JUNE 23 • 2022 | 61

OBITUARY 
CHARGES

The processing fee for 
obituaries is: $125 for up 
to 100 words; $1 per word 
thereafter. A photo counts as 
15 words. There is no charge 
for a Holocaust survivor icon.
The JN reserves the right 
to edit wording to conform to 
its style considerations. For 
information, have your funeral 
director call the JN or you 
may call Sy Manello, editorial 
assistant, at (248) 351-5147 
or email him at smanello@
thejewishnews.com.

V

icky Buckfire, 85, 
of Farmington 
Hills, a child 
Holocaust survivor, 
admired teacher and 
a respected attorney, 
passed away 
peacefully on 
June 16, 2022, 
after a five-
year battle with 
ovarian cancer. 
Throughout her life, 
Vicky displayed incredible 
kindness, resilience and 
strength. 
Born in 1937 in 
Beregszász (Berehove), 
Czechoslovakia (which 
became Hungary two 
years later), to Layos and 
Böszi (Bertha) Weisberger, 
Vicky escaped the German 
invasion of Hungary in 
1944 with the assistance of 
the Swiss embassy. She and 
her mother and aunt hid in 
a small room inside a safe 
house in Budapest for 11 
months until the Russian 
Army liberated Budapest. 
Her father did not survive 
the war. 
After they were 
liberated, Vicky and her 
mother moved to Omaha, 
Neb., where she lived for 
five years before moving 
to Detroit in 1952. Vicky 
attended Central High 
School and graduated from 
Mumford High School. 
She received a bachelor’s 
degree in economics and 
a teaching certificate 
and later a master’s 
degree in counseling and 
guidance from Wayne 
State University and a law 

degree from the Detroit 
College of Law.
Vicky met her husband, 
David Buckfire, through 
mutual friends while at the 
beach. They spent 51 years 
together in a wonderful, 
happy marriage where 
they were each other’s 
best friends. They were 
true partners, in love and 
in business and in raising 
three children. 
Before starting a family, 
Vicky was a beloved junior 
high school teacher in 
Oak Park, still fondly 
remembered by many of 
her former students. She 
later taught economics 
part time at Oakland 
Community College. 
With the encouragement 
of her husband, Vicky 
attended law school in 
her late 30s and became 
licensed to practice law at 
the age of 41. She practiced 
law for more than 30 years 
with her husband and was 
later joined by their two 
sons in their practice.
Vicky’s children and 
grandchildren said she led 

by example, calling her 
their personal hero; they 
said she was an intelligent, 
hardworking, selfless and 
humble woman who had 
a tremendous impact on 
them and many others 
throughout her life. 
Mrs. Buckfire was the 
beloved wife of the late 
David Buckfire; cherished 
mother of Dr. Lisa (Joel) 
Elconin, Larry (Dr. Kelly 
Krueger) Buckfire and 
Daniel Buckfire (com-
panion, Marla Worthing); 
mother-in-law of the late 
Lori Haber Buckfire. She 
is also survived by grand-
children, Dayna (Garet 
Zatz) Elconin, Emily 
Elconin, Kylie, Jack and 
Toby Buckfire, and Hayden 
Buckfire. 
She was the loving sis-
ter of the late Eva (the 
late Irv) Simons devoted 
daughter of the late Layos 
Weisberger and the late 
Boszi (the late Zoltan) 
Kreisman.
Interment was at 
Beth El Memorial Park. 
Contributions may be 
made to the Lori Haber 
Buckfire Foundation, 
planetlori.com; Anti-
Defamation League, 
P.O. Box 252166, West 
Bloomfield, MI 48325, 
(248)353-7553, michigan.
adl.org; Jewish Hospice & 
Chaplaincy Network, 6555 
W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 
MI 48322, (248)592-2687, 
jewishhospice.org; or to 
a charity of one’s choice. 
Arrangements by Ira 
Kaufman Chapel. 

She Impacted Many Lives

Vicky Buckfire

Josh Haskell, Samuel and 
Katie Steinberg, Mel Caroline 
Steinberg, Rachel Spezio, 
and Jacob Spezio; great-
grandchildren, Ella and Clara 
Steinberg, Max and Justin 
Priebe, and Lev Haskell; 
brother and sister-in-law, 
Stephen and Janet Malerman. 
She is also survived by 
Stephen and Janet’s children 
and grandchildren. 
Mrs. Steinberg was the 
beloved wife for 66 years 
of the late Robert “Bob” 
Steinberg. 
Interment was at Clover 
Hill Park Cemetery. 
Contributions may be made 
to JARC, 6735 Telegraph, 
Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, 
MI 48301, jarc.org, or a 
charity of one’s choice. 
Arrangements by Ira 
Kaufman Chapel.

Correction
The obituary for Veronica 
Leydesdorf (June 9) 
incorrectly spelled the 
names of two surviving 
grandchildren; they are Tanya 
Safier and Raphael BenHaim.

