obituaries

A Courtroom Legend

G

erald Tuchow practiced law for
more than 50 years, focusing on
the legal needs of individuals —
especially in personal injury cases —win-
ning the respect of clients, lawyers and
judges alike.
"He rarely, if ever, lost a case even when
he was up against big law firms because of
his keen intellect and his ability to think
on his feet and relate to jurors:' said his
son Matt Tuchow — who called his father
a "David" who defeated mighty "Goliath"
law firms.
"He was a formidable adversary but
prided himself on resolving disputes
peacefully:' Matt said. "He never turned
away a potential client who lacked money.
"I remember once as a child that he
came home with a huge container of beans
that was payment from a farmer. One
client wrote a letter stating that 'next to
God, I trust Jerry Tuchow: Another wrote
that he was 'one of those rare people who
truly make a positive difference in people's
lives:"
Most cases Mr. Tuchow took were on a
contingent fee basis and he only received
compensation if he won. He did win and
raised his family on those earnings. "He
had fire in his belly and warmth in his
heart:' said Matt.
"He cared deeply about social justice and
stressed to all of his children the impor-
tance of giving back."
Matt said his father would impart this
wisdom to his children: "Make the world a
better place; give back to the community;
and help the less fortunate and protect the

SUZANNE GERDY
DIBBLE, 76, of
Southfield, died Aug. 4,
2015.
She is survived by
her beloved husband,
Carl M. Dibble; son
and daughter-in-
Dibble
law, Ted and Laura
Dibble; daughters
and son-in-law, Ruth and Christopher
Davis, Miriam Kerness; sister, Linda

environment:'
Gerald Tuchow, 85, a Bloomfield Hills
resident, died on Aug. 4, 2015. He lived
a long, full life of family warmth, profes-
sional success and com-
munity service and was
well-respected for his
devotion to his family
and his commitment to
his legal clients in Detroit
and the Downriver com-
munity of Flat Rock. A
fellow lawyer in Flat Rock
called him "a legend in the
courtroom:'
Born in Detroit in 1930 Gerald Tuchow
and raised in modest cir-
cumstances, Mr. Tuchow attended Detroit
Central High School, where he excelled
at interpretive reading of literature and
poetry, winning awards at competitions
throughout Michigan. He earned a degree
in speech from Wayne State University
and, after military service, he graduated
from University of Michigan Law School
in 1957.
An active member of the Democratic
Party Mr. Tuchow was an elected Michigan
delegate to the Democratic National
Conventions during the 1960s and '70s
and the party's nominee for the Michigan
Board of Education in 1965. He chaired the
Michigan Teachers Tenure Commission,
the first Ethics Commission for the city of
Detroit, as well as the city's first Historic
Preservation Advisory Commission. In Flat
Rock, he was a longstanding member and
former president of the Rotary Club.

Wittenbrook; grandchildren, Emily
Dibble, Avery Dibble, Micah Kerness,
Tobin Kerness, Bailey Davis; many other
loving family members and friends.
Mrs. Dibble was the mother-in-law of
the late Dan Kerness; the sister-in-law of
the late Bill Wittenbrook.
Contributions may be made to
the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

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Obituaries

Mr. Tuchow and his wife of 58 years,
Marilyn, raised five children in Lafayette
Park in Detroit and later in an 1830 farm-
house, known as "Old Oak:' in Oakland
County.
Son Jon Tuchow described his father as
an "excellent role model and friend:' and
son Lincoln Tuchow spoke
of him as his "superhero"
whom he remembered for his
"patience, open-mindedness
and love for his 'hippie son."'
An optimistic, strong indi-
vidual, Mr. Tuchow believed
in living life to its fullest.
He continued his interest in
drama as a participant and
past president of the Players,
one of the oldest amateur
theatrical organizations in
Michigan. At the funeral, members of the
Players sang their iconic "Players Song" in
tribute to their longtime friend.
Mr. Tuchow, together with his brother,
the late Broadway, film and TV actor
Michael Tolan, established an annual
award for students at Wayne State
University for interpretative reading of
poetry and for theatrical excellence.
Mr. Tuchow is fondly remembered by
neighbors for dressing up as Uncle Sam in
a red, white and blue striped seersucker
suit and leading the annual Fourth of July
Parade. He enjoyed worldwide travel, U-M
football games and, most of all, time with
his family, especially the family reunions at
Camp Michigania in Boyne City.
Prior to his death, Mr. Tuchow was
working to establish a nonprofit organiza-
tion, "Lawyers for Humanity:' to provide
lawyers with an opportunity for commu-

ALBERT DUBIN, 102, of
Boca Raton, Fla., and
Bloomfield Hills, died
Aug. 9, 2015.
He was the CEO and
founding partner of
Vlasic Pickles.
Mr. Dubin is survived
by his wife, Pauline
Dubin; daughters, Sandra Frankel and
Roslyn Silverman; son and daughter-in-law,
Howard and Jean Dubin; Pauline's children,
Brina Reinstein, Donna and Robert Slatkin,
and Allison Sporn; many loving grandchil-
dren and great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his brother,
Jules Dubin; his sister, Minna Dubin; and
Pauline's son, Neil Sporn.
Private services were held at Machpelah
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, Albert and Pauline Dubin Oral
Archive, 6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield
Hills, MI 48301, www.jewishdetroit.org .
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. A
more extensive obituary will appear in next
week's Jewish News.

nity service. He was also writing a collec-
tion of stories about his legal experiences
in the turbulent 1960s and '70s titled
Murder, Rape and the Evil Eye: The Diary
of a Country Lawyer.
At the funeral, Rabbi Norman T. Roman
of Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield
read a letter of condolence from U.S. Rep.
Sander Levin. The congressman lauded his
longtime associate's "extraordinary life" of
"deep devotion to practicing law on behalf
of the underserved" and also their "work
together on political causes whose pur-
poses we deeply shared:'
Rabbi Roman said that the "goodness,
humor, devotion and strength of Jerry's
life" will "continue to shine through:'
Gerald Tuchow is survived by his wife,
Marilyn Alice Spiro Tuchow; his children,
Jonathan Tuchow, Matt and Nicola Tuchow,
Lincoln and Kathy Tuchow, Gabrielle and
Montgomery Gillard, and Victoria and
Leon Mualem; and seven grandchildren,
Noah and Jonah Tuchow, Bella and Levi
Mualem, and Benjamin, Isabelle and
Sophia Gillard.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Memorial contributions may
be made to Gerald Tuchow Fund for
Camp Michigania, University of Michigan
Alumni Association, 200 Fletcher St., Ann
Arbor, Michigan 48109 (alumni.umich.
edu); the Gerald Tuchow Fund for Players
Endowment, 3521 E. Jefferson, Detroit
Michigan 48207 (playersdetroit.org );
or to the Gerald Tuchow Fund, Wayne
State University, 5201 Cass, 226 Prentis
Building, do Sherry Stokes, Detroit,
Michigan 48202 (cardinal.wayne.edu/
wsugiving/give.cfm). Arrangements were
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

❑

MARILYN FELDER, 73,
of Southfield, died Aug. 6,
2015.
She is survived by her
husband, Mitchell Felder;
daughter, Laura Felder;
son and daughter-in-law,
Daniel and Amy Felder;
Felder
grandchildren, Jack, Noah
and Sam Felder, Ryan and Addison Witt; sis-
ters and brothers, Rhea Cohen, Dr. Howard
and Debbie Singer, Dorothy and Dr. Irving
Hirshfield, Harold and Ellie Singer.
Mrs. Felder was the cherished mother of
the late Fred Felder; the dear sister-in-law of
the late Leonard Cohen.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

Helen

Friedman

HELEN FRIEDMAN,
77, of Farmington Hills,
died Aug. 4, 2015.
She is survived by
her husband, David
Friedman; daughter
and son-in-law, Alisa
and Vitaly Grossman of