soul

of blessed memory

40 June 6 • 2019
jn
40 June 6 • 2019
jn

HARVEY BARD, 83, of 
Farmington Hills, died 
May 28, 2019.
He is survived by his 
beloved wife, Marcy 
Bard; son, Aaron Bard; 
daughter and son-in-
law, Deborah and Korey Bahash; 
grandchildren, Zachary and Andrew 
Bahash, Joshua and Isaac Bard; sister, 
Natalie Sunshine; sister-in-law, Joanne 
(Larry) Pevos. He is also survived by 
his caregivers, Mary, Libra, Cindy; and 
many other loving family members 
and friends
Mr. Bard was the brother-in-law of 
the late Albert Sunshine. 
Interment took place at Workmen’
s 
Circle Cemetery in Clinton Township. 
Contributions may be made to the 
American Heart Association or to a 
charity of one’
s choice. Arrangements 
by Dorfman Chapel.

DIANE BENIS, 82, of Huntington 
Woods, died May 26, 2019.
She is survived by her daughter and 
son-in-law, Lisa and David Stafford; 
grandchildren, Joshua, Mitchell and 
Molly Levin, Sara and Codi Stafford; 
many other loving family members 
and friends. 
Mrs. Benis was the beloved wife of 
the late Sheldon Benis.
Interment took place at Machpelah 
Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions 
can be made to the Alzheimer’
s 
Association. Arrangements by 
Dorfman Chapel.

TERRY ELYSE BITTKER, 60, of 
Maryland, died peacefully May 
25, 2019, at MedStar Montgomery 
Hospital, surrounded by her loving 
family. 
Terry was born on April 21, 1959, in 
Michigan to Louise and James Bittker. 
She had a heart of gold and lived to 
bring joy to those around her. As a 
social worker and volunteer, she tire-
lessly advocated to advance the rights 
of those with disabilities. 
Ms. Bittker is survived by her 
mother, Louise Bittker; sisters, Wendy 
(Jeffrey) Cossman and Cindy Bittker; 
four nieces; three grandnieces; two 
grandnephews; and many, many 
friends.
The funeral took place at 
Washington Hebrew Congregation. 
Interment was at Garden of 
Remembrance Memorial Park, in 
Clarksburg, Md. Contributions may 

be made to the Washington Society of 
Jewish Deaf (wsjdeaf.org) or Gallaudet 
University (gallaudet.edu). 

KAREN BARRIS 
BRAGMAN, 64, of 
Atlanta, Ga., died on May 
31, 2019.
She was born and 
raised in Detroit; she 
earned her undergrad-
uate degree from the University of 
Michigan and then her law degree from 
Wayne State Law School. 
She moved to Atlanta in 1986, where 
she practiced law and became a partner 
with Arnall Golden & Gregory. In her 
33 years with AGG, she served as the 
Litigation Department Chair, a member 
of the firm’
s Executive Committee and 
as the Firm’
s General Counsel — the 
first woman to serve in each position at 
AGG. Karen loved practicing law, as did 
her father and other family members, 
and was deeply respected and honored 
for her legal achievements. 
Karen was an overachiever and com-
peted fiercely in all of life’
s endeavors. 
She was an active volunteer for the 
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta as 
well as numerous other causes. Later 
in life, Karen became an accomplished 
bridge player. 
She was a loving mother, a devoted 
wife and loyal friend. She battled and 
overcame breast cancer more than two 
decades ago and would go on to serve 
as president of the Atlanta Chapter of 
the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She 
received a new cancer diagnosis earlier 
this year, unrelated to her breast cancer, 
to which she ultimately succumbed. 
Mrs. Bragman is survived by her hus-
band, Dr. Alan Bragman; sons, Adam 
Bragman and David (Jaclyn) Bragman; 
sister, Peggy (Harry) Ellman; brother, 
Bill (Arlene) Barris.
Interment was at Arlington Memorial 
Park. Contributions may be made to 
Susan G. Komen Foundation of Greater 
Atlanta komenatlanta.org; sign online 
guestbook: dresslerjewishfunerals.com. 
Arrangements by Dressler’
s Jewish 
Funeral Care, Atlanta, (770) 451-4999. 

ELIHU MYRON 
BROOKS, 97, of 
Farmington Hills, died 
May 30, 2019. 
He is survived by his 
beloved wife, Muriel 
Wetsman Brooks; 
son, Eric Brooks; daughters and 

sons-in-law, Ellen and Dr. Bruce 
Tabak; grandchildren, Alana, Adam, 
Liza and Raquel Tabak, Zachary and 
Aaron Brooks. He is also survived 
by Muriel’
s family, Carol (Mark) 
Leebove, Dr. Eric (Irene) Wetsman, 
Amy (Phil) Gallagher, Matthew 
(Becca) Leebove, Sloan Leebove, 
Andrew and William Gallagher; 
many other loving family members 
and friends. 

Mr. Brooks was the beloved hus-
band of the late Zelda Avnet Brooks; 
father of the late Scott Brooks; broth-
er of the late Enid Borstein and the 
late Elimina Roberts.
Interment took place at the 
Great Lakes National Cemetery in 
Holly. Contributions may be made 
to Jewish Family Services or ORT 
America. Arrangement by Dorfman 
Chapel.

D

r. Paul Zeldan Kissner, 78, 
of Ann Arbor, died May 12, 
2019. 
He was born in the Bronx, N.Y., on 
Aug. 17, 1940, to Morris and Helen 
(Scher) Kissner. He spent his child-
hood sneaking into Yankees games, 
playing stickball and gen-
erally making his mother 
nervous. 
Paul spent summers on 
Cape Cod playing tennis. 
He graduated from New 
York High School of Music 
and Art in 1958; University 
of Michigan, where he 
played varsity tennis, in 
1962; and U-M Medical 
School in 1966. He served 
as a physician in the U.S. Public 
Health Service, Peace Corps Division, 
Kingston, Jamaica, from 1967-1969. 
There he learned firsthand what lep-
rosy, diphtheria and tropical disease 
look like. 
After completing his nephrology 
fellowship at the U-M in 1974, he 
practiced nephrology and taught 
at Wayne County General Hospital 
and the U-M until 1986. From then 
until his retirement in 2015, he was 
a member of the faculty at Wayne 
State University School of Medicine, 
practicing medicine and teaching. He 
was known as a superb physician, role 
model and educator.
In 1971, Paul married Dana 
Gleicher Kissner, who survives him. 
Together they traveled around the 
world. Throughout his life, Paul easily 
met and kept friends, from the neigh-
borhood in the Bronx to Jamaica and 
finally the gym and swim club in Ann 
Arbor. 
Paul was a central and driving force 
in the lives of the many he touched, 
with his remarkable warmth, kind-
ness, generosity, compassion and 

quirky sense of humor. He was pas-
sionate about so many things, caring 
for patients, teaching students and 
trainees, traveling the world, playing 
tennis, swimming, ice cream, U-M 
football and basketball, art and pho-
tography, and his beautiful home 
where he loved to be. 
His truest passion was 
for the people around him. 
He had a wonderful ability 
to become friends with 
anyone, at any time or place 
and maintain the friendship 
forever. After meeting new 
people, he wrote down their 
names and that of family 
members, as well as their 
concerns so he could ask 
about each person by name and follow 
up on their specific interests the next 
time they met. He was an inspiring 
and dedicated friend, husband and 
father. He was an extraordinary man 
who was dearly loved and is now 
missed by those who knew him. 
Dr. Kissner is survived by his loving 
children, Sol (Patricia) and Sara; his 
devoted wife and travel partner, Dana; 
many dear friends, cousins, exercising 
buddies from Liberty Athletic Club 
and Huron Valley Swim Club; his 
favorite canine companion, Chovy. 
There will be a memorial service 
at Ira Kaufman Chapel on Friday, 
June 7, at 3:30 p.m. Contributions 
may be made to Lymphoma Research 
Foundation, 115 Broadway, 13th 
Floor, New York, NY 10006, 
lymphoma.org; University of 
Michigan Musical Society, Burton 
Tower, 881 N. University Ave., 
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011, 
ums.org/support; or Ann Arbor Art 
Center, 117 W
. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, 
MI 48104, annarborartcenter.org/
donation-request. Arrangements by 
Ira Kaufman Chapel. ■

Passionate About People