R ACHEL SIEGEL (b. Lois Tachna), 88, died peacefully, on Dec. 25, 2023. She was born on April 17, 1935, during the Depression, which gave her a deep appreciation for everything life gave her. Rachel was born and grew up in Detroit and remained a Detroit and Michigan sports fan until her last breath. She was the oldest of two children. Her brother Selden Tachna preced- ed her in death. She graduated from Detroit Central High School in 1953, started college at the University of Michigan and received her bachelor’s degree in education from Wayne State University. She went on to receive a mas- ter’s in educational psychology from Wayne State. She was proud to work as a teacher in Oak Park and at St. Michael’s and as a therapist both privately and at The Haven in Pontiac. Rachel married Albert Resnick in 1957; shortly thereafter they moved to Mahopac, N.Y., where their first three children, Jeffrey David, Harry Nathan and Henry Douglas, were born. In 1965, she and her family moved back to Michigan and settled in Oak Park. In 1966, her son Henry Douglas died from complica- tions from a pertussis vaccine. Her daughter, Sarah Allison, was born in 1969. Because Rachel needed to move on from her childhood, she changed her name from Lois to Rachel in the mid-1970s. In 1987, she met the man who made all her dreams come true, Peter Siegel. They married on April 30, 2000, and lived in West Bloomfield. Very early in their relationship, they began to travel all over the world, some- thing she had only dreamed of doing prior to meeting Peter. Indeed, she went to Israel for the first time with him, even though she had previously sent Jeff, Nathan and Sarah to Israel as teenagers. Rachel was always a strong, independent thinker and a fierce advocate for what was right. She was a Zionist as a child even before the State of Israel was born, which was not a popular thing to do back then, even for Jews. She returned to Israel frequently with Peter, including spending many winters there volun- teering teaching English to new immigrants. In the 1970s, Rachel discovered she had extraordinary artistic talent and went on to create many beautiful works of art in multiple media, including painting, sculpture, stained glass and woven arts. Her children proudly display many of her works of art in their homes. Rachel played piano and continued to take piano lessons well into her 80s until her dementia made playing piano too difficult. Peter, who is a retired doctor, liked to lovingly joke that Rachel had a genetic defect: She only gave birth to lawyers. While it is true that Jeff, Nathan, and Sarah are all lawyers who have had very successful careers, her children believe it was their mother’s love for advocating for what was right that inspired them to become lawyers. Along with Peter, Rachel was very chari- table. During the years they spent their win- ters in Israel, they received an award from American Friends of Magen David Adom for donating the cost of an ambulance to Israel. Rachel is survived by her husband, Peter Siegel; her children and their spouses, Jeff and Sheryl Spitzer-Resnick, H. Nathan and Aurora Resnick, and Sarah Resnick Cohen and Steve Cohen; her grandchildren, Joshua Spitzer- Resnick, Zachary and Jordan Resnick, Dylan Resnick, Jonah Cohen and Leah Cohen; her stepdaughter, Carolyn Siegel (Kevin Rhoades). The family would like to extend its deep appreciation to the caregivers who made it possible for Rachel to live comfortably in her own home in her final years including Brandy Perry-Carter, Takina Washington, Kelly Burns, Jenine Conners, Kendrea Douglas, Sharon Buckner, Latita Green and Tayna Gaines. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to American Friends of Magen David Adom, 3175 Commercial Ave., Suite 101, Northbrook, IL 60062, link.edgepilot.com/s/42a5c873/ NRYPtrnrwECLuh1LxgArAA?u=https:// afmda.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. An Artist & Advocate JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 53 J N Rachel Siegel Chaitoff; loving grandchil- dren; Elana (Maxwell) Merzin, Marni (Meghan) Schroeder, Lila Weinstein (fiancé, Jordan Smith), Madison Chaitoff and Jordan Chaitoff; adoring great-grandchildren, Mason and Emmett Schroeder; sister- in-law, Sandra (Larry) Zinn; niece and nephew, Robin (Jim) Felton, Mitchell (Virginia) Abrams; many other loving family members and friends. Barbara was the mother of the late Martin Weinstein. Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to Temple Shir Shalom or Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. ALFRED ZYDOWER, 94, of Madison Heights, died Dec. 23, 2023. He is survived by his sister, Anna Lindemann; niece and neph- ews, Debby and Eugene Stewart, Fred Cahn; many loving great-nieces and great-nephews, great-great- nieces and great-great-neph- ews, and many friends. Alfred was the loving son of the late Hugo and the late Erna Zydower; caring broth- er-in-law of the late Gunter Lindemann; dear uncle of the late Susan Cahn. Contributions may be made to the Zekelman Holocaust Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. A funeral service was held at the chapel at Hebrew Memorial Park. Interment took place at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.