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Harvey L. Chassy

Born 2/3/53 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Harvey passed away 8/19/10 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Harvey is survived by his wife Mauna and daughter Alexandra as well as brothers Larry (Miki), Joel (Maureen) and their children along with mother-in-law Joy and numerous cousins. Harvey is predeceased by parents Sidney and Beatrice.

After graduating from U.C. Santa Barbara, Harvey began opening House of Bagels retail outlets throughout the Bay Area, the first being in Burlingame in 1981. After selling most of the outlets, Harvey and brother Larry concentrated on the wholesale end where they built commissaries to provide the raw bagels for the retail House of Bagels as well as baked bagels for the Bay Area.

Harvey was a mentor to many young people who worked in the retail stores and was loved by customers as well as his employees.

Harvey was an avid reader and true historian of the Civil War, but his true love was sports.

A service was held at Home of Peace Chapel, Colma, on Aug. 24, 2010. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to the American Cancer Society.

Brenda Farber (formerly Haber) passed away on Friday, Aug. 20, 2010 in Napa after a long and brave fight against lung cancer. She never lost her smile and was dignified until the end.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010 at 1 p.m. at the Tulocay Cemetery Chapel at 411 Coombsville Road in Napa.

Brenda was known for being the life of the party and she loved to dance to ’50s rock and roll. She had a way of always making everyone feel welcome and included. Her personality drew people of all walks of life into it and she treated everyone she met with respect and dignity. Brenda believed everyone was worth talking to and tried to make each person feel special.

Brenda was born on March 24, 1941 in London, England but immigrated to the United States, arriving on July 4, 1951 at the age of 10. From her chronic need for tea to her love of the garden, England was never really far from her heart.

Brenda eventually enrolled in Washington High School in San Francisco, which became the center of her social life. Brenda was very close to her high school girlfriends and still met with them monthly to talk, gossip, and eat.

In June of 1962, Brenda married Manny Haber and had 10 wonderful years together until his untimely death in August 1974. After the initial shock of Manny’s death, life fell into a routine for Brenda until she was invited to the San Mateo County Fair in 1997 by her longtime friends Liane and Bob Farber. That day she was reintroduced to Don Farber. They fell in love and eventually married in 2000.

Life for Brenda and Don was idyllic. Don would cook and Brenda would clean. After 2 years together, they moved to Napa where Brenda had always dreamed of living. Don ignited something in Brenda that had long been extinguished and together they lived every day to the fullest in what Brenda called “the most beautiful place on earth.”

Brenda’s main focus was always her family and friends. She is survived by her husband Don, her daughter Dana, her son Darrell, daughter-in-law Elizabeth, and her precious grandchildren Devin and Alyssa. She was never happier than when she was with them. Her extended family brought her great joy as well, including Doris Levine, Vicki and John Anderle, and Bill Haber.

She was an inspiration to many and is dearly missed.

Donations in her memory can be made to the American Cancer Society.

Joan “Lolo” Kris

October 12, 1920 – August 18, 2010

What a lady. Joan Kris, born Hannelore David but known to all who loved her as “Lolo,” passed away in the home she loved on August 18, 2010.

Lolo was so very special. Born in Berlin, Germany to Solomon and Alice David, she fled Berlin with her family and lived for eight difficult years in Shanghai, China as a refugee. A Holocaust survivor, she came to America in 1945 as a young woman and made a beautiful life for herself and those whom she loved.

While never formally educated in this country, she worked as a preschool teacher and dental assistant in New York City. Her first husband, Henry Kris, adored her and passed away too soon, in 1973.

In 1975, Lolo followed best friend and sister, Marion, to California and settled in San Mateo. She met Werner Frankel, her “second husband,” and they lived a joyous life until he passed away in 1999. Marion and Lolo lived across a courtyard from each other, and every morning would smile and wave to one another.

Bridge, Scrabble, Rummy Kube and the famous game of “31” were her joys along with classical music (Beethoven’s 9th really spoke to her) and schmoozing with family and friends. She was a terrific cook and baker, loved to travel and understood the stock market better than most brokers.

Lolo did not have birth children of her own, but her sister’s children gratefully adopted her and shared many wonderful times together. A unique combination of unconditional love and brutal honesty (that dress doesn’t look so good on you) were her hallmarks. Even during many difficult years brought on by the ravages of Parkinson’s Disease, she was always thrilled to see visitors and always understood why you hadn’t visited sooner.

Lolo is survived by her aunt Gerda Cohn and nieces Vivian Kalev, Elaine Ryzak Fraser and Yvonne Ryzak. She will be missed by her many grandnieces and nephews, her friends and the “L” ladies Lili, Lencie and Lotte who played bridge with her even after she couldn’t play anymore.

The family wishes to thank her loving caregiver Sally and her trusted assistants: Terry, Gladys and Nina.

Our Lolo was one tough lady, who never complained about her struggles and reveled in the joys of love and life. A huge space in our hearts will always carry her remarkable spirit.

A memorial service was held. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, 3330 Geary Blvd., 3rd floor West, San Francisco, CA 94118.

Mark Martin Morris III passed away at his home in Tiburon on Aug. 17, 2010. If you were ever to ask Mark what the secret to a happy life was, his answer probably would have been quite simple: “Honesty, Hard Work, Service, and Family.”

Born in San Francisco on January 22, 1940 to Mark & Aileen Morris, Mark (Mickey) put everything he had into everything he did — school, sports, scouting, work and family. Never without a job, he worked in his parents’ vending machine business from an early age. He was a devoted family member, a champion swimmer, and one of the youngest Eagle Scouts Troop 17 ever saw.

Once Mark knew what he wanted, he went after it with a kind of dogged tenacity. He never complained about the obstacles life put in his path; he simply pushed forward tirelessly, patiently and with good humor.

Upon receiving his first pair of glasses at age 11, he learned the profound value of the gift of sight and dedicated himself to a career in optometry. After graduating Lowell, he completed his coursework at U.C. Berkeley in 3 years and went on to Los Angeles College of Optometry (now Southern California College of Optometry.) He received his O.D. in 1963.

As an optometrist, Mark turned down more lucrative opportunities to work in San Francisco’s Mission District because he was determined to help bring sight to a community in need. His practice was a pillar of the community, where he and his loyal staff of professionals were proud to help 2, 3 and even 4 generations of patients see a little clearer.

Mark was determined to give back to the organizations that had given him so much. He continued to be active in scouting, serving as scoutmaster for Tiburon’s Troop 48 where he proudly pinned an Eagle Scout on his son. He served on both the Cal Alumni Association Board and the SCCO Council of Regents. He also served as president of the San Francisco Optometric Society and trustee of the California Optometric Association. Throughout his service, he focused on imparting to the next generation the same values that guided his life.

It wasn’t just career and service that Mark pursued with dogged tenacity. He met Susan Smith when he was 16 years old and decided right then that she was the only girl for him. They were married 6 years later and shared a gentle, loving and incredibly supportive relationship with her for the rest of his life. They raised 2 children, Kathy & Steve, and instilled in them the same core values. They also surrounded themselves with an amazing group of friends with whom they enjoyed games, travel, good meals and adventures.

Attending his first Big Game at age 8, Mark was always a Cal fan, and he and Sue continued the tradition with over four decades of season tickets and camping at the Lair of the Bear. It’s no coincidence that both Kathy and Steve are Cal grads. Also a devoted Giants fan, baseball has been an important part of Morris family life since Mark’s childhood and attending baseball games with his father, grandfather, brother and cousins at Seals Stadium.

It was a tremendous blow when Mark was diagnosed with ALS, but he faced it with the same strength and dignity that defined his life. Never complaining, he endured each change in his condition with patience and good spirits. He was fortunate during this difficult time to be surrounded, not only by his close friends and family, but also by a group of tireless and deeply compassionate caregivers, the superb team at the UCSF’s ALS clinic, and the staff of Hospice by the Bay.

Still, Mark would not want to be remembered by the disease which claimed his life, but rather by the good works he did, by all the people touched by scouting, by the tens of thousands whose sight is a little clearer and above all by his friends and family who will do their best to carry on the values by which he lived.

Mark was preceded in death by his loving parents and in-laws Mark & Aileen Morris and Barbara & Bob Smith. He is survived by a close and adoring family: Susan Smith Morris, his wife of 48 years, daughter Kathy Morris of Santa Rosa and son and daughter-in-law Steve & Karen P. Morris of Los Angeles. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law Russell & Joan Morris of Los Gatos and their children, Jennifer & Scott Robinson and Chris & Michelle Morris, and many loving cousins.

Donations in Mark’s memory may be made to the following organizations or charity of your choice: ALS Association Golden West Chapter, 1 Embarcadero Center, Suite 1530, San Francisco, CA 94111; Cal Alumni Association, 1 Alumni House, Berkeley, CA 94720; Hospice by the Bay, 17 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Larkspur, CA 94939; Southern California College of Optometry, 2575 Yorba Linda Blvd., Fullerton, California 92831.

Stephen Goodman Rothschild, a resident of Alamo, passed away on August 11 after a short but difficult battle with cancer.

Steve served as a Founding Trustee of the Contra Costa Jewish Day School. “Steve’s consistency, intelligence, good humor and genuine interest in other people and Jewish education made him a fantastic lay leader,” said Dean Goldfein, Founding Head of School at CCJDS. “Moreover, in our early years his personal and professional reputation helped tremendously to establish community support.”

Steve was a devoted husband, father and friend. He touched many lives with his tireless work ethic and selfless nature. Steve was born in Newark, New Jersey. He was a graduate of Cornell University where he earned a B.S. degree in History. He was a member of the R.O.T.C. and received a commission in the United States Navy upon graduation, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. He received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

For the past sixteen years, he has worked in the field of finance for Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley. Most recently, he was a Senior Vice President Portfolio Manager and the head of the Rothschild Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

Steve was the son of the late Dorothy Goodman and Dr. Daniel L. Rothschild of Newark, New Jersey. Steve is survived by his loving wife, Natalia; devoted children Daniel Rothschild of Alamo, Camille Rothschild and Michael Rothschild of Walnut Creek, and Dorothy Linya Rothschild of Los Angeles; grandchildren J.R. and Jameson Rothschild; sister Melicent Rothschild of Lakewood, Colorado; and brother Dr. Brian Rothschild of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Stephen G. Rothschild Scholarship Fund at the Contra Costa Jewish Day School, 3836 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549.