obituaries

DENNICE "DENNY" ABELS,
70, of Farmington Hills, died
Dec. 11, 2014.
She is survived by her
beloved husband, Michael
Abets; son, Tony Abets of West
Bloomfield; sister, Ilene (Jerry)
Goldman-Sawyer of Farmington
Abets
Hills; many other loving family
members and friends.
Mrs. Abets was the mother of the late Todd
Abels.
Contributions may be made to Yad Ezra or to
a charity of one's choice. Interment took place at
the Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

A Survivor's Legacy

Barbara Lewis
Contributing Writer

H

BETTE BORIN, 95, of West
Bloomfield, died Dec. 13, 2014.
She is survived by her daugh-
ters and sons-in-law, Nancy
and Harvey Lash, and Carol
and Gene Zamler, all of West
Bloomfield; son and daughter-
in-law, Dr. Michael Bonin and
Bonin
Michelle Hollingsworth of
Woodinville, Wash.; grand-
children, Todd Lash and Tracy
Joe, Dr. Craig and Amy Lash, Robyn and Todd
Miller, Chad and Ellory Zamler, Bradley and
Andie Zamler, Lauren and Ryan Borg, Jamie and
Josh Revitz, Chloe Bonin and Cole Bonin; great-
grandchildren, Sierra and Simon Lash, Brooklyn
and Savannah Lash, Jonah, Griffin and Trevor
Miller, Blake and An Zamler, Benjamin, Noah
and Ava Zamler, and Ivy Revitz; sister-in-law,
Belle Bonin; devoted caregivers, Dora Campbell,
Tawanda Wiliams, Debra Mitchell and Debra
Blackburn; many loving nieces, nephews, cousins
and friends.
She was the beloved wife of the late William
Bonin. She was also predeceased by Jay Frankel.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Jewish National
Fund, William Bonin Grove, 60 Revere Drive,
Suite 840, Northbrook, IL 60062, www.jnf. org ;
or a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

Obituaries on page 60

Poland, where they were sent to a
Russian labor camp. They escaped
and went to Vitebsk, in Belarus, where
enry Upfall's favorite word
Dora's parents lived and where their
was "beautiful." He used the
son, Yale, was born in 1941.
word to describe his family,
After being uprooted again and sent
including his late wife, Dora, his chil-
to Uzbekistan, Henry was drafted into
dren, grandchildren and great-grand-
the Russian army. He deserted the
children. To Henry, most
army on the way to the
of life was beautiful.
front and reunited with
Until his death Dec. 9,
his wife. They spent the
2014, at age 101, Henry
remaining war years in
had been Detroit's old-
Kazakhstan.
est Holocaust survivor.
When the war ended,
Despite the hardships he
the couple returned to
endured during World
Poland and then lived in
War II, he believed in
a displaced persoris camp
living for the present by
in Vienna, Austria, where
making new friends and Henry Upfall
their daughter, Dina, was
maintaining close family
born. They immigrated
ties, said his daughter,
to the United States in
Dina Pinsky of Bloomfield
1949, joining his father in
Hills.
Detroit.
For many years, Henry
Even as he neared the end
UST operated a barber shop at
of his life, whenever he saw Ho
his great-grandchildren, his
•
Nine Mile and Woodward in
Ferndale. He Americanized
smile would light up the room,
she said.
his first name to Henry and adopted
his father's last name, Upfall. In 1954,
Henry was profiled in a cover story
of the April 24, 2014, issue of the
he became a United States citizen.
Jewish News.
Henry's son, Yale, died in 1998. It
Henry was born on April 14,
was the biggest tragedy in his life,
1913. His father moved to Detroit,
but he found a way to carry on, said
and young Gedalya, as Henry was
Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel in
known, grew up in Warsaw with his
West Bloomfield, who officiated at the
mother, sister and maternal grand-
Dec. 11 funeral at Hebrew Memorial
parents, using his mother's surname,
Chapel along with his colleague, Rabbi
Augustowski.
Jennifer Kaluzny.
As a teenager, he was very athletic,
Dora died in 2002; the couple had
competing as a boxer in Maccabi
been married 63 years.
youth games until a boxing injury
Henry would say he was "honored"
blinded him in one eye.
when a rabbi or doctor would come
He and his wife, Dora, broke curfew
to visit him at the Meer Apartments
to be married secretly in a rabbi's study
in West Bloomfield where he lived,
shortly after the Germans invaded
said Kaluzny. "He didn't realize that it
Poland, and then moved to Bialystok,
was the visitors, and all who came in

contact with him, who were honored:'
she said. He had a genuine love for all
people.
"Because of the losses he suffered
and the inhumanity he witnessed, you
couldn't blame him for giving up on
people — but he chose life, and he
chose love," she said.
Henry was small of stature, but a
giant of a man, said Yedwab. His abid-
ing strength, inner goodness and posi-
tive will were truly inspiring.
Henry was a charter member of
Shaarit Haplaytah, an organization of
Holocaust survivors, and a member of
B'nai B'rith.
He was active until just a few days
before his death. "He said he wanted
to die in his sleep and that's what he
did," said his daughter. "He went to
bed Monday evening and he passed
away on Tuesday morning:'
Henry Upfall is survived by his
daughter, Dina (Barry) Pinsky of
Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren, Leslie
Upfall, Debbie (Tim) Cummings,
Marty Upfall, Jason Upfall, Rachel
(Fred Harring) Pinsky, and Dr.
Stephanie (Jeremy) Liss; great-grand-
children, Jessica Cummings, Morgan
Cummings, Hannah Cummings,
David Upfall, Simon Harring, Kate
Harring, Micah Liss, Max Liss; also
survived by many loving nieces, neph-
ews and loving friends.
Henry was the beloved husband of
the late Dora Upfall; dear father of the
late Yale Upfall.
Interment was at Beth Tefilo
Emanuel Cemetery. Contributions
may be made to the Holocaust
Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake
Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334; or
Hospice of Michigan, 989 Spaulding
SE, Ada, MI 49301. Arrangements
were by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. ❑

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Obituaries

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