Ronelle Grier

Contributing Writer

B

enno Alexander Levi was pas-
sionately devoted to his family,
his community, his country, his
Jewish heritage and the State of Israel.
"Opa Benno," as he was called by his large
and loving extended family, passed away
on Aug. 28, 2014, at the age of 91.
Born in Germany in 1923, Benno with
his three siblings were sent to America by
their parents in 1936 to escape the grow-
ing danger posed by Hitler. They were
taken in and cared for by the Friedman
and Rosenberg families, where Benno
became a bar mitzvah and set about
maintaining his identity as an observant
Jew. He continued practicing the tradi-
tions of his heritage throughout his life
and took pride in the fact that his chil-
dren and grandchildren continued to do
so in their own lives.
One of Benno's first (and favorite) jobs
was working in the offices of the Jewish
News, a position he left to serve in the
U.S. Army during World War II. Despite
being fluent in German, he was sent to
the South Pacific, where he was deter-
mined to be a worthy representative of
his country and his Jewish heritage. He

ISAK FRIDMAN, 90,
of Royal Oak, died
Aug. 30, 2014.
He is survived by
his loving partner,
Yvonne Culver;
Ho
UST
Su ItOR daughter-in-law,
Denise Wolman;
grandchildren, Eric Wolman and Brian
Wolman.
Mr. Fridman was the loving father
of the late Larry Wolman and the late
James Fridman.
Interment was at Beth El Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

BRENDA ROBBINS
GOULD, 73, of Oak
Park, died Aug. 24,
2014.
She worked for the
city of Oak Park for 33
years. She had a very
big heart and loved her
Gould
family and animals and
participated with rescue pets.
Mrs. Gould is survived by daughters
and sons-in-law, Bonnie Gould-Ancona
and Tom Ancona of Redondo Beach,
Calif., Arina and Don Ferdig of Eaton
Rapids, and Helen Boutorwick of
Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren, Tommy
Ancona and Andrew Ferdig; brother
and sister-in-law, Ed and Jovita Robbins

fought the enemy with bravery and valor,
receiving Silver and Bronze Stars for his
unselfish courage. He kept a detailed
diary during the war, sending prosaic let-
ters home describing his experiences.
When the war ended, Benno returned
home and began courting the effervescent
Ruth, whom he had met as a young teen
before going overseas. The couple shared
a loving marriage for 63 years, raising
six children in their observant Oak Park
home. Jewish education was a priority,
regardless of the cost, and together Ruth
and Benno taught their children by exam-
ple to appreciate the meaning of family
and Jewish tradition. He was an active
participant at Congregation Or Chadash
and Young Israel of Oak Park.
Benno was a passionate supporter of
Israel, participating with the ZOA (Zionist
Organization of America) and passing
his love for the Jewish homeland on to
his children. He was also active with the
Jewish Historical Society of Michigan.
As the chief fiscal officer for the for-
mer Sinai Hospital in Detroit, Benno was
known for helping many people in the
community find jobs and face other chal-
lenges.
According to his six children, three of
his 19 grandchildren, and others who

paid him tribute during the funeral
service held Friday, Aug. 29, at Hebrew
Memorial Chapel, Opa Benno left a legacy
of kindness, good deeds, perseverance
and strong moral integrity. He believed in
helping those who were oppressed, and
his capacity for acceptance and his ability
to relate to others quickly and instinctive-
ly enabled him to form close bonds with a
multitude of people. He enjoyed life until
his final moments, taking pleasure in his
family and the regular poker game he
shared with a group of longtime friends.
"He had a special way of connecting to
children," said his son Noah Levi. "He was
always on the same level as the person
he was speaking to so he could listen and
give advice. If someone was angry, he
went beyond that anger to find out what
was really going on:'
Mr. Levi is survived by his devoted
wife, Ruth; children, Reggie (David)
Comins, Tova (Joel) Weinberg, Ernie
(Sallie) Levi, Noah (Cherie) Levi, Uri
Levi, Gabe (Anat) Levi; brother-in-law,
Menachem Gundersheimer; and many
loving grandchildren and great-grand-
children.
He was the devoted brother of the late
Ernest Levi, the late Ruth Gundersheimer
and the late Miriam (Hugo) Apt.

of California; sister and brother-in-law,
Shirley and Lou Katz of Connecticut.
Interment was at Westside
Hebrew Cemetery in St. Paul, Minn.
Contributions may be made to the
Michigan Humane Society, 30300
Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham
Farms, MI 48025; or Hermelin Brain
Tumor Center, Office of Philanthropy,
One Ford Place Detroit, MI 48202.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel.

HERB KAHN, 76, of
Torrance, Calif., for-
merly of Southfield,
died Aug. 5, 2014, sur-
rounded by his family.
He graduated from
I Mumford High School,
• class of 1956. He served
Kahn
on the USS Iowa as
a corpsman in 1956 and 1957; most
recently he was a docent aboard the
same ship.
Mr. Kahn was a top disaster and
earthquake specialist in Southern
California and wanted to make sure
everyone was prepared.
He is survived by his loving wife of
48 years, Jo (Jo Ann Weinhart); his son,
Matthew; daughter and son-in-law,
Shannon and Marc Magid; grandchil-
dren, Wendy, Jason and Shaun Magid;
sister and brother-in-law, Renee and
Dennis Porvin; nieces and nephews,
Stacey and Jim Stocks, Dr. Brian and
Jenine Porvin; great-nephew, Asher
Porvin.
Mr. Kahn was the preceded in death
by his parents, Dr. Samuel and Shirley
Kahn; and his in-laws, Shirley and
Walter Weinhart.
Contributions may be made to the
Pacific Battleship Center-250 Harbor
Blvd., San Pedro, CA 90731; write in the
memo line: "In memory of Herb Kahn,
in honor of the USS Iowa."

RUTH BAKER
JACOBOWITZ, 100, of
New Hudson, Mich.,
died Aug. 28, 2014.
She is survived by
her brother and sister-
in-law, Dr. Benjamin C.
and Joan Stein of West
Bloomfield; sister-in-
law, Shirley Stein; caregivers, Samantha
Legreir, Katherine Mitchell, Rhonda
Gross and Michelle Nelson; many loving
nieces and nephews.
She was the cherished sister of the late
Leo and the late Esther Stein; the devot-
ed daughter of the late Alex and the late
Pauline Stein.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake
Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, www.
temple-israel.org. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

J

Benno Levi at the Kotel in Jerusalem at
his grandson's bar mitzvah last year

Interment was at Hebrew Memorial
Park in Mount Clemens. Contributions
may be directed to Religious Zionists
of Detroit, 16937 Hilton St., Southfield,
MI 48075, (248) 395-5226 www.rza.org ;
Akiva Hebrew Day School, 21100 W. 12
Mile, Southfield, MI 48076, (248) 386-
1625; or Young Israel of Oak Park, 15140
W 10 Mile Road, Oak Park, MI 48237,
(248) 967-3655. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.

❑

KENNETH STUART LASTAR, 86, of
Paradise Valley, Ariz., formerly of West
Bloomfield, died June 19, 2014, a few
days before his 87th birthday.
He was an Army veteran from World
War II, then joined his father, Eugene, in
the Lastar Electric Company, a family-
owned business.
Mr. Lastar was a loving father to his
children and grandchildren, and he was
very proud of all their accomplishments.
They were the great joy in his life. Those
who knew Kenneth knew him for the
full person he was: loving, caring and
sharing, and a man who liked to fix
things.
Mr. Lastar is survived by his loving
wife, Faythe; his daughter, Sheryl Allen;
grandchildren, Jeremy Allen, Brittany
Tefft and Brigitte Allen; great-grandchil-
dren, Jimmy and Mariah; many loving
nieces and nephews.
He was the beloved son of the late
Bess and the late Eugene Lastar; the lov-
ing father of the late Howard. He was
also brother-in-law and brother to sister,
Shirley Podolsky, and spouse, Harold;
sister, Beverly Natelson, and the late Dr.
Robert.
Services were held in Arizona.
Arrangements by Sinai Mortuary.
Contributions may be made to a charity
of one's choice.

Obituaries on page 78

Obituaries

September 4 • 2014

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