obituaries »

STEWART BAKER, 64, of
Madison Heights, died
Sept. 25, 2016.
Mr. Baker is survived
by his children, Stacee
and John Snodderly, Kara
Johannes, Jeremy Baker,
Jaime Baker and his
Baker
fiancee, Andrea Jennes;
grandchildren, Gavin,
Aydan and Novaleigh
Snodderly, Joie-Lynne, Dakota and Shelby
Baker, and Dusten Nation.
Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Smile Train,
41 Madison Ave., 28th Floor, New York, NY
10010, www.smiletrain.org. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

BETTY BARACH, 89, of
West Bloomfield, died
Sept. 26, 2016.
She is survived by her
son and daughter-in-law,
Kevin and Dawn Barach
of Indianapolis, Ind.;
daughter and son-in-law,
Barach
Cori and James Cann of
Commerce Township;
son-in-law, Michael Hart;
grandchildren, Shane and Marissa Cann,
and Cassandra, Gabrielle and Ian Hart; sis-
ter, Toba Duncan; brother and sister-in-law,
David and Sharlene Minus.
Mrs. Barach was the beloved wife of the
late Albert Barach; the cherished mother
of the late Vicki Lynn Hart; the devoted
daughter of the late Philip and the late
Estelle Minus.
Interment was at Beth Abraham
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to the Alzheimer’s Association-Greater
Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road,
Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033, www.alz.
org/gmc; or COPD Foundation, 2937 S.W.
27th Ave., Miami, FL 33133, www.copd.org.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

ESTHER DAVIDOW, 79,
of West Bloomfield, died
Sept. 26, 2016.
She is survived by her
son and daughter-in-law,
Keith and Diana Davidow
of Troy; daughters and
sons-in-law, Michelle
Davidow
and Joel Bronstein of
Farmington Hills, Beth
and Jacob Nothstine of
Farmington Hills; sister, Hilda Bloom of
West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Alexandra
Davidow, Emily Davidow, Maren McMahon,
Lauren McMahon, Ashley Bronstein, Ryan
Bronstein, Adam Nothstine, Julia Nothstine.
Mrs. Davidow was the beloved wife of the
late Howard Davidow; loving sister and sis-
ter-in-law of the late Irving Chodak, the late
Murray Chodak, the late Mitchell Bloom.
Contributions may be made to American

Kidney Foundation, 6110 Executive Blvd.,
#1010, Rockville, MD 20852; Michigan
Humane Society, 30300 Telegraph Road,
#200, Bingham Farms, MI 48025; or to a
charity of one’s choice. Interment was held
at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by
Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

MICHAEL J. “MICKEY”
GREY, 79, of West
Bloomfield, died Sept. 24,
2016.
He is survived by his
wife, Cindy Grey; son
and daughter-in-law, Dr.
David Grey and Dr. Ellen
Grey
Folbe of Bloomfield Hills;
daughter, Lori Grey of
Brooklyn, N.Y.; grand-
children, Jonathan Grey, Eli Grey, Erin Grey
and Ethan Grey; brother-in-law and sister-
in-law, Dr. Joel and Cheryl Grand; many
loving nieces and nephews.
Mr. Grey was the loving brother of the
late Joan Partrich.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
Temple Shir Shalom, 3999 Walnut Lake
Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, www.
shirshalom.org; Hillel Day School, 32200
Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, MI
48334, www.hillelday.org; Frankel Jewish
Academy, 6600 W. Maple Road, West
Bloomfield, MI 48322, www.frankelja.org;
Michigan Humane Society, Development
Dept., 30300 Telegraph Road, Suite 220,
Bingham Farms, MI 48025-4507,
michiganhumane.org; or to a charity of
one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

AMY HARVEY, 43, of
West Bloomfield, lost her
battle with cancer on
Sept. 29, 2016.
She volunteered at
Sheiko Elementary, was
a P.T.O. treasurer, a fun-
draising chairperson,
Harvey
a member of W.B.E.F.
and volunteered with
Blessings in a Backpack
and Congregation Beth Ahm.
Mrs. Harvey is survived by her husband,
Peter Harvey; son, Benjamin Harvey; she
was the loving daughter of Rona (Eric
Dexter) Stein and Leonard (Anna) Stein.
She is also survived by many other family
members and friends.
Contributions may be made to Michigan
Ovarian Cancer Fund, 5181 Pinnacle Ct.,
Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Interment was held
at White Haven Cemetery in Pittsford, N.Y.
Services were held at Temple Beth El in
Rochester, N.Y. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
A longer obituary will appear in next
week’s JN.

A Life Devoted To Others

S

ylvia Serwin, 93, of West
would listen and heed her message.
Bloomfield, died Sept. 23,
But they did, unable to ignore her
2016.
knowledge and enthusiasm.
Before completing any formal
By 1989, Serwin foresaw the
education in nursing administration, changing climate of health insurance
Sylvia began a career that spanned
and money in the health care indus-
four decades dedicated to Jewish
try. “Somebody who has worked all
nursing homes in Metro Detroit.
his life can go through savings in no
She started working in
time,” she told the Detroit
the health care industry
Jewish News.
in 1958, writing grants
In 1991, Sylvia received
for the Michigan Heart
the Berman Award for
Association. But her call-
Outstanding Professional
ing was never toward
Service. When she won,
research or bureaucracy.
it capped a long and trea-
She remained passionately
sured career caring for
involved in the lives of
the area’s aging Jews.
elders in the homes she
Her grandson Josh said,
Sylvia Serwin
oversaw.
“There is no break in her
c. 1985
In 1960, she took the
resume covering the years
helm of Ingleside Nursing
from 1958 to 1991.”
Home. After three years there, she
Since then, she took only a little
oversaw the opening of Southfield
much-deserved time for herself when
nursing home that later became
not dedicating her time to her family
Prentis Manor. Her most impres-
and continuing her own education,
sive professional accomplishment
often going to lectures and classes.
was in 1966 when she began serving
She became a bat mitzvah at the age
as associate director of the Jewish
of 75 at Congregation Shaarey Zedek ,
Home for Aged (JHA) on Petoskey
where she was a member for more
Street in Detroit. For the next 25
than 60 years.
years, she administered three differ-
She married the love of her life,
ent facilities for that organization.
Morris Serwin, during the war in
At the time of Sylvia’s 90th birth-
1944 and remained happily married
day, Bob Steinberg, who had served
and devoted to him for 58 years; he
on the board of JHA during Serwin’s
passed away in 2001.
tenure said, “She was and is, to this
“She was the heart and matriarch
day, a very sweet lady with a great
of her family,” her grandson Josh
understanding of the needs of elderly said.
people.” Serwin was hired, Steinberg
In addition to her grandson Josh,
recalled, both because of her experi-
Sylvia leaves behind her grandson
ence and her innate ability to bridge
Benjamin; her son, Jeffrey (Donna)
the gap between residents and staff.
Serwin; daughter, Suzanne (John)
“The residents were made to feel
Potter; great-grandson, Ezra David
that they were not institutionalized,”
Potter; many loving nieces, nephews
he said. “Sylvia and her colleagues
and friends; her devoted caregivers,
always worked to make the people
Sandy, Lisa and Tracey.
feel that they just had a different
Mrs. Serwin was the beloved
home.”
sister of the late Morris (Lillian)
In the middle of a tumultuous
Kersch, Jeannette (Jack) Schwartz;
year for Detroit, 1967, a National
Goldie (Bernie) Davis; Harry (Rae)
Guardsman stopped her on her way
Kersch; beloved sister-in-law of
to work at the Jewish Home for Aged the late George (Sylvia) Surowitz;
in the inner city. He warned her of
Harry (Dorothy) Serwin; Lou (Ethel)
snipers on rooftops during the civil
Surowitz; Rose (Joe) Rodd.
unrest that plagued the city. Serwin
Interment was at Clover Hill
brushed him off and drove past a
Park Cemetery. Contributions
barricade telling the men, “I have
may be made to Jewish Hospice &
212 elderly patients to care for.”
Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple,
In 1970, she completed a nurs-
West Bloomfield, MI 48322, www.
ing home administration certifica-
jewishhospice.org; or to a charity of
tion program at Michigan State
one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira
University. As a woman and a Jew,
Kaufman Chapel.
she was not certain that people

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Obituaries October 6 • 2016

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