64 | DECEMBER 19 • 2019

Soul
of blessed memory

“Jack of all Trades” with a Heart of Gold

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
D

r. Jack Wayne’
s life is
a story of resiliency in
the face of adversity.
A devoted family man, he was
a legendary baker, a gifted
teacher, a talented dancer and a
skilled handyman.
A Holocaust survivor who
endured unspeakable horrors,
he had an irresistible smile and
a positive outlook that bright-
ened the lives of everyone who
knew him.
He died Nov. 5, 2019, in
his Bloomfield Hills home,
surrounded by his family. He
was 92.
Jack’
s story, archived at the
U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum in Washington, D.C.,
reads like a film script. In 1927,
he was born in Lodz, Poland,
the second of four children.
His parents ran a bakery, where
Jack worked after his father
died at 42, all while attending
school amid a backdrop of
growing anti-Semitism.
When the Germans invad-
ed Lodz, the family lived in a
ghetto before being taken to
Auschwitz. There, the siblings
were separated, and Jack’
s
mother and youngest brother
died in the gas chambers.
After working in a coal
mine, Jack was sent to Dachau.
When the guards caught him
trying to escape, he was shot
and left for dead. Miraculously,
he recovered and was reunited
with his brother Larry and
their sister Ruth. Together,
family connections helped
them find their way to Detroit.
Despite the adversities of his
youth, Jack’
s positive outlook
toward the future enabled him
to thrive in Detroit. He gradu-

ated from Central
High School in
1948 and earned
his bachelor’
s, mas-
ter’
s and doctorate
degrees in educa-
tion from Wayne
State University.
He was a beloved
sixth-grade teacher
in Dearborn for
33 years. He also taught sum-
mer classes at Harvard and
supervised student teachers
at University of Michigan-
Dearborn, where he earned a
distinguished service award.
Over the years, he received
hundreds of appreciative letters
from
sixth-graders to graduate
students.
“He was a true inspiration,
coming to this country as an
orphan not speaking the lan-
guage yet pursuing his passion
for learning and education,
”
said daughter Marsha. When
he met Saginaw native Johanna
“Jo” Mandelstamm, he knew
he had found his partner for
life. The couple, who celebrated
their 63rd wedding anniver-
sary Oct. 21, did everything
together.
They enjoyed cooking, trav-
eling abroad, and attending
Broadway shows and chamber
music concerts. They shared
a mutual love of music; one of
his greatest pleasures was sing-
ing Broadway show tunes as
Johanna played the piano. Even
sharing simple pleasures like
a car ride to Zingerman’
s for a
coffee and dessert was a joy.
Family was their highest pri-
ority. Jack’
s face lit up whenever
he talked about his daughters
and five grandchildren. He wel-

comed his sons-in-law
with open arms and
had a special bond
with each member of
the family.
“I always felt like I
had won the lottery
and hit the ‘
jackpot,
’
”
Marsha said. Even
when Jack’
s health
declined, his smile and
positive attitude never faded.
His daughter Felicia
Neumann admired his
connectedness and ease in
building relationships with
anyone he met. Despite the way
he had been treated during the
war, he managed to find the
goodness in other people.
Being a “Jack of all trades,
”
he could wield a tennis racquet
or a hammer with equal
proficiency; he was adept at
building an addition onto the
house and assembling and
wiring his own stereo system.
His challah was legendary,
as were his other culinary
creations: homemade gefilte
fish, apple cake and cheesecake
— always made with Jo and
with love. He taught the adult
conversion class at Temple
Israel, where the highlight was
a baking lesson using his own
special challah recipe.
Jack’
s actions reflected his
personal commitment to
tikkun olam — repairing the
world. He believed in giving
back to his community, where
he served as chairman of the
Temple Israel religious school
and on the board of directors
at Botsford Hospital for more
than 25 years.
According to granddaughter
Chandler Billes, “Papa Jack”

was never angry or vengeful
about the horrors he endured
during the war. As painful
as it was, he told his story to
many school groups, wanting
younger generations to
understand and prevent history
from repeating itself. He made
a lasting impression on the
students who heard him speak.
Said grandson Cameron
Billes, “He knew that being
sad and bitter was no way
to get through life. Instead
he chose to make a positive
impact on those around him;
he chose to smile.”
Dr. Jack Wayne is survived
by his beloved wife of 63 years,
Johanna Wayne; cherished
daughters, Felicia (Dr. Fredric)
Neumann and Dr. Marsha
Billes; former son-in-law, Dr.
Mitchell Billes; grandchildren,
Chandler Billes (fiancé Brett
Alpiner), Cameron Billes,
Dr. Miles Neumann (fiancée
Taylor Trott), Cole Neumann
and Jade Neumann; many
loving nieces, nephews and
friends.
He was the dear brother of
the late Lawrence (Marilyn)
Wayne, the late Ruth (the late
Kurt) Kent and the late Itzik
Weintraub.
Contributions may be made
to the Holocaust Memorial
Center, 28123 Orchard Lake
Road, Farmington Hills,
MI 48334, (248) 553-2400,
holocaustcenter.org; or
Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy
Network, 6555 W
. Maple Road,
West Bloomfield, MI 48322,
(248) 592-2687, jewishhospice.
org. Interment was at Beth El
Memorial Park. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

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Dr. Jack Wayne