OBITUARIES

Marcia Joan (Sacks) Freedman 85, Sarasota, Fla.

Marcia Joan (Sacks) Freedman passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family Aug. 21, 2020, in Sarasota, Fla., after a lengthy illness. She was born in Albany, N.Y., in 1934 to Florence and David Sacks, of blessed memory.

Marcia and her husband Arnold were teenage sweethearts, enjoying a love-filled marriage that would last 66 years, until Arnold’s death last year. Her husband’s 48-year broadcast career took them from Albany to Buffalo N.Y., New Haven, Conn., and Fresno, Calif., until they retired to Sarasota in 1997.

Marcia, a talented and prolific artist, established herself in the local art communities along the way. She graduated from high school at age of 16 and earned a degree in fine arts from Endicott College at just 18 years of age. She worked as a fashion illustrator for Whitney’s, Flah’s, and Jenss department stores, and as an art teacher for the Buffalo School District.

She studied watercolor with acclaimed artists at the Silvermine Guild in Connecticut and the Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota. Her artwork is displayed in private homes and businesses nationwide. During a juried art competition in Connecticut in the 1980s, one of the jurors, upon seeing Marcia’s entry, began his commentary with: “this artist has a love affair with color.”

Her artwork appeared in a 1995 calendar for the California Blood Bank, earning a first place ADDY award from the American Advertising Federation in California. But as passionate as she was about her art, Marcia was above all else a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister. With relentless perseverance, Marcia was a three-time ovarian cancer survivor and recognized the rare opportunity she had been given to live, to paint and to enjoy her family.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law Wayne and Nancy Freedman of Atlanta, and Ken and Victoria Freedman of Columbus, Ohio; grandchildren Joseph (Jessica), David (Brittany), Stanley, Eli, Eric (Blair), Scott, and Jennifer Freedman; greatgrandson McIntyre Abraham Freedman; and brother Stuart Sacks. A private service was to be held. The family requested donations be made to the Plymouth Harbor Foundation, 700 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34236, or to the charity of your choice.

Alvin Halpern 90, Atlanta

Alvin Halpern, age 90, passed away peacefully Aug. 13, 2020. He was born at the old Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, the only child of Aaron and Mary Halpern. He attended Boys High, where he was all-state in basketball and baseball. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Georgia, where he was a member of Tau Epsilon Phi.

At the age of 15, Alvin met Sherry King, the love of his life, at the Progressive Club. They began dating and were married at the age of 19. They were married for 70 years and enjoyed raising their four children. He was an avid reader, a life master in bridge and passionate about his golf game. He owned several businesses in his lifetime and was proud to be partners with his sons. He and Sherry travelled extensively, loved cruising and lived in Boca Raton during the season.

He was predeceased by daughter Debra Bernes (Gary.) He is survived by his wife of 70 years Sherry; daughter Gail Holzer (Gil); sons Jay (Barbara) and Marty (Lisa); grandchildren Alex (Alli) Halpern, Andy Halpern, Katie (Drew) Groner, Lance (Tammy) Levitt, Lanie (Jordan) Genee, Lewis (Rachael) Halpern, Matthew (Heather) Bernes, Melissa (Richard) Prusan, and Neil (Emily) Halpern; 12 great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The William Breman Jewish Home, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, or the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Herbert Kohn 93, Atlanta

Herbert Kohn died July 16, 2020, at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, at the age of 93. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1926.

After escaping from Germany during the Holocaust, Herbert and his family came to the United States after a year in England, eventually settling in Columbus, Ga. Herbert served in the United States Army during World War II and retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves.

He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in agriculture majoring in dairy husbandry. He later became a certified public accountant and worked in Columbus for several years. Then he joined Cohn Communities, a major home building company in Atlanta, as chief financial officer, retiring in 1991 as president and CEO.

Herbert then served as executive director of the new Urban Residential Development Corporation for the City of Atlanta promoting the availability of affordable housing for families in the low- and moderate-income range, retiring in 1998.

Herbert served twice as president of Jewish Family & Career Services, an agency dedicated to providing social services. He continued to serve on the board of trustees and was a member of the Holocaust Survivors Advisory Committee for many years. He also was on the board of trustees of the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies, which is the umbrella organization of Family Service agencies in North America.

His passion became teaching the lessons of the Holocaust and he spoke widely over many years through the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum to public and private schools, universities and civic organizations to relay the message of “It Shall Never Happen Again.”

Herbert served in many leadership roles in other local and national professional, civic, educational and charitable organizations, including involvement in their management, planning, fundraising and allocation processes.

He was the recipient of a channel 11 Community Service Award in 2010 for his efforts of further teaching the lessons of the Holocaust and in 2016 received the Abe Goldstein Human Relations Award from the Anti-Defamation League. He was a member of Congregation Shearith Israel and a founding member of Congregation Beth Shalom.

Herbert was a kind, loving, caring and passionate husband, father, grandfather and friend whose mission in life was “to make the world a better place.” He was a great humanitarian and will be missed by many in the community.

He is predeceased by his parents Irene and Leo Kohn; brother Ernest Kohn; and his first wife Elaine Friedman Kohn. He is survived by his loving wife of 31 years Frances; children Barbara Zoppo (Eugene) and Frank Kohn (Debra) of Fort Myers, Fla.; as well as Frances’s children Debra Halpern (Harold), Sheryl Brandt and Mark Goodman (Terri); and brother-in-law Joel Butler, with all of whom he was very close. He is also survived by his grandchildren Andrea Zoppo in Decatur, Ga., Damian Zoppo (Tammy) in Israel, Rachel Kohn (Joshua Dawson), and David Kohn of Orlando, Fla.; and Frances’s grandchildren Ben Halpern, Ryan Halpern (Stacy), Joshua Halpern (Gig), Brett Goodman (Rachel), Sara Leaf (Brian), Jennifer Jones (Bill), Matt Goodman; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Heartfelt thanks to the staff at Belmont Village Buckhead for the care and kindness given Herbert in the time he was there.

Donations may be made to the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, Jewish Family & Career Services or a charity of your choice. Due to COVID-19, the funeral was limited to immediate family on July 19 in Columbus, Ga. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Constance Kruger 93, Atlanta

Constance A. Kruger, an exceptional woman of many talents, passed away Aug. 18, 2020. She was born September 11, 1926, to Morris Ackman and Sadie Pemstein Ackman in Worcester, Mass. She was the widow of Reuben Kruger, who died in 2011.

After marrying Reuben in 1946, Connie lived in Fitzgerald, Ga., for over 60 years, working with him in their shoe store while holding leadership positions in many local organizations.

She served on the boards of the Fitzgerald Library and Fitzgerald Humane Society. (Her love of dogs, especially rescues, was legendary.) She was an expert bridge player, classical music lover, seamstress, knitter, counted cross-stitcher and cook. She had vast knowledge on many subjects and never missed “Jeopardy!”

Of all her interests, she was most passionate about her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Adam Beckman said his Grandma Connie “embodied the eloquence of Massachusetts blended with the Southern charm of Fitzgerald, Ga. She was brilliant, dignified, loving, witty, and opinionated.” Grandson David remembers Connie greeting him on his visits to Fitzgerald with warm cookies. He said she was someone who used “grammar learned in Massachusetts, charm learned in the South, and fashion sense learned from shopping sprees with her daughters.”

After Reuben’s death, Connie moved to the Atlanta area to be closer to her family. She quickly became a well-known resident of Brookdale Chambrel, where she made many new friends and participated in exercise programs, trivia games and bridge. But her favorite activities were outings with family to local restaurants, shops and attractions. She traveled with the family to St. Petersburg and the North Georgia Mountains. She celebrated her 90th birthday at the John C. Campbell Folk School, where she demonstrated her talent as a water colorist.

Connie was predeceased by her brother Barry Ackman. She is survived by daughters Barbara Kruger and Anne Beckman; son-in-law Paul Beckman; grandsons Adam Beckman and David Beckman; as well as David’s wife Cameron and their two sons Oliver and Theo.

Burial was held Aug. 23 in Fitzgerald at Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Humane Society, 106 Lions Park Road, Fitzgerald, GA 31750; or Temple Beth Tikvah, 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell, GA 30075; or the Fitzgerald Hebrew Congregation: The Big Store c/o Phil Perlis, 346 Main St., Tifton, GA 31794.

OBITUARIES

Jerome Marvin (Jerry) Mendel 91, Atlanta

Jerome Marvin (Jerry) Mendel, 91, died Aug. 10, 2020, at Northside Hospital after a courageous attempt to overcome acute promyelocytic leukemia. This illness was the first time he had ever spent a night in a hospital.

Jerry was born Oct. 22, 1928, to Simon and Dorothy Mendel, of blessed memory, and raised on Springdale Road in the Druid Hills area. He graduated from Boys High School and the University of Georgia, where he was a proud member of Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity. After graduation, he joined the management teams at H. Mendel & Co. in the wholesale dry goods business and Majestic Manufacturing Company in the ladies’ dress business.

Later Jerry and his brother Don, of blessed memory, formed Mendel Distributing Company in the wholesale carpet business. After he and his brother sold that business, instead of being content to retire and travel, Jerry decided at age 56 to become licensed as a commercial real estate broker and thoroughly enjoyed a successful 35-year career, primarily with AFCO Realty. Those were some of the happiest professional years of his life and he begrudgingly retired from the business just last year.

Jerry was a lifelong member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue and also enjoyed a lengthy membership in Rotary. He proudly served during and after the Korean War as a first lieutenant in the Air Force Reserves. He always looked forward to his Wednesday night poker games with his buddies, but hated regularly winning their hard-earned money. Always optimistic, every season was going to be THE championship one for his Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves, and a couple of times he was actually right.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife Joanne, with whom he had a remarkable love affair for over 69 wonderful years. Also surviving are his four children and their spouses, Richard and Muriel Mendel, Howard Mendel, Karen and Michael Saul, and Larry and Caki Mendel; brother and sister-in-law Herb and Marsha Mendel; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Marvin and Natalie Harris; and many nieces, nephews and cousins, all of whom were special to him. Poppy will also be fondly remembered by his 11 grandchildren: Jarrod and Greer Mendel, Matt and Rebecca Mendel, Jennifer and Tripp Sheldon, Ryan and Dori Mendel, Erin and Andrew Coren, Julie and Craig Habif, Amy and Jason Mollengarden, Joseph and Heather Saul, Bradley Mendel, Stacey Mendel, Jason Mendel and fiancée Madison Connell; and 10 great-grandchildren. He will be remembered for his positive outlook, dry wit, love of family, enjoyment of good food, cooking with Joanne, and being admired for his gentlemanly approach to life. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Alfred Schneider 93, Atlanta

Alfred Schneider, age 93, died Aug. 20, 2020. It was the same date as his 70th wedding anniversary with his wife Tosia.

Born in Romania, Alfred survived the Holocaust and later lectured extensively on the topic. Alfred received his bachelor of chemical engineering from The Cooper Union in 1951 and his doctorate from Polytechnic Institute of New York University in 1958. He was involved in the peaceful use of nuclear energy for medical and energy production fields, working at Argonne National Labs and Allied-Gulf.

Alfred was a highly decorated professor at MIT and Georgia Tech, and held many patents for his work.

He is survived by his wife Tosia; sons James, George and David; and five grandchildren: Isabel, Benjamin, Zachariah, Lilly and Samuel.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Alfred may be made to The Breman Museum or Yad Vashem. A graveside service was held at Crest Lawn Memorial Park Aug. 21. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Morris (“Morrie”) Serwitz 78, Atlanta

Morrie passed away at his home in Atlanta Aug. 5, 2020.

He was born in New Haven, Conn., March 5, 1942. Morrie grew up in Richmond, Va., with his younger brother Arthur.

Morrie was a 1964 graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI), now Virginia Tech, with a bachelor of science degree in animal science. He also graduated from Ohio College of Podiatry in 1969, earning honors in senior clinic proficiency and being the editor for the school yearbook, the Occopodian.

After marrying Laurie Shiffman of Cleveland, Ohio, they settled in Atlanta, where they had their two children and Morrie started his podiatry practice. Morrie was the eternal optimist and adventurer. He was a writer, a movie critic, an inventor (medical device), a world traveler, a tinkerer, a builder, a smooth dancer, a good dresser (took after his father), a snow skier, a water skier, and a creative cook.

Morrie was proud of the merit badges he earned as a Boy Scout, and he loved the camping experiences of his youth.

He loved to help others, and especially finding unique “gifts” to thank people. Morrie loved to laugh and enjoyed the old comics, especially Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Rodney Dangerfield, Buddy Hackett, Don Rickles and more. He also loved listening to the “old” and “not so old” crooners. Morrie liked mentoring young people just starting out in business or in a new practice. And Morrie volunteered for Wounded Warrior Project veterans at the VA. In his later years he took care of his mother Esther Serwitz, who lived to be 103 1/2.

Morrie was a member of The Open Synagogue, Shema Yisrael, and was so inspired with their holiday services. He particularly looked forward to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover, bringing alive our large family gatherings and traditions from our youth. Morrie was preceded in death by his parents, Rubin and Esther Serwitz. He is survived by his children Jodi Serwitz Poole (Jason) of Warrenton, Va., and Jennifer Serwitz Bartolome (Glen) of San Diego, Calif.; four grandchildren Taylor Gama, Josh Gama, Khloe Poole, Colton Poole; and his brother Arthur Serwitz (Joyce) of Birmingham, Ala.

Private funeral services were held at Arlington Memorial Park Aug. 7 with Bob Bahr (from Shema Yisrael) officiating, and his brother, Arthur, remembering Morrie. May Morrie rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.

Donations can be made in his honor to the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

לברכה זיכרונה

OBITUARIES

Charlotte Brown Smithloff 95, Atlanta Charlotte Brown Smithloff was born in Atlanta April 17, 1925, to Celia and Abe Brown. She passed away Aug. 10, 2020. Charlotte grew up in Atlanta, graduated from Girls High School and attended The Ohio State University for one year. After one icy winter in Ohio, Charlotte wanted to live in Atlanta for the rest of her life.

Charlotte was a beautiful woman, inside and out. Tall, slim and strikingly lovely, she looked elegant in whatever she wore. However, her true beauty came from her love and loyalty to friends and family. Charlotte was blessed to have a close, ever expanding circle of friends, many of whom grew up together, raised families together and, for over 60 years, never missed their weekly canasta or mahjong game.

Charlotte’s love also extended to her children’s friends, who appreciated her nonjudgmental affection. Expanding her circle during her 25-year career at SunTrust Bank and her varied volunteer activities, Charlotte graced new friends and colleagues with her warmth, caring and wry sense of humor. Charlotte’s devotion to family was paramount. While her love and support were demonstrated most clearly during her son’s five years of cancer treatment, everyone in Charlotte’s family benefited from her caring nature. Well into her 90s, she consistently remembered birthdays and anniversaries and never missed attending special family celebrations. Charlotte’s love of family was expansive and inclusive; when she married, Charlotte became the most devoted of daughters-in-law and her sister-in-law became her closest friend and confidante for over 70 years. Everyone in Charlotte’s immediate and extended family will remember her many kind, loving, generous gestures.

Charlotte was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved son Ben Robert Smith- loff; and by her son-in-law Jerry Church. She is survived by her daughter Linda Stone; granddaughter Deborah Kalish; nieces and nephews Carla Michalove, Barbara Micha- love, Brad (Mary Beth) Michalove, Amy Michalove and Steven Michalove; her special cousin Lynn Morris; and the extended Wolensky and Maziar families. She dearly loved each of them. The family is especially grateful to the four caregivers who made the qual- ity of Charlotte’s final years infinitely better: Audrey Cox, Patricia Terrell, Yolanda Reed and Linda Chavous. Donations may be made to The Temple, Weinstein Hospice or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Steven J. Zier 82, Atlanta

Steven J. Zier, age 82, passed away peacefully Aug. 22, 2020. His beloved wife of 60 years Ilene was by his side, as were his children and grandchildren. Steve was born in Trenton, N.J. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan in geology and received a graduate degree at Tulane University, where he and Ilene met. After 48 years working as a financial advisor, Steve retired in 2012 to pursue other pas- sions. He audited classes at Emory University in archaeology, biblical studies, classical literature and history, and served as a docent at the Carlos Museum. He also studied with Atlanta Scholars Kollel and was an active member of the Atlanta Jewish commu- nity. Steve’s endless curiosity and thirst for knowledge led him to explore a variety of hobbies throughout his life, including photography, traveling, gardening, reading, spiri- tuality, fishing and golfing. He was most content smoking a cigar and drinking a single malt Scotch in his backyard or surf fishing at Flagler Beach with his family. The greatest love of Steve’s life was undoubtedly his family.

He is survived by his wife Ilene (Bock); brother Roger (Ellen) Zier of Raleigh, N.C.; daughters Lisa Zier, Amy (Zier) Rosenthal and Julie Zier (Davidorf); sons-in-law Ross Rosenthal and Brad Davidorf; grandsons Myles and Alec Rosenthal; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Congregation Or Hadash or Rabbi Donald A. Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University. A graveside service was held Aug. 24 at Arlington Memorial Park. Shiva services were held by Zoom, 7:30 p.m. each day through Aug. 27. Due to COVID-19, the family respectfully requests no visitors to the home. Please sign the online guestbook at www.dresslerjewishfunerals. com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770.451.4999. ì

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Editor and Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com.