a Hebrew lament com-
facility that specializes in
posed directly in response
juvenile and adolescent
to a disaster in the Middle
rehabilitation, and Miklat,
Ages.
an organization that raises
Daily Jewish Study
funds to support safe houses
for victims of domestic
At home, he attended
violence and their families.
informal classes in Jewish
Howard Sh erizen
A longtime contributor to
studies daily and was not
the American Israel Public
shy to invite friends or
Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Howard
relatives to classes he thought they might
invited friends to join him at its annual
appreciate. A gregarious soul, he often
called friends to share insights from his
conference in recent years. He was also
involved in the American Technion
reading or his studies and to ask for their
Society.
opinions about current controversies.
Rabbi Alon Tolwin of Aish HaTorah
Aided Local Charities
remembers how Howard encouraged him
In Metro Detroit, Howard actively sup-
to start a lunch-and-learn at the Jewish
News in the mid-1980s, which led to a slew
ported communal institutions such as the
Hebrew Free Loan Society and the Jewish
of other lunch-and-learns across the city.
Historical Society. He felt particularly
Faced with the diagnosis of terminal
close to the Federation Jobs Committee
brain cancer, Howard said that he was
and constantly looked for opportunities to "recalculating" (as if his GPS was adjust-
match workers with employers.
ing to a changed route), with a renewed
He supported a spectrum of Orthodox
commitment to live life to the fullest. In
programs, including Yeshivat Akiva,
practice, he maintained his many com-
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah and Machon
mitments as long as his strength and
E Torah.
energy held out.
At the Brandeis Book Sale — which
Last March, he attended his final
AIPAC annual policy conference in a
later morphed into Bookstock — Howard
was on the lookout for books to give to
wheelchair. When he heard the speech
by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
friends and acquaintances, always with
personal notes explaining why this person Netanyahu, his eyes welled up with tears.
uniquely would appreciate this particular
"I can't believe I made it here he said
book. He would also clip articles to share
with emotion.

Schechter, Heather Liliana Schechter,
Julian Lawrence Peccia and Steven Daniel
Castleman; brother and sister-in-law, Dr.
Michael and Geri Castleman of Grand
Rapids; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law,
Flora Castleman, Paul Locks, Clyde and
Vivian Locks, Rodney and Suzanne Locks,
and Connie Locks.
He was the loving brother of the late
Ronald Castleman.
Interment was at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions
may be made to Pan Can-Pancreatic
Action Network Inc., 2141 Rosecrans Ave.,
Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245, www.
pancan.org; or to a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

IRVING DWORKIN,

92, of Farmington Hills,
died Aug. 13, 2014.
He was an attorney,
builder (Diore Building
Company), a profes-
sional trumpet player
and a member of the
Dworkin
Musicians Union.
c. 1955
Mr. Dworkin is sur-
vived by his wife, Olga F. Dworkin; son,
Richard Dworkin of Romeo; daughter and
son-in-law, Debra and Richard Partrich of
Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren, Sam and
Cori Dworkin, Rebecca and Doug Bowen,
Kimberly Dworkin and Rose Partrich;
nephew and nieces, Steven and Connie

Obituaries

A story that serves as a prime example
of his care for others occurred when two
local hospitals recently discussed merg-
ing. Howard, who was then a patient in
one of the hospitals, sent letters of recom-
mendation in favor of his nurses, in the
hope of protecting them from projected
layoffs.
His loving family and team of care-
givers enabled him to live out the last
months of his life at home.
Howard Sherizen is survived by his
wife, Nancy "Chana" Sherizen, and their
children, Kalman Sherizen, Leah (mar-
ried to Natan) Berry, Moshe (married
to Batya) Sherizen, Naomi (married to
Shlomo) Radner, Aryeh Sherizen and
Benyamin Sherizen. Grandchildren are
Dassi and Eliana Berry, Azriel, Rochel
Leah, Chananya and Elisheva Sherizen,
and Yakov Shalom, Daniel and Ruthie
Radner.
Howard was a devoted son to his moth-
er, Betty Sherizen, and his late father, Paul
Sherizen.
He is survived by his brothers, Bruce
"Dov," married to Esther Sherizen, and
Eugene, married to Julie Sherizen; and
sister, Susan, married to Sam Gun. He
leaves many loving nieces and nephews,
grandnieces and grandnephews, and a
world of friends.
Interment was at Hebrew Memorial
Park Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to Machon ETorah, 18877 W 10
Mile Road, Suite 250G, Southfield, MI
48075; NCSY Central East Region, 16947
W. 10 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075,
www.centraleast.ncsy.org; American
Technion Society, 6735 Telegraph Road,
Ste. 304, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 www.
ats.org; or Kids Kicking Cancer, 27600
Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 220, Southfield,
MI 48034, www.kidskickingcancer.org .
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel. ❑

Ballmer, and Shelly Ballmer; great-neph-
ews, Sam, Peter and Aaron Ballmer.
He was the loving brother of the late
Beatrice Ballmer; the dear brother-in-law
of the late Fred Ballmer.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John
R, Detroit, MI 48201, www.karmanos.
org; Peter & Dorothy Brown Adult Day
Care Program, 6720 W. Maple Road, West
Bloomfield, MI 48322, www.jslmi.org; or
Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network,
6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield,
MI 48322. www.jewishhospice.org .
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

Obituaries on page 78

JN

August 21 • 2014

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