obituaries »

Berman

LESTER BERMAN, 68, of
Southfield, died Aug. 14, 2016.
A civil engineer and con-
sultant, Mr. Berman assisted
eight states with environmen-
tal planning as a regional offi-
cer. He was also a college pro-
fessor who taught at Lawrence
Tech, Baker College, Wayne
State University, Phoenix
University and Davenport

University.
He was an active member of Adat Shalom
Synagogue and its men’s club. He remained
active with Ahavath Shalom Congregation in
Fort Worth, Texas, and with the Jewish War
Veterans.
Mr. Berman is survived by his wife of 45
years, Francine Berman; son and daughter-in-
law, Nathaniel and Rena Berman of Brighton,
Mass.; daughter and son-in-law, Caroline
Berman and Ken Thompson of Southfield;
sister, Ellen Berman; grandchildren, Devorah
Berman, Rivkah Berman.
Contributions may be made to Adat
Shalom Synagogue, 29901 Middlebelt Road,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334; or to a charity
of one’s choice. Interment was held at Hebrew
Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.

DANIEL S. ELMAN, M.D., of Tarzana, Calif.,
died Aug. 1, 2016.
Born on May 25, 1934, Dr. Elman was a
beloved husband, father, brother, brother-in-
law and grandfather.
A natural scholar, Dr. Elman exceeded in
every educational endeavor. Upon graduating
medical school at Wayne State University, he
chose to specialize in anesthesiology and pain
relief.
He started the anesthesiology department
at West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles while
concurrently teaching medical students at USC
County Hospital. There, he became a lifelong
fan of the Trojans. He later established the
surgery center at West Hills Hospital, where he
performed countless pain relief procedures.
Dr. Elman had an unquenchable thirst for
knowledge and pursued interests in model air-
planes, Star Trek, Jewish studies, shopping and
personal computers, among others. He greatly
enjoyed making sure that everyone was fed:
family, friend and stranger alike.
His spirit always shone through in his gener-
osity to others, his love for animals, his lessons
of kindness and compassion, and his wonderful
sense of humor. He remains deeply respected
by his peers and, after 17 years of retirement,
he still had the gratitude of his patients.
Dr. Elman married his cherished wife,
Barbara, in 1956. Their children, Sheri, Dr. Ken
Elman (Rachel) and Michael Tzipori (Brenda),
were raised in Southern California. He is also
survived by his three grandchildren; his sister,
Harriet Wasserman of Southfield; brother-in-
law, Martin Fruitman of Valencia, Calif.; and
sister-in-law, Marilynn Jones of East Lansing.

‘Everyone’s Best Friend’

Jennifer Lovy | Special to the Jewish News

S

trangers did not exist in Randi
Schreiber’s world. Everywhere
she went she made a point of
talking to people. She always made
others feel important, and she knew
how to make them laugh and smile.
“Everyone she met was her best
friend — she talked to people as if
they were longtime friends,” recalled
her sister Elissa Gartenberg. If that
person apologetically questioned
whether they knew her, Randi always
answered, “Yes. We just met a minute
ago.”
Randi, who lived in Farmington
Hills with her husband, Larry, and
13-year-old twins, Hannah and
Joshua, died on Aug. 17, 2016, follow-
ing complications from an April lung
transplant at Duke University Medical
Center in Durham, N.C. She was 45
years old.
Those who knew Randi describe her
as someone who was always upbeat,
smiling and happy. She lived every day
filled with an abundance of joy, pas-
sion and a love for life, in spite of her
medical issues.
“She was the most positive person
with a wonderful sense of humor,”
recalled her mother, Susan Gartenberg.
“She was someone who lived life to the
fullest and always put others first.”
Her children and her husband
were the center of her world, and she
was their rock and their role model,
emulating so many positive attributes,
including strength, optimism and
kindness.
Her children recalled, “She would
do anything for anyone and she was
arguably the most popular mom at
school. When walking through the
halls of Forest Elementary School,
students always swarmed around our
mom because she not only remem-
bered each of their names but often
had a special song related to their
names that she liked to sing to them.
She was the fun mom that everyone
wanted to be around.”
In an outpouring of love, friends of
Hannah and Josh inundated the twins
with messages of condolences and
memories of their mother. One friend
wrote:
“She always put others first, and
now she is my motivation to do almost
everything. I just think ‘what would
Randi want me to do.’”
Similarly, a family friend posted

on Facebook: “Randi
was truly one of a kind.
Everywhere she went, a
joyful noise and outburst
of hugs and kindness
erupted around her. And
yet, she never wanted to
be the center of atten-
tion.”

and in her spare time
she helped multiple peo-
ple with various medical
conditions by finding
them the right treat-
ment facilities, doctors
or clinical trials,” said
sister Lori Gartenberg.
“She did this out of the
kindness of her heart,
and she did it for anyone
who requested her assis-
tance, even strangers.”

MEDICAL CAREER
Randi Schreiber
Randi and Larry met
their freshman year at
Michigan State University,
OUTPOURING OF LOVE
where Randi earned a degree in bio-
When Randi’s health deteriorated, a
logical sciences in 1994. Although
they didn’t date until after graduation, high school friend reached out to her
classmates from North Farmington
they remained close friends through-
High School and created a video
out college.
montage for her. More than 50 for-
“Her positivity, wonderful sense
mer classmates recorded messages of
of humor, amazing personality and
encouragement for the tribute.
kindness were apparent from the first
“She was always so friendly,” says her
day I met her,” said Larry. “She was
mother, Susan. “Even as a child, she
extremely smart, energetic, outgoing,
was never judgmental. She was nice
friendly and had a heart of gold.”
to everyone, no matter what, and her
Randi worked in medical research
classmates remembered her for that.”
at the University of Michigan in Ann
Randi Schreiber was the beloved
Arbor and at Case Western Reserve
wife of Larry Schreiber; cherished
University in Cleveland. Randi loved
helping others, especially with medical mother of Hannah Schreiber and
Joshua Schreiber; devoted daugh-
issues, and decided to pursue a career
ter of Susan and the late Sydney
as a physician assistant.
She attended Midwestern University Gartenberg; loving sister of Dr. Elissa
B. Gartenberg and Lori Gartenberg;
in Arizona, earning an advanced
adoring aunt of Sloan Gartenberg, and
degree in physcian assistant studies in
1999, graduating summa cum laude. In Alexa and Lindsey Philko; loving niece
of Dr. David (Keirsten) Schwartz,
addition, she served as class president
Robert (Linda) Schwartz and Carol
and founded the student newspaper.
Wiseman; loving daughter-in-law of
Randi always felt that the pinnacle
Joan and Sheldon Simons, and the late
of her career was working as a physi-
Hanley Schreiber; dear sister-in-law
cian assistant at St. Jude Children’s
of Lisa (Nick) Philko; and the adored
Research Hospital in Memphis where
she was the first physician assistant to goddaughter of Judy Shapiro. She was
also survived by many loving cousins
work at the hospital’s pediatric endo-
and a world of friends.
crinology department. She was the
Interment was at Machpelah
primary on-site endocrine provider,
Cemetery. Donations may be made
performed research studies and con-
triuted to numerous articles published in memory of Randi Schreiber to
Duke University Lung Transplant
in medical journals.
“She made a connection with all her Research; P.O. Box 103002, Duke
patients and was often invited to their University Medical Center, Durham,
NC 27710, (919) 385-3100, www.
birthday parties and graduations,”
gifts.duke.edu/medpp; Gift of Life-
Larry said. Randi spent four years at
Michigan, 3861 Research Park Drive,
St. Jude before returning to Michigan
so she and Larry could raise their chil- Ann Arbor, MI 48108, (866) 500-
5801, giftoflifefoundationmi.org/
dren closer to family.
to-contribute; or St. Jude Children’s
Randi most recently worked at a
pediatric endocrinology office in Novi Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place,
Memphis, TN 38105, (800) 842-5123,
until her illness required her to travel
www.stjude.org. Arrangements were
to North Carolina for treatment.
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
“My sister loved working with kids,

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Obituaries August 25 • 2016

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