obituaries

ROSE BREITBERG, 94, of West

Bloomfield, died Sept 2, 2015.
She is survived by her daugh-
ter and son-in-law, Iris and Fred
Radner of West Bloomfield; sons
and daughters-in-law, Stuart and
Carol Breitberg of Chicago, Ill.,
Freddie and Roberta Breitberg of
Farmington Hills; grandchildren,
Joanne (Dan) Aronovitz, Julie (Erik)
Herman, Sandy (Ilyse) Aaron, Emily
Radner, David (Char) Breitberg,
Michael (Vikki) Breitberg, Marci
(Steve) Markward, Dyane (John)
McCann; great-grandchildren, Sara,
Ben, Anna, Lily, Jack, Sophia, Alex,
Megan, Jayson, Addie, Jack, Vanessa,
Ryan.
Mrs. Brietberg was the wife of the
late Perry Breitberg.
Contributions may be made
to Jewish Senior Life, do Rose
Breitberg Activity Fund; or to a
charity of one's choice. Interment
took place in San Diego, Calif.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

DAVID M. DUNN, 56, of West

Bloomfield, died Sept 1, 2015.
He is survived by his mother,
Gloria Dunn of West Bloomfield;
daughter, Brooke Dunn of
Farmington Hills; son, Bradley
Dunn of Novi; sister and brother-
in-law, Arlene and Alan Gottlieb of
West Bloomfield; nephews, Bryan
(Amy) Gottlieb, Daniel (Bridget)
Gottlieb; brother-in-law, Dr. Douglas
(Dr. Margo) Woll.
Mr. Dunn was the beloved hus-
band of the late Mindy Dunn.
Interment was held at the
Machpelah Cemetery in Femdale.
Contributions can be made to JARC.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

SYLVIA FELD,

92, of Rhode
Island, formerly
of Michigan,
died Sept. 3,
2015.
She is sur-
vived by her sons
Feld
and daughters-
in-law, Allen and
Judith Feld of
Stanton Island,
N.Y., Harry and
Stephanie Feld
of California;
daughter and
son-in-law,
Sherry and
David Elbaum of Calabasas, Calif.;
sister, Nancy Fordonski of Oak
Park; grandchildren, Daniel and
Shim Feld, Elisheva Feld, Michal
and Avrohom Gruen, Esti and
Benjamin Aryeh, Amber Feld, Tim
Feld, Jeremy and Amy Elbaum,
Kevin Elbaum and fiancee, Jaclyn
Graver, Gregory Elbaum; 18 great-
grandchildren.

Mrs. Feld was the beloved wife
for 55 years of the late Leon Feld;
loving sister and sister-in-law of the
late Jack and the late Esther Lipton,
the late Michael Fordonski.
Contributions may be made to
a Holocaust museum. Interment
was held at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park in Livonia. Arrangements by
Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

HELEN
KRESCH, 85, of

Coconut Creek,
Fla., formerly of
Michigan, died
Sept. 2, 2015.
She and
4
her husband
Kresch
went to Israel
and became
Freedom
Fighters. A
veteran of the
Israeli Navy, she
was
underage
HonUST
SurVITOR when she joined.
A member of
Holocaust Survivor groups, she also
belonged to Hadassah and B'nai
B'rith.
Mrs. Kresch is survived by her
husband of 66 years, Joseph Kresch;
sons and daughters-in-law, Sam and
Debbie Kresch of Encinitas, Calif.,
Dr. Philip Kresch of Farmington
Hills, Dr. Ernie Kresch of Ringgold,
Ga., Mark and Amanda Kresch of
Atlanta, Ga.; grandchildren, Adam,
Jeffrey, Kevin, Rachelle, Jolie, Mina
and Adreian; great-grandson,
Benjamin.
Contributions may be made to
Congregation Beth Shalom, 1447
Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL
33063; or Jewish National Fund,
24100 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100,
Cleveland, OH 44122.
Interment was held at Hebrew
Memorial Park Arrangements by
Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

SCOTT LABELL, 47, of West

Bloomfield, died Aug. 19, 2015.
He is survived by his loving sis-
ters, Elissa Godfrey of Los Angeles,
Carol Lucas of Phoenix; brothers,
Bruce Labell and Steve Labell of
Virginia Beach. Scott will be missed
by his many undes, aunts, nieces,
nephews, cousins, friends and his
adored dog, Shayna, who all loved
him dearly.
Mr. LaBell was the loving son of
the late Wilma Labell and the late
Larry Labell. He was the beloved
grandson of the late Rose Gold and
the late Manny Gold.
Contributions may be made to
the Michigan Humane Society,
Almost Home, 25503 Clara Lane,
Southfield, MI 48034 (animal shel-
ter), or a charity of one's choice.

Famed Athlete, Proud War Vet

I

On The Battlefront
Willie never forgot his years as a soldier serving the
country he loved. As a result, he was a driving force
illie Stone was a proud veteran of World
behind the Metro Detroit-based Joseph L. Bale Post 474
War II, a nationally ranked star squash
of Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A.
player who overcame anti-Semitic adver-
As a teenager, Willie was enraged by the Japanese
sity, and a successful insurance consultant.
attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He enlisted in
In 2003, Willie earned induction into the Michigan
the Army the next year at age 18. When he qualified for
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame for his prowess on the
Engineer Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, Va.,
squash court. He discovered squash
he had to repel anti-Semitic threats there
in 1948 after his service in World War
from a platoon leader en route to becoming
II — and soon became good enough to
a second lieutenant.
play at the state level. But the Michigan
In Europe, Willie helped in the attempt
Squash Racquets Association didn't per-
to rebuild Ludendorff Bridge, a railway over
mit Jewish clubs, effectively barring him
the Rhine that the Nazis blew up to slow
from such play.
the Allied advance toward Berlin.
So Willie rallied non-Jewish squash
By 1945, young Willie was a captain
players to persuade the MSRA to accept
in the 1253rd Combat Engineer Corps.
the Jewish Community Center in
Following the end of hostilities, he became
assistant commandant of a camp in
Detroit as a member club. Ultimately,
he won more than 200 championships
Belgium holding 6,000 German prisoners.
William "Willi e" Stone
Back home, Willie helped the JWV Bale
and trophies in singles and doubles at
the local, state, regional, national and
Post grow to a whopping 450 members.
North American levels. He ranked as
He was a five-time commander of the post,
high as No. 2 nationally. A double knee replacement
which sought not only to help hospitalized and disabled
in the early 1990s finally ended his squash play, but he
veterans, but also to extend scholarships to veterans'
remained competitive at doubles tennis.
children. The post, however, eventually fell on hard
'Willie was one of our proudest honorees:' Michigan
times as members aged and died. In 2012, then 88-year-
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director David
old "Captain Stone" visited Akiva Hebrew Day School
Blatt said. "He attended every event with enthusiasm."
in Southfield to champion Veterans Day on the post's
behalf.
Blatt added, "He was even at our last Hank
Greenberg Memorial charity golf event last June.
After the war, Willie worked in sales at Stone Soap Co.
Though visibly very ill, he wanted to be there. No one
in Detroit before branching out on his own and eventu-
could keep him away."
ally starting William Stone Insurance Group.
"Willie had an incredible zest for life' said his
"While my grandfather would never miss an oppor-
beloved wife, Ceci. "He felt the world was such a won-
tunity to tell you about his squash conquests:' grandson
derful place'
Bill Masch, 31, a Boston radiologist, eulogized, "he spent
With Ceci at his side, William "Willie" Stone died at
his life giving of himself freely to his community, to his
home in West Bloomfield on Aug. 31, 2015, after a long
country, to Judaism and to his family, often quietly and
with little fanfare'
illness. The Detroit native was 91.
Declining health didn't deter Willie from simple joys
A Special Love
— visits with his daughters, Meredith and Julie, and
In the 1950s and '60s, Willie performed in variety shows
other family members; lunch with Central High bud-
on behalf of local Jewish organizational fundraisers. Ceci
dies; a drive with Ceci in their convertible.
held major roles in local theater over the years, but the
"He kept saying he wanted to live every moment he
couple didn't perform on stage together until 2004, 15
had," Ceci said. "He didn't want to stop having fun."
years into their marriage. In the Farmington Players'
Willie's life was never boring. With a gift for gab,
production of Fiddler on the Roof Ceci played Golda and
Willie could fill a room with ease and laughter. He
Willie, at age 80, played the rabbi.
could be boisterous, but also caring. As a young man,
At Willie's funeral, Ceci sang the love song "Bill" from
he developed a love for bowling and playing fast-pitch
softball. He became a Detroit Lions season-ticket holder the musical Showboat — the same song she had sung
at their wedding 26 years earlier. Once, on a trip by the
in 1949, becoming the team's most loyal fan.
couple to Paris, Willie didn't let his fear of heights deter
Family Ties
him from singing to Ceci atop the Eiffel Tower.
Willie was the second youngest of the nine children of
"If he could have sung at his funeral," Ceci said, "he
Anna and Ben Stone — whose family roots go back to
would have loved to sing Louie Armstrong's 'What A
early 1900s Detroit. Willie's mother died in 1928 when
Wonderful World"'
he was not yet 4. Older siblings helped their father raise
Willie Stone is survived by his wife, Ceci; children,
him and the youngest child, Ted.
Meredith Stone Masch and David Masch, and Julie
"Willie was so incredibly proud to be a part of this
Stone and Lauren Crane; grandson, Dr. Bill Masch; sis-
family,' eulogized Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple Israel in ter-in-law, Ileane Stone; Ceci's children, Dr. Julie Orman,
West Bloomfield.
and Peter and Robin Orman; Ceci's grandchildren, Amy
While living in Palmer Woods, Willie and his first
Schaffer, Alexander "Sandy" Schaffer, Carly Orman and
wife, Tavy Stone, fashion writer for the Detroit News,
Aiden Orman; and many nieces and nephews.
were part of Detroit's social circles. She died in 1985,
Willie was the beloved husband of the late Tavy Stone.
ending a loving, 35-year marriage.
He was the last survivor of his eight siblings.
Willie relished his later-years role as patriarch of
Interment was at Aaron Moshe Cemetery, Mount
both the Stone family and the Orman family of his wife
Clemens. The family suggests tributes to American
Ceci. His blended family of his daughters and grandson
Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI
as well as Ceci's two children and four grandchildren
48076, www.cancer.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
meant the world to him.
Chapel. ❑

Robert Sklar

Contributing Editor

W

Obituaries on page 135

Obituaries

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