obituaries

Big Man With A Big Heart

Louis Finkelman

Special to the Jewish News

I

rving Dworkin died peacefully at
home on Aug. 13, 2014, at age 92,
after a long, eventful life as home-
builder, musician, lawyer, raconteur,
patriarch and philanthropist.
Iry started his career as a musician
early, playing trumpet at Central High
School and Wayne State University in
Detroit. He proudly maintained his
membership in the musician's union to
the end of his life.
Decades later, strangers would rec-
ognize Iry as the tall fellow (he was
6-foot-4-inches) who stood up to play
trumpet solos on the Boblo boat, at the
D & C Western States Dance Band or
at Detroit's Michigan Theater. During
World War II, Iry served as a midship-
man in the United States Navy. He
brought his trumpet on ship with him
and made use of it to entertain his fel-
low sailors and, when confined to his
room, to entertain himself.
When he returned from his service
in the Navy, he felt unsure about what
do professionally. A friend was enter-
ing law school and, almost on a whim,
Iry joined him. At Wayne University,
Iry noticed another student, a young
woman named Olga. He wondered that
"somehow, wherever I happened to go,
she was there:' Iry and Olga wound up
sharing more than 66 years of married
life together.
Iry graduated Wayne State University
Law School and practiced law for some
five years. The way he liked to tell the
story, he lost every one of his cases and
so decided to pick another career. In his
next career, he built homes. Among the
many residences he built as part of the
Diore Building Company was his own

DAVID BRODSKY, 75, of Southfield,
died Aug. 26, 2014.
He is survived by his wife, Hattie;
son and daughter-in-law, Kerry and
Melissa Brodsky of Sterling Heights;
daughter, Rebecca Brodsky of Commerce
Township; grandchildren, James
Brodsky, Hunter Brodsky, Katelyn
Brodsky and Andrew Brodsky; Hattie's
grandchildren, Keith Harris, Michael
Harris and Marianne Harris.
Mr. Brodsky was the cherished brother
of the late Joanne.
Interment was at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park. Contributions may be
made to Congregation Shomrei Emunah,
25451 Southfield Road, Southfield,
MI 48075. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.

76

September 4 • 2014

home.
His last residential building was the
home in Bloomfield Hills for his daugh-
ter and son-in-law, Debra and Richard
Partrich. He enjoyed house construction
so much that Debra remembers being
surprised when she learned that other
men do not come home
from work whistling hap-
pily as her father usually
did.

He would finish meals with a satisfied
"Um-hmm." Even with his big appetite,
he managed to exercise enough to stay
in shape.
"He was:' as his daughter recalls, "a
self-actuated man. He did everything he
wanted to do. He was very happy."

Philanthropic
Efforts
Iry and Olga made
generous contribu-
A People Person
tions to many chari-
Irv, a big man, had a
ties, including Wayne
personality to match. He
State University and
enjoyed recounting stories
the Karmanos Cancer
of his own varied experi-
Institute.
ences, and he enjoyed
Iry never aban-
learning about other peo-
doned his love for
ple. Wherever he went,
music. Seven years
Irving Dwork in
he asked people "How are
ago, daughter Debra,
you doing?" — and stayed
an active volunteer
to hear their answers. He would follow
supporter of the Detroit Symphony
up with further questions, and he might Orchestra, won an auction for the prize
then offer suggestions for how to deal
privilege of conducting the DSO. She
with problems; not claiming expertise,
assigned the privilege to her father, then
just suggesting strategies someone
in his mid-80s, who enjoyed the role
might try.
immensely. After offering to replace one
Nephew Steven Ballmer, the former
of the trumpet players, he conducted
CEO of Seattle-based Microsoft, noted
the concluding work of the volunteer
that even in his declining years, Uncle
appreciation concert, the William Tell
Iry kept up-to-date with the news.
Overture.
"Whenever I would visit, he would tell
Iry was especially close to his niece
me what he had read in the newspapers
and nephew, Shelley Ballmer and Steve
about challenges facing Microsoft and
Ballmer, the children of his older sister
make suggestions about how to deal
Bea and her husband, Fred Ballmer. Iry
with them," Ballmer said.
and Bea's mother, Rose Dworkin, died at
Iry made friends easily, as he was
the age of 42, when Iry was 12; thereafter,
interested in whatever people did. He
Bea was like a mother to Irv. When Fred
also kept in touch with his old friends,
and Bea passed away, Iry felt that their
calling them every few days.
children should be as close as his own.
Iry derived immense joy from food.
After a health crisis about a year ago,
Any occasion seemed a good one for
released from the hospital and facing
a meal or a snack. Offered a donut, he
the prospect of physical therapy in a
might reply, "I could choke that down."
rehabilitation facility, Iry calmly told

NORMAN J. BRODSKY, 81, of Harrison
Township, died Aug. 15, 2014.
He proudly served his country as a
staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.
Mr. Brodsky was a master in the art
of the sale, achieving recognition at Art
Van Furniture and Federal Department
Stores. He also served as a union stew-
ard and negotiator for the Amalgamated
Clothing and Textile Workers union.
He was the cherished father of Sheri
(Leonard Naumenko) Brodsky and
Jeffrey (Jessica) Brodsky; loving grand-
father of Jeremy Brodsky; dear brother
of Judy (Brodsky) Schwartz and Arthur
Brodsky.
He was preceded in death by his
beloved wife, Ann Bogart; parents, Sam
Brodsky and Sally (Herskowitz) Brodsky;
first wife, Maxine (Harrison) Brodsky.

Obituaries

A memorial service will be held
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, at noon at the
Dorfman Chapel, 30440 W. 12 Mile
Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

RONALD DAVIDOFF,

82, of Farmington Hills,
died Sept. 1, 2014.
He is survived by his
son and daughter-in-
law, Mark Davidoff and
Margie Dunn; daughter-
in-law, Karen Davidoff;
Davidoff
grandchildren, Shira
and Aaron Greenberg, Zvi and Euijeung
Davidoff, Noam and Lisa Davidoff, Avi and
Amanda Davidoff, and Kale Davidoff; great-
grandchildren, Gideon, Lila and Jordan
Greenberg; sisters and brother-in-law,

his daughter, "I am 91 years old. I might
live another few weeks or I might die
tomorrow, or I might live another few
years. But however long I have to live, I
am not doing it here. So get me home."
The family arranged to bring him
home and have the physical therapists
and medical staff come to him. In his
final illness, Iry Dworkin expressed
gratitude to the dedicated caregivers
who made it possible for him to live
in the home that he built and not in a
hospital.
At Irv's funeral, Rabbi Joseph Krakoff
delivered a eulogy filled with personal
memories. Rose Partrich, a granddaugh-
ter, and nephew Steven Ballmer spoke of
Irv's intense relationship with his family
and his ebullient sense of humor.
Irving Dworkin is survived 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, Rose
Partrich; nephew and nieces, Steven and
Connie Ballmer, and Shelley Ballmer;
great-nephews, 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.

❑

Gloria Nussbaum, and Joan and Ben Stein.
Mr. Davidoff was the beloved husband
of the late Rita Davidoff; the cherished
father of the late Dr. Gary Davidoff, and
the devoted son of the late Harry and the
late Esther Davidoff.
Interment was at Hebrew Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
the Dr. Gary Davidoff Hillel Passover
Fund, 6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield
Hills, MI 48301, www.jewishdetroit.org;
Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit,
the Carol Rosenberg Discretionary Fund,
6710 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI
48322, www.jslmi.org; or Jewish Hospice &
Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West
Bloomfield, MI 48322, www.jewishhos-
pice.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.