JULY 16 • 2020 | 47 SEYMOUR D. “SY” BERMAN, a retired dentist, civic activist and occasional kib- butznik, died on June 25, 2020, in Novi. He was 95. Born on Dec. 15, 1924, in Detroit to Rose (Sklar) and Mark Berman, Sy graduated from Detroit Central High and then attended Wayne State University. He was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces two years later, but after a quick report to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, he was assigned to duty as a den- tal student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After graduating in 1946, he met Rose Mendelson on a blind date. They married, had three children, three grandchildren and celebrated their 70th wed- ding anniversary in April. For more than 50 years, Dr. Berman practiced dentistry, mostly in his Oak Park clinic only two blocks from the family home. He often walked to work and took pride in maintaining his skills and learning new tech- niques. Active in Oak Park civic affairs, he led a successful but controversial campaign to keep “liquor by the glass” out of the city. The anti-liquor referendum passed in the 1960s and held fast until 2013. Gregarious and intensely curi- ous about people and the world around him, Sy had an adven- turous spirit and an enthusiastic presence. He used his retirement as an opportunity to expand his horizons, volunteering to solve consumer problems on WXYZ’ s “Call to Action, ” touring visi- tors at the Cranbrook Science Museum and joining an Italian language and culture club. He traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal and Machu Picchu, Peru, deter- mined to visit the world’ s far corners. “He was an excellent dentist, but he would also have been an outstanding journalist. He had all the skills: restless curiosity, independent mind, relentless interrogator, ” said his son-in- law Brian Dickerson, who is the Detroit Free Press editorial page editor. Sy combined dentistry with his interest in Judaism and Israel in his 60s, volunteering to work on Kibbutz Afikim in Israel for a four-week stint and then return- ing the next year. As a young man, he was an inventive practical joker and never lost his quick wit and ability to find humor in any situation. Sy stayed active and engaged in the world, always willing to talk about politics, classical music or the latest mov- ies. Dr. Berman is survived by his wife of 70 years, Rose; his children, Laura Berman (Brian Dickerson), Paul Berman (Linda Shayne) and Joyce Berman (Dan Carol); his grandchildren, Robin Carol, Jack Carol, Lina Berman and Zachary Dickerson; his brother-in-law, Marvin Green. (the late Elaine Green); lov- ing nieces and nephew, Karen Mendelson, Linda Mendelson, Michael (Beryl) Mendelson; great-niece, Anna Mendelson; many cousins and friends. Interment at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to American Technion Society, Morris and Esther Mendelson Fund, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 304, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, ats. org; or ORT America Michigan Region, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 375, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, ortamerica.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. MARVIN COPLEY, 94, of Bloomfield Hills, died July 6, 2020. He is survived by his nieces and nephews, Judy and Paul Glassman, Cheryl Austel, Sandie Curnow, and Lorraine and Dennis Raczkowski; great-niec- es and great-nephew, Amanda Austel, Julie and Tom Schilling, and Danielle Moynihan; great-great-nieces and great- great-nephews, Logan, Jayden, Christina, Rachel, Jacob and Stephan. Mr. Copley was the beloved husband of the late Nechama continued on page 48 beauty of all of this. ” After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School, John worked for sev- eral firms, including serving as the managing partner of Mason, Steinhardt, Jacobs, Perlman & Pesick and prac- ticing for the past 15 years at Maddin, Hauser, Roth & Heller in Southfield. “John was a very respected, excellent lawyer — and very humble, ” said Rob Kaplow, a friend and fellow lawyer at Maddin Hauser. “He was a lawyer’ s law- yer, ” said attorney and friend Barbara Rom of Beverly Hills. “Other lawyers would turn to him for advice. “He wouldn’ t brag about himself, but he would brag about his daughters, Rachel and Jessica, and Gilda, ” Rom said. FAMILY VALUES A major tragedy in John’ s life was the death of his daugh- ter Rachel at age 39 in an Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia in 2015. Rachel, who lived in New York with husband, Todd Waldman, and son Jacob, was an education executive and also co-founder of the group Detroit Nation, an organization to enable native Detroiters living elsewhere to contribute to their hometown’ s economic and cultural development. Rachel had a strong sense of community ties, Jewish values and social justice. When John was ailing during the past year, daughter Jessica moved back to Metro Detroit from New York City with her husband, Joshua Steinhart, and children Lyle and Ruby. Jessica, a population health administrator, wanted to assist her parents in their time of need. John and Gilda brought Jewish values into their home. Every year at Chanukah, the family would pick a charity to contribute to instead of buying gifts. The family were members of Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, where John once served as president. “My dad gave to the Jewish community and, through his example, he instilled in us a commitment to service, ” Jessica said. “People probably assume that my mom was the one who set that example, but it was actually both of them. My dad believed strongly in taking care of his community. ” Longtime friend Ken Bertin of West Bloomfield said, “John was not only my hero, but he was a hero to thousands of people. ” Added Gilda, “John was a giant in our Jewish community. Giving back to the community helped drive him every day. He left a great legacy, and I am very proud I was by his side all these years. ” John Jacobs is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Gilda Z. Jacobs; cherished daughter, Jessica (Joshua) Steinhart; dear son-in-law Todd Waldman. He was the loving grandfather of Jacob Waldman, Lyle and Ruby Steinhart; dear brother of Elizabeth Jacobs and Charles Jacobs; brother-in-law of Karen and Robert Wildau; he was also survived by loving nieces, a nephew and a world of friends. He was the loving father of the late Rachel H. Jacobs; devoted son of the late Morton and the late Gilberta Jacobs; dear son-in-law of the late Hyman and the late Lillian Zalenko. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Rachel Jacobs Fund at JVS, Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network or a charity of one’ s choice. Arrangements were by Ira Kaufman Chapel.