MARCH 3 • 2022 | 53

S

eymour Salinger, 98, 
died Feb. 2, 2022, the 
last of his family’s great 
generation.
He was born in 1923 in a 
small town in Lithuania, the 
youngest of seven children. In 
1939, his mother sent 
him and his sister to 
live with their older 
brothers, who were 
already in Detroit. 
Sadly, she did not 
survive the Holocaust 
to join her children.
After finish-
ing Central High 
School and a 
semester at Wayne 
State University, he 
returned to Europe 
as an American soldier. In 
November 1944, his platoon 
was captured in Germany. He 
spent six months as a POW
. He 
later received the Purple Heart.
While attending University 
of Michigan’s School of 
Engineering in Ann Arbor, he 
taught a Hebrew group, where 
Tova (nee Carol) was one of his 
students. On their first date, in 
November 1947, Sy said he was 
captured again, this time by her 
heart. They were on a hayride 
with their college Zionist group 
and listened to the radio as the 
United Nations Assembly voted 
to partition Palestine. He and 
Tova were married nearly 71 
years, until Tova passed on in 
2020.
Settling in the Detroit area, 
they joined the Labor Zionist 
Alliance, Congregation Beth 
Shalom and later Congregation 
T’
chiyah. Sy, a devoted husband 
and father to their three chil-
dren and their growing fami-
lies, always said that being with 
family was his greatest joy.
An active member in the 

Habonim Youth Group, he 
helped build Camp Kinneret 
in Chelsea, Michigan. Later it 
moved and became Habonim 
Camp Tavor, where his chil-
dren, grandchildren and 
great-grandchildren attended, 
developing close ties 
to Israel.
Sy loved working 
with his hands and 
enjoyed tinker-
ing with anything 
mechanical. He cre-
ated an extensively 
detailed family tree, 
well before it was 
trendy. Although 
typically soft spoken, 
when he did speak 
everyone listened. 
He was thoughtful, resourceful, 
methodical and unpretentious, 
instilling those values in his 
family.
Mr. Salinger was the beloved 
husband of the late Tova 
Carol (Gallancy) Salinger. He 
is survived by his children, 
Jeremy (Vicki) Salinger, Bruce 
Salinger, and Bev (Yuval) 
Warshai; his grandchildren, 
Angelica (John) Butte, Yardana 
(Jay) Donaldson, Shoshana 
(Kevin) Olson, Miriam (James) 
Betts, and Gal, Yael and Yasaf 
Warshai; his great-grandchil-
dren, Naomi and Gabriella 
Donaldson, Samarra and 
Isabella Butte, Nina, Eli, Lilah; 
and Ezra Olson; and many lov-
ing nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made 
to Habonim Dror Camp 
Tavor, 4444 Second Ave., 
Detroit, MI 48201; or the 
Zekelman Holocaust Center, 
28123 Orchard Lake Road. 
Farmington Hills, MI 48334. 
Arrangements by Dorfman 
Chapel. 

A Devoted 
Family Man

Seymour Salinger

Interment took place at 
Machhpelah Cemetery in 
Ferndale. Contributions may 
be made to the Integrative 
Neighborhoods of Oakland 
County or to a charity of one’s 
choice. Arrangements by 
Dorfman Chapel.

DENNIS R. SOBOL, Ph.D., 78, 
of West Bloomfield and Boca 
Raton, Fla., passed away on 
Feb. 14, 2022. 
Dennis is survived by his 
beloved wife, Cheryl Rives. 
He was the adored father of 
Gregory (Carrie) Sobol and 
Sandra Berk; adored grand-
father of Logan, Rachel, Ari 
and Levi. Also surviving are 
his much loved aunt, Libby 
Sklar, and numerous adoring 
cousins, friends and former 
students. 
The funeral was held at 
Eternal Light Memorial 
Gardens Cemetery in Boynton 
Beach, Fla. Contributions 
may be made to Dr. Dennis 
R. Sobol Scholarship, OCC 
Foundation, George Bee 
Administrative Center, 2480 
Opdyke Road, Bloomfield 
Hills, MI 48304.

ILEENE ZATE, 84, 
of West Bloom-
field, died Feb. 17, 
2022. 
Born in Detroit 
to Morris and 
Yetta Rosenzweig, Ileene 
graduated from Mumford 
High School. Within six 
months of meeting, she and 
Seymour Zate were married 
and remained married for 55 
years, until his death in 2014. 
As compatible as they were 
different, they adored each 
other in their own unique 
ways.
Ileene was a homemaker 
who also served as office 
manager for her husband, a 
registered architect, for many 
years. To her family and close 
friends, Ileene was affection-

ately known as “The Mayvin” 
— the Yiddish word that 
describes someone you can 
ask a question of who always 
knows the answer. Ileene took 
pride in being a great friend 
and resource and even had 
a necklace and personalized 
license plates to honor her 
nickname.
Beloved by those who knew 
her, Ileene was the kind of 
person who people, including 
strangers, would routinely sit 
down next to and strike up a 
conversation — often sharing 
their struggles or secrets with 
her.
In addition to regularly 
playing canasta and mahjong 
with her dear friends, bargain 
hunting was Ileene’s passion 
and everyone who knew her 
considered it a true talent. She 
loved shopping in person and, 
in her later years, she turned 
shopping on QVC into an art 
form.
Ileene was predeceased by 
her husband; her son, Barry; 
as well as brothers- and sis-
ters-in-law, Betty and Jerry 
Grushoff, Dolores Fox and 
Gladys Zate. 
She is survived by her sister, 
Sue Vosko (Alan); her chil-
dren, Kary (Christine) and 
Ronald (Marshall Sprung); 
and Barry’s wife, Cindy; her 
grandchildren, Mathieu, Lillie, 
Julia, Spencer, Charlotte and 
Lucy; several beloved nieces, 
nephews and cousins. In addi-
tion, her passing is mourned 
by the hosts and staff of QVC.
Interment was at Beth 
Abraham Cemetery. 
Contributions may be made to 
Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy 
Network, 6555 W. Maple, West 
Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewish-
hospice.org; or to a charity of 
one’s choice. Arrangements by 
Ira Kaufman Chapel.

