APRIL 15 • 2021 | 45

DR. JEFFREY L 
BRUDNEY
, of 
Wilmington, N.C., 
passed away sur-
rounded by family 
on April 4, 2021, 
after a brief and sudden illness.
He was born May 2, 1950, in 
Oakland, Calif., to Lillian and 
Alfred Miller. After Alfred’s 
passing, Jeff was raised by 
Ernest Alexander, his uncle 
who lived next door, and later 
by stepfather David Brudney. 
Jeff’s undergraduate degree 
was from the University of 
California Berkeley and he 
earned his Ph.D. from the 
University of Michigan.
In 1979, Jeff married Nancy, 
the love of his life, and was 
fond of declaring that while 
he “did the professing,
” she did 
“everything else.
” The couple 
moved to Norman, Okla., 
where Jeff started his career at 
the University of Oklahoma as 
a professor of public adminis-
tration. In 1984, Jeff accepted 
a position at the University of 
Georgia in Athens, Ga., where 
he studied volunteerism and 
nonprofits.
During their 24 years in 
Athens, the couple raised 
three children. As a father and 
ultimately as a grandfather as 
well, Jeff was enthusiastically 
involved with his children’s 
activities and eagerly supported 
all endeavors.
After leaving UGA, Jeff 
spent five years as a distin-
guished professor at Cleveland 
State University in Cleveland, 
Ohio. In 2012, he became the 
Cameron Family Distinguished 
Professor of Innovation in the 
Nonprofit Sector at UNCW
, 
where he continued to work 
with his trademark intensity 
until his untimely death.
Jeff will be dearly missed by 
his family, friends, colleagues 
and students around the world 
as the consummate mentor 
and a prolific researcher and 
publisher.
Dr. Brudney is survived 

by his beloved wife, Nancy 
Brudney; daughter, Rabbi 
Megan Brudney (Zach Berg) of 
Birmingham, Mich.; son, Philip 
Brudney (Rachel) of Atlanta, 
Ga.,; son, Evan Brudney of 
Raleigh, N.C.; grandchildren, 
Adelynn Brudney, Nathan 
Brudney and Dov Berg; aunt, 
Frances Alexander (the late 
Ernest Alexander).
He was preceded in death 
by his parents, Lillian Brudney, 
Alfred Miller; stepfather, David 
Brudney; and brother, Avery 
Miller.
The family welcomes charita-
ble contributions made in Jeff’s 
memory to Temple of Israel 
of Wilmington, N.C., Nourish 
North Carolina or an organiza-
tion of your choice. 

ALEXANDER BYKAT, 80, 
passed away at his home on 
March 25, 2021, following a 
short illness. 
He was born in Nalchik, 
Russia, and lived in multiple 
countries prior to moving to 
the United States, including 
Poland, Israel and England. 
He was a lifelong avid read-
er and lover of learning. Alex 
was a scholar in mathematics, 
statistics and computer sci-
ence; and he earned his Ph.D. 
at University of London in 
England. 
Alex served as a universi-
ty professor at East Carolina 
University, Emory University 
and later became the direc-
tor of computer science at 
University of Tennessee-
Chattanooga, endowed chair 
at Armstrong University, now 
Georgia Southern, and Salzbury 
University.
He was an impressive 
handyman, always able to fix 
household items, even in his 
last days. He enjoyed being 
in nature, especially working 
in his yard and planting fruit 
trees. He was talented in art and 
created many pieces he proudly 
displayed in his home. A man 
of many talents, Alex always 

continued on page 47

D

r. Ben Paolucci 
operated quietly 
behind the scenes 
while he was the team 
physician for the Detroit 
Pistons from the early 
1970s until he retired in 
2015.
The players who were 
Paolucci’s patients — including 
NBA champion Pistons teams in 
1989, 1990 and 2004 — grabbed 
the headlines and the spotlight.
Long before he became a doc-
tor, in the 1950s, Paolucci again 
did something few knew about, 
but was equally as important.
Paolucci, who died April 
7, 2021, in Florida at age 84, 
joined an otherwise all-Jew-
ish fraternity at Wayne State 
University, then known as 
Wayne University, where he 
played football.
At the time, there were Jewish 
and non-Jewish fraternities 
and sororities at Wayne. When 
Paolucci joined Gamma Kappa 
Chi, he broke that barrier.
He didn’t do it to makes 
waves, according to a close 
friend. He did it to help him 
pursue a dream.
“Benny — that’s what every-
body called him — had aspira-
tions of being more than a foot-
ball player,
” said Sheldon Miller, 
a Gamma Kappa Chi member.
“He wanted to be affiliat-
ed with Gamma Kappa Chi 
because our fraternity always 
had a lot a future doctors and 
even a few future lawyers as 
members. We were happy 
to have him,
” said Miller, an 
attorney with an office in 
Farmington Hills.
Gamma Kappa Chi no longer 
exists. In 1958, the local frater-
nity merged with Tau Epsilon 
Pi, a mostly Jewish national 
fraternity.
Back in the 1940s and 1950s, 
Gamma Kappa Chi was the 

largest fraternity on the 
Wayne campus, with close 
to 100 members.
It was known as the 
“docs and jocks” fraternity 
because it had many medi-
cal students and athletes as 
members and dominated 
intramural sports competition.
Paolucci didn’t play sports for 
Gamma Kappa Chi, according 
to fraternity brother and close 
friend Harvey Miller, because 
he didn’t think it was fair for 
a varsity athlete to compete in 
intramural sports.
Gamma Kappa Chi frater-
nity brothers have stayed close 
through the years. That includes 
Paolucci.
“Benny was one of the guys. 
An outstanding guy,
” said Miller, 
a West Bloomfield resident and 
retired manufacturers rep.
Miller said he was friends 
with Paolucci mainly because of 
their mutual love for tennis and 
involvement in the game.
Pistons vice chairman Arn 
Tellum issued a statement about 
Paolucci.
“Dr. Paolucci formed mean-
ingful and long-term relation-
ships with many players and 
staff members across multiple 
eras of Detroit Pistons basket-
ball,
” Tellum said.
“We’re grateful for his years of 
service to the organization as he 
devoted much of his time and 
energy ensuring each player was 
provided the best possible care. 
Our thoughts are with his family 
and loved ones.
”
A Cleveland native who grew 
up in Detroit, Paolucci gradu-
ated from Wayne State in 1958. 
He was inducted into the Wayne 
State Athletic Hall of Fame in 
1992.

Selected by the Detroit Lions 
in the eighth round of the 1958 
NFL draft, Paolucci played for 
the Lions for two seasons. 

‘Benny Was One 
of the Guys’

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dr. Ben 
Paolucci