OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
M
arilyn Jane (Kopel) Katz, 94,
peacefully passed away on Oct.
26, 2022, after a wonderful and
remarkable life.
She was born in Detroit on Jan. 30, 1928,
sharing a birthday with President Franklin
D. Roosevelt, who was her idol. She was the
youngest child of Joseph O. Kopel, M.D.,
and Gertrude E. Kopel, and grew up with
her older brothers, Howard and Richard
Kopel.
Marilyn graduated from
Central High School in
Detroit and earned a B.A.
from University of Michigan
in 1949. She worked for the
Jewish Federation in Detroit
before meeting, in 1955,
and marrying her husband,
Sidney J. Katz, D.O., who
was a pathology resident at
Detroit Osteopathic Hospital.
They were married in 1956
and moved to Huntington
Woods, where they raised
their three children and
where she resided for more
than 60 years.
After Sidney passed in 1987, she ulti-
mately became a snowbird and then a
permanent resident of Palm Beach County,
Florida, before moving to Longmont,
Colorado, to be cared for by her daughter
Rachel Katz and son-in-law John Warren.
Marilyn was beloved by all who knew her.
She was one of the most generous and giv-
ing people anyone could have the pleasure
of knowing. She had a very large network of
friends and family and touched the lives of
so many people. When dear friends Robert
and Eleanor White both passed away at
young ages, Marilyn and Sidney became
“honorary parents” to their four children,
Louis, Nathan, Abigail and Michael. She
became a matriarch of their family and sur-
rogate grandmother to all their children as
well as to her own. Her greatest pleasure in
life was to help other people.
Marilyn was blessed with great health
and vitality until just her last days. She rare-
ly took any medicine beyond herbal supple-
ments, except when undergoing chemother-
apy for breast cancer in the late 1970s.
She loved being in nature, live music and
had an open mind for listening. Marilyn
was an avid tennis player, rollerblader in
her 70s, skier and ping-pong player. She
skied until she was 90 and played ping-
pong until last month. She came in second
in a ping-pong tournament on a cruise ship
at age 85, besting contestants 60-70 years
younger. For the rest of the cruise, she was
called “The Ping-Pong Lady” by the other
passengers.
Marilyn was predeceased by her par-
ents, Joseph Oswald Kopel,
M.D. (née Kopelovich) and
Gertrude E. (Frank) Kopel;
brothers, Howard F. Kopel
and Richard M. Kopel; broth-
ers-in-law, Joseph R. Katz
and George A. Slossman; sis-
ters-in-law, Sylvia (Grushko)
Kopel, Anna D. (Katz)
Slossman, Renee (Kroll) Katz,
Mary (Antwarg) Katz; and
grandson, Seth A. Horwitz.
Mrs. Katz is survived by
brother-in-law, Frank F.
Katz; sister-in-law, Karen
(Kelty) Kopel; son, Michael
E. Katz; daughter-in-law,
Jodi A. (Schwartz) Katz of West Jordan,
Utah; daughter, Rachel S. Katz; son-in-law,
John C. Warren of Longmont, Colorado;
daughter, Joan Katz Horwitz; son-in-law,
Roger Auston of Wichita Falls, Texas;
grandchildren, Elizabeth Katz and her
husband, Zachary Kaufman, Alexis D.
Katz and her husband, Shaun M. Tarzy,
Shoshana D. Katz, Gabriel J. Warren, Jamie
F. Warren, Zachary J. Horwitz and Celia
E. Horwitz; great-granddaughter, Victoria
Katz-Kaufman; many nieces and nephews,
great-nieces and great-nephews; great-
great-nieces and great-great-nephews, cous-
ins and dear friends.
Contributions may be made to a char-
ity of choice or the Dr. Sidney J. Katz
and Marilyn J. Katz Memorial Fund for
Education at Congregation Beth Shalom,
congbethshalom.org (designate the fund);
the National Hospice Foundation, nation-
alhospicefoundation.org; the American
Cancer Society, cancer.org; the Sierra Club,
sierraclub.org. Interment was at Clover
Hill Park Cemetery. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
A Beloved Matriarch
64 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022
Marilyn Katz
c. 1988
HELEN FRANCES
BAYLES, 94, of
West Bloomfield,
died Oct. 29,
2022.
Helen never
missed son Kenneth’s high
school swim meets or daugh-
ter Sharon’s events. She was a
member and leader of many
organizations: Adat Shalom
Synagogue, B’nai Moshe
Synagogue, Livonia Jewish
Congregation, Farmington
Glen Aquatic Club, Hadassah
and Advocates for the
American Osteopathic
Association.
Helen loved interacting
with the local elementary
school kindergarten children
for many years. She played
senior volleyball until she was
almost 90.
Mrs. Bayles is survived
by her son and daughter-
in-law, Dr. Kenneth and
Shirley Bayles; daughter and
son-in-law, Sharon and Dr.
Gary Oppenheim; grand-
children, Benjamin Bayles,
Zachary Oppenheim, Sarah
Oppenheim and Andrew
Ritchie; great-grandchildren,
Jordan Bayles and Mason
Bayles. She is also survived
by her South American/
Uruguay family, Felix and
Monica Cukerman, and their
children.
She was the beloved wife of
the late Dr. Richard J. Bayles.
Interment was at Adat
Shalom Memorial Park.
Contributions may be
made to Adat Shalom
Synagogue, 29901 Middlebelt,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334,
adatshalom.org/tributes;
B’nai Moshe, 6800 Drake
Road, West Bloomfield,
MI 48322, bnaimoshe.org;
or any educational institu-
tion. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.