JANUARY 27 • 2022 | 61

D

avid Kahan, 93, 
of Bloomfield 
Township 
and Highland Beach, 
Fla., beloved husband, 
father, grandfather and 
great-grand-
father, passed 
away on Jan. 8, 
2022.
He was born 
in Gheorgheni, 
Transylvania, 
one of six chil-
dren born to 
Moshe Chaim 
and Raizel Toba.
In the spring 
of 1944, he was 
deported to 
Auschwitz with his parents, 
younger brother, Hersch 
Leib, and sister, Chaya 
Sara. Only he survived the 
selection by the infamous 
Dr. Mengele. David was 
transferred to the Muhldorf 
and then Mittergars concen-
tration camps in Germany. 
He was liberated by the 
American army on April 30, 
1945. 
Following the war, he 
stayed in displaced per-
son camps in Germany. 
At the Fuhrenwald camp, 
he learned from a friend 
from his hometown that 
his older brothers, Ephraim 
and Mechier, had been in a 
Hungarian army work camp. 
Only Ephraim survived and 
later immigrated to Israel, 
where he raised his fami-
ly. His brother Meir Yosef 
survived the Nazis but died 
fighting in the 1948 Israel 
War of Independence.
David’s love for America 
began when he was lib-
erated by the U.S. Army 
and continued as America 

provided opportunity for 
a wonderful life where he 
built a successful business 
from nothing and raised a 
loving family.
In 1949, David was able 
to immigrate to the United 
States, settling in Detroit in 
1950. He met his beloved 
wife, Terry, and they were 
married in 1953 and had 
three sons. They loved to 
go dancing, play cards and 
travel the world; annually, 
they visited family in Israel. 
They also attended AIPAC 
conferences across the 
country for decades.
David went from work-
ing in a tool and die shop, 
to selling shoes, to selling 
houses, to eventually start-
ing a commercial real estate 
company, Premier Realty 
in Troy, Michigan. His 
three sons joined the fam-
ily business. He was a fair 
but tenacious businessman 
with agreements sometimes 
completed by a handshake 
or written on the back of 
a napkin. He was greatly 
respected as an honorable 
and successful businessman.
David was passionate 
about his support of Israel 
and numerous charities that 
supported the future of the 
Jewish people. He shared his 
Holocaust story with audi-
ences at universities, high 
schools and civic groups, 
so that the lessons of the 
Holocaust would never be 
forgotten. Over the years, 
he was honored by various 
charities and organizations 
for his lifetime of activism 
and contributions. The 
scope of David’s charitable 
endeavors on behalf of the 
Jewish community was all 

encompassing. At the center 
of his obsession was the sur-
vival of the Jewish people 
and the State of Israel. He 
often said that if Israel had 
been in existence during 
World War II, then the 
Holocaust would not have 
happened and his family 
would have survived.
David especially cherished 
his 10 grandchildren and 
five great-grandchildren. 
He was lovingly involved 
in their lives. He imparted 
to them the importance of 
family, charity and support 
of Israel, to continue his leg-
acy. David was dearly loved 
and will be greatly missed.
David Kahan is survived 
by Terry, his beloved wife of 
68 years. He was the devot-
ed father of Douglas (Ilene) 
Kahan, Jeffrey (Tammy) 
Kahan, Michael Kahan 
(Tina Tringali); adored 
grandfather of Eryn (Max) 
Rebner, Noah and Nicole 
Kahan, Hannah (Nicole) 
Figueroa, Sara (Matthew) 
Brodsky, Rachel, Seth and 
Jeremy Kahan, and Naomi 
and Leora Kahan; devoted 
great-grandfather of Shane 
and Harris Rebner, Reece 
and Quinn Brodsky and 
Asher Figueroa; he is also 
survived by loving nieces 
and family in Israel.
Services were at the 
Davidson/Hermelin 
Chapel at Clover Hill 
Park Cemetery and inter-
ment was at Clover Hill. 
Donations may be made 
in his memory to AIPAC, 
aipac.org; Boys Town 
Jerusalem Foundation of 
America, boystownjerusa-
lem.org; or BBYO, bbyo.org/
donate/michigan. 

A Devoted Family Man

David 
Kahan

Jessica of Winter Garden and 
Lillian Houlihan of Atlanta; 
great-grandchild, Gavin Levy.
A celebration of life with 
his immediate family is being 
planned.

STEPHEN SPITZ, 85, of West 
Bloomfield, died Jan. 16, 2022.
He is survived by his wife, 
Helene Spitz; daughter and 
son-in-law, Marcy Spitz and 
Dr. Douglas Sternberg of 
Sylvan Lake; brother, Bruce 
Spitz; grandchildren, Carly and 
Elie Sternberg, Ari and Nicky 
Sternberg, Daniel and Anya 
Sternberg; brothers-in-law and 
sisters-in-law, Barbara and 
Herschel Goldstein, Candy and 
Larry Spoont. 
Mr. Spitz was the loving 
father of the late Kevin Spitz; 
treasured son of the late Philip 
and the late Eva Spitz.
Contributions may be made 
to Make a Wish Foundation of 
Michigan, 7600 Grand River 
Ave., Suite 175, Brighton, MI 
48114; Crohn’s and Colitis 
Foundation, 733 Third Ave., 
Suite 510, New York, NY 
10017. Funeral service was held 
at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. 
Interment took place at Beth 
Tefilo Emanuel Cemetery in 
Ferndale. Arrangements by 
Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

EDYE TESSER of 
Las Vegas, Nev., 
formerly of the 
Detroit area, 
entered into rest 
on Jan. 14, 2022, 
after a 16-year battle with brain 
tumors; it was time for her not 
to suffer any longer. 
She is survived by her lov-
ing husband, Robert; her twin 
daughters, Ashlee and Carly 
(Shlomo Shaul); dearest sister, 
Marcia (Lane) Hall. 
She was laid to rest Jan. 18, 
2022, in Las Vegas.