MARCH 14 • 2024 | 63

children, Shari (Rob) 
Artinian, Laurie (Ken) Lustig 
and Judith (Darren) Pontin; 
grandchildren, Shannan, 
Brett, Brooke and Cathlene. 
He is also remembered by 
many family members and 
friends. 
Interment was held at 
the Great Lakes National 
Cemetery in Holly. 
Contributions can be made 
to any charity that supports 
Israel or to the Jewish War 
Veterans. Arrangements by 
Dorfman Chapel.

MAX 
FREDRICK 
FUTERNICK, 
34, of Ann Arbor, 
lived a life of 
exuberance, 
empathy, and heart until it 
was extinguished 
unexpectedly on March 3, 
2024. 
Max entered the world 
big and booming, bright-
eyed, and almost comically 
muscular. And from the 
moment he could talk, he 
had so much to say. “He was 
just a little spark plug of life,” 
said his mother, Margaret 
Weissman, “and so much 
fun.”
From an early age, Max’s 
kinetic personality was 
impossible to contain. 
When he was 3, Max was 
buzzing around the backyard 
raising a ruckus when his 
papa stepped outside to tell 
him to pipe down. “Sure!” 
Max shouted, never looking 
back as he continued to 
run and laugh. His papa, 
who could be intimidating 
to the rest of the world, 
surrendered to Max’s energy. 
“Let’s embrace his joy and 
spirit,” Max’s papa said. It 

was good advice.
Max was co-captain of the 
then-Andover High School 
swim team in Bloomfield 
Hills and graduated from 
Michigan State University, 
where he majored in 
international relations 
within MSU’s James Madison 
College, along with Jewish 
Studies. After college, Max 
lived in Los Angeles, Chicago 
and, ultimately, Ann Arbor, 
working in various roles at 
Zingerman’s and Thomson 
Reuters.
Max had a dazzling mind, 
achieving a nearly perfect 
score on the ACT and, just 
for fun, taking the LSAT, 
the standardized test for 
prospective law students, 
to see if he could beat the 
score of his sister, Sarah 
Futernick, who is now a 
lawyer. He did. Max seemed 
to know something about 
everything, and loved to talk 
(or more accurately, argue) 
about politics, history, food 
or really anything at all. A 
natural athlete, Max excelled 
at skiing, wakeboarding and 
basketball. 
Max had too many hobbies 
and interests to cover in an 
obituary, and particularly 
loved hiking, tending to his 
plants, high-quality produce 
and olive oil, and most 
genres of music from funk to 
bluegrass. He had a special 
connection with animals, 
particularly his sister’s dog, 
Wally, whom he declared a 
brother.
Max loved his family and 
was generous to a fault. 
He treasured his weekend 
swim and deli dates with his 
father, Irwin Futernick, with 
whom he shared the same 
deep voice, mannerisms and 

gentle heart. He loved his 
momma, Margaret, beyond 
measure and was looking 
forward to numerous trips 
the two planned together. 
Max and his sister Sarah 
were extraordinarily close. 
They had their own language 
from an early age, even 
forming imaginary lands, 
games and characters to play 
in home videos. Max and 
Sarah were always present 
in each other’s lives through 
numerous phases, trips and 
locations, which resulted in 
countless shared friendships 
and experiences. And Max 
thrived as an uncle. Nothing 
made his nieces Lilah and 
Elenora happier than when 
Uncle Max came to visit or 
appeared on Facetime. 
Asked what she learned 
from Uncle Max, young 
Lilah, 3, offered that “he 
taught me to fart outside.” 
Max would be very proud of 
this accomplishment.
Loved ones are remember-
ing Max for the joy and 
laughter he brought to their 
lives, and the resilience he 
demonstrated throughout 
various challenges he faced. 
Since his death, Max’s family 
has been inundated with 
heartfelt messages from a 
diverse cast of friends across 
the country, which Max 
easily accumulated wherever 
he traveled. Particularly 
meaningful are the messages 
received from those in the 
Ann Arbor sober community 
who shared how Max helped 
them in their recovery or 
even saved their lives. 
Supporting others and 
giving back was a huge 
part of Max’s life. He never 
judged other people and got 
along with nearly everyone 

from all walks of life. Max 
could float seamlessly 
through different parts of 
society, but always stayed 
true to himself and his 
values regardless of his 
surroundings.
Put simply, Max was a 
mensch. He was special. He 
will be so missed.
He was the beloved son 
of Irwin Futernick and Julie 
Ritten, Margaret Weissman 
and Donnie Weinstein; dear 
brother of Sarah Futernick 
and Matthew Peven, Peter 
and Emily Nagle; loving 
uncle of Lilah Peven, Elenora 
Peven and Daxton Nagle. He 
is also survived by his dog-
brother, Wally, and many 
other loving family members 
and friends. 
Interment was held at 
Clover Hill Park Cemetery in 
Birmingham. Contributions 
can be made to the The 
Prechter Bipolar Research 
Program at Michigan 
Medicine. Arrangements by 
Dorfman Chapel.

FREDERICK 
“FRED” 
GORDON, 87, of 
Bloomfield Hills, 
died March 1, 
2024, with his 
immediate family by his side. 
Fred was born July 7, 1936, 
in Detroit and was a 1954 
graduate of Mumford High 
School. After high school, 
Fred graduated from the 
University of Michigan with 
a B.A. in business. He then 
went on to complete an MBA 
at Northwestern University 
and a JD at the University of 
Michigan. 
Fred was an accomplished 
attorney and real 
estate entrepreneur. He 

continued on page 65

