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Monument Center Inc.

“Same Location Over 80 Years”
Monuments and Markers
Bronze Markers
Memorial Duplicating
Cemetery Lettering & Cleaning

A Renaissance Gentleman

Ronelle Grier | Contributing Writer

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www.MonumentCenterInc.com

32906 Middlebelt Rd (at 14 Mile)

(248) 855- 0007

Please see our menu at

www.johnnypomodoros.com

DELI NOSH CARRY-OUT!!!

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DAIRY TRAY

FRUIT TRAY

MEAT TRAY

2107440

During the coming week, the students of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah
will study in memory of the following departed friends.
In addition, Kaddish will be said during the daily minyan.

5KXCP ,WPG
Solomon Burg
Harry Daniels
Abraham Dubin
Naomi S. Eder
Jack Finer
Yosif Geyler
Ida Goldman
Rose Heller
Rubin Herman
Bella Hoenig
Edward Lutz
Max G. Salasnek
Ruth Shafkind
Irving N. Weiss
5KXCP ,WPG
Louis Aronoff
William Cohen
Norman Egren
Louis Gelfund
Rebecca Greenberg
Philip M. Herman
Harry H. Hochman
Norman Patler
Isaac Rosenthal

Alex Saltsman
Moses Weingarden
5KXCP ,WPG
Sophie Gook
Jacob Horowitz
Mollie Hubert
Golda Klayn
Celia Miedzwinski
Albert Pritz
Edith Cohen Schwartz
Jacob B. Shlain
Israel Stillerman
Theodore Weiss
5KXCP ,WPG
Bertha Cossman
Isadore Glattstein
Max Kozlowski
Sidney Lorfel
Harry Maltz
Shmuel Rutzimring
Morris Stoller
Eric Weiss
Elizabeth Welkovicz
5KXCP ,WPG
Dora Kraus
Moritz Miedzwinski

Shirley Skolnick
Jacob Surowitz
Charles Usher
Asher Wainer
5KXCP ,WN[
Morris H Berris
Isadore Diamond
Sarah Feigelman
Dora Greenstein
Jonas Hakimi
Margaret Mandel
Edith Poss
Marilyn Schane
Harry Wishnia
Ida M Wrotslavsky
5KXCP ,WN[
Morrey Bittker
Benjamin Glick
Leo Gruenebaum
Esther Anna Moskowitz
Chana Nusbaum
George Shore
Ella Silber
Bella Unrot
Deborah Vernick

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66 June 23 • 2016

Obituaries

2087920

ilbert Benjamin Silverman
In 1961, he was introduced to Lila
was an extraordinary entre-
by a mutual friend, and the two were
preneur, an innovative col-
married the following year. The couple
lector and generous patron of the art
raised a family while Gilbert continued
world, and a devoted husband, father
to grow his business, and their mar-
and grandfather. Mr. Silverman, 91,
riage was filled with fabulous trips,
who lived in Bloomfield Hills with his
warm family get-togethers and mutual
wife, Lila, died on June 13, 2016.
devotion and respect.
His impressive
“We’ve been married 54
career as a real estate
years, and we’ve had a fantas-
executive and developer
tic life,” said Lila.
included serving as
Gilbert was a true old-
president of Holtzman
school gentleman, a sharp
& Silverman Realty,
dresser with a firm hand-
a multi-generation
shake who held doors open
family-owned busi-
for others and looked people
ness. He was also the
in the eye when he spoke.
founder, president and
“He really cared about how
chairman of the Village Gilbert B. Silverman
everyone was doing,” said his
Green Management
son Eric, who spoke at the
Company, an award-
funeral service. “And he cared
winning company that
deeply about how he treated
is now one of the largest apartment
people. Maybe more importantly, and
management and ownership firms in
especially with his friends and family,
the United States.
he cared about how you treated people.
He demanded fairness, and he called
PATRON OF THE ARTS
out people who weren’t fair.”
He influenced the art world by col-
Gilbert was a kind and thought-
lecting and cultivating works from the
ful man with a brilliant mind, always
Fluxus movement, a genre of avant-
eager to learn. He loved fine dining and
garde art he discovered on the streets
sports cars, and he believed in teaching
of Soho in New York in 1978. Over the
by example, modeling the loyalty and
next 30 years, Gilbert and Lila traveled
respect he expected from others. He
extensively and amassed the world’s
was a good listener, open to cutting-
largest collection of Fluxus art, more
edge ideas and new adventures.
than 4,000 pieces, which they gener-
He instilled a strong work ethic in
ously donated to the New York Museum all of his children and stressed the
of Modern Art in 2008. Among their
importance of pursuing their interests
collection were several works by Yoko
with passion. He was a fair and honest
Ono, who became a close friend of the
businessman who gave his heart and
couple. Pieces were also given to the
soul to his work and his employees,
Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the
some of whom were long-term loyal
Detroit Institute of Arts.
employees of four decades and more.
Gilbert’s daughter Wendy, now a
When the grandchildren came
professional interior designer, shared
along, he was a dedicated “Papa” who
her father’s passion for art and design
gave unconditional support, keeping
and frequently accompanied them
up with their progress and encourag-
when they traveled to other countries
ing them to have fun and use their
with his curator, Jon Hendricks, to
imaginations.
exhibit and add to his collection.
“I felt very privileged to travel around CIVIC LEADERSHIP
He held leadership positions on
the world with him and his art col-
numerous boards and committees
lection,” Wendy said. “The exposure I
representing the business world and
received enriched my knowledge of art
the art community, including the
and architecture that inspired me and
enhanced my career, and my father was Michigan State Housing Development
Authority, the National Association of
always very supportive of my work. We
Home Builders, the Detroit Institute
all learned so much from him.”
of Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Born to immigrant parents in 1925,
and Cranbrook Art Museum and the
Gilbert attended Detroit Central
Museum of Modern Art in New York.
High School and graduated from the
He cared about the Jewish commu-
University of Michigan, where he
nity, where he was a longtime member
earned a degree in civil engineering.