obituaries »

SONIA AISNER, 103, of Oak
Park, died Jan. 5, 2016. As a
Holocaust survivor, after liberation
she first went to Israel and then
came to the United States in 1960.
Mrs. Aisner was featured in Living
Witnesses, a photographic montage
by Monni. She was a member of
Aisner
CHAIM and a past member of
Workmen’s Circle.
Mrs. Aisner is survived by
her daughters and sons-in-law,
Annette Aisner and Brian Figot
of Oak Park, Celina and Gregory
Elenoff of Denver, Colo.; grand-
children, Justin Figot, Eric Elenoff,
Jeffrey Elenoff; great-grandchild,
Abby Figot.
She was the beloved wife for 49 years of the late
Sidney Aisner.
Contributions may be made to the American
Friends of Magen David Adom, 23215 Commerce
Park Road, #306, Beachwood, OH 44122. Interment
was held at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

JENNIE BEDNARSH, 92, of
Southfield, died Jan. 4, 2016.
She is survived by her daugh-
ter, Judy Bogorad; son, Marvin
Bednarsh; grandchildren, Lisa
and Tim Sokolowski, Scott and
Lauren Bogorad, Pam and Travis
McIntyre, Wendy and Brian Peace,
Bednarsh
Paul and Laura Bednarsh, Sean
Bednarsh, Stefanie Bednarsh, and
Jeff and Marie Laird; great-grandchildren, Hannah
and Mia Sokolowski, Quinn Bogorad, Carson,
Cassidy and Connor McIntyre, Tyler Peace, Ariella
and Alize Bednarsh, and Aaron and Ethan Laird.
Mrs. Bednarsh was the beloved wife of the late
Charles Bednarsh; the loving mother of the late
Phillip Bednarsh and the late Linda Bednarsh.
Interment was at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Susan G. Komen for
the Cure, 5005 LBJ Fwy., Suite 250, Dallas, TX 75244,
www.komen.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

Cantor
c. 1950

CLIVE CANTOR, 90, of West
Bloomfield, died Jan. 10, 2016.
Mr. Cantor is survived by his
loving companion of 20 years,
Amelia Becci; son, Mark A.
Cantor; daughter, Linda Cantor;
grandchildren, Rebecca Cantor,
Michael Cantor, Richard and
Stacey Cantor, Claire Cantor, Ethan
Cantor, and Maddy Hochman;
sister-in-law, Estelle Cantor

Robinson.
He is the last survivor of the Cantor triplets, twin
brother, the late Teddy Cantor, and sister, the late
Ruth Cantor White. He was the beloved husband
of the late Claire Cantor; the devoted son of the late
Louis and the late Dorothy Cantor.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Puppies Behind Bars,
263 W. 38th St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018,
www.puppiesbehindbars.com. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

A Renaissance Woman

Ronelle Grier | Contributing Writer

D

onna Ruth Sklar was a
devoted wife, a loving and
supportive mother, a proud
grandmother and a dedicated com-
munity volunteer. Donna, who
lived in Farmington Hills, died on
Jan. 4, 2016, at age 79.
Described as a “renaissance
woman” by her son, Stuart, who
spoke at his mother’s funeral ser-
vice, Donna was a teacher, a con-
summate hostess and an author.
Her selfless service to the com-
munity included serving as presi-
dent of Temple Kol Ami in West
Bloomfield, being a member of
the Institutional Review Board for
Children’s Hospital of Michigan in
Detroit, co-chairing the annual JCC
Book Fair, helping with the JCC
Maccabi Games and serving on the
board of the Young Women of the
Jewish National Fund.
Donna grew up in Detroit,
attending Central High School
and earning a bachelor of arts in
education and a master’s degree
in secondary reading education
from Wayne State University. There
she met fellow student Lawrence
“Larry” Sklar, who became her
husband. The couple raised three
children and shared a beautiful
partnership for almost 40 years
until Larry’s death in 1996.

HEALTH CARE AUTHOR
When Larry was told to modify
his diet after a heart attack and
bypass surgery in 1970, Donna did
research and decided to create a
book to help others in the same sit-
uation. That book, Save Your Heart:
The Dietary Control of Cholesterol,
was written in consultation
with the University of Michigan
Department of Dietetics.
As a mother, her encouragement
and unconditional support were
unsurpassed. She coached softball,
led her children’s Cub Scout and
Brownie troops, and enjoyed host-
ing numerous pool parties for her
children and, later, for her grand-
children and their friends.
Holiday meals were her specialty,
and the guest list included her kids’
teachers, her husband’s clients and
anyone else who needed a place to

go.
“There was always room for
one more at her table,” said Karen
Gordon, one of Donna’s two daugh-
ters. “She loved being around a lot
of people.”
The many friends and extended
family members whose lives Donna
touched were drawn to her per-
petual smile and positive attitude.
She always had time to listen to a
problem and provide some comfort
or inspiration.
“My mom was, without a doubt,
the most selfless person I ever met
in my life,” said her daughter Val
Sklar.

HOLOCAUST CENTER AIDE
A docent at the Holocaust
Memorial Center in Farmington
Hills, Donna also served as a
skilled and compassionate inter-
viewer, recording several survivors’
stories for the center’s oral history
collection.
“She had an amazing way of
drawing people out,” Stuart said.
“Some of the survivors told her
things they had never even told
their own families.”
Learning about Judaism was
important to Donna, who attended
a weekly Torah study group and
took classes sponsored by the
Florence Melton School of Adult
Jewish Learning. She was an avid
reader, usually reading more than
one book at a time.
“She had a brilliant inquisitive
mind and a thirst for knowledge,”
Stuart said.

UPBEAT OPTIMISM
Donna was imbued with an irresist-
ible sense of optimism; when a chal-
lenge reared its head, she referred
to it as “one of life’s adventures” and
persevered with strength, courage
and dignity. According to Stuart,
she passed her upbeat attitude along
to her children, teaching them to
remain positive in the face of adver-
sity.
“No challenge was too great,
no obstacle too high,” Stuart said,
likening her determination to that
reflected in the children’s book The
Little Engine That Could.

Donna Sklar

Donna’s children and their fami-
lies were her pride and joy, and she
loved doing special things with
them individually and as a group.
“She was always proud of us, but
we were equally proud of her,” said
Stuart. “The ‘nachas’ in our family
ran both ways.”
Donna Sklar is su rvived by
her children, Stuart and Donna
Sklar, Val Sklar, Karen and Vernon
Gordon; grandchildren, Emily
and Alex Sklar, Adam and Sydney
Gordon; loving niece and nephew,
Francine Chafetz Adler and Mark
Adler; loving caregivers, Elizabeth,
Sheila and Tena; and a world of
friends.
She was the beloved wife of the
late Lawrence Sklar and the devot-
ed daughter of the late Esther and
the late Norman Goldenberg.
Interment was at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park.
Contributions may be made
to the Hermelin Brain Tumor
Center-Henry Ford Health System,
2799 W. Grand Blvd., 11th Floor,
Neurosurgery, Detroit, MI 48202,
www.henryford.com; Holocaust
Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard
Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI
48334, www.holocaustcenter.org;
Temple Kol Ami, 5085 Walnut Lake
Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323,
www.tkolami.org; or to a charity of
one’s choice.
Arrangements were by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

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