Sign up for Weekday J and get the latest on what's happening in the Jewish Bay Area.

Richard Alyn Greenblat

Nov. 6, 1934–Aug. 30, 2010

Our dear Husband, Dad, Zayde gently passed away on August 30, 2010, surrounded by the family that adored him. He was a gentle man who could repair anything, always traveling with his fix-it kit. Everyone who met him loved him. He was a very proud 2nd generation native San Franciscan and he passed his love of the Bay Area down to his family, who all have settled nearby.

Richard was born November 6, 1934 to Dave and Dorothy Greenblat and spent his childhood in San Francisco, Stockton and Santa Barbara. He lived as a child on Carl Street, with his grandmother Bertha Unider living in the apartment below. He was a proud graduate of the “old” Lowell High School. As a teen, he had several jobs in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

Eventually he owned Greenblat’s Hardware on Fillmore Street with his Dad. Greenblat’s Hardware, renamed Center Hardware, moved to Fairfax in 1963. In 1966, Richard became a member of the ILWU, working on the waterfront around the Bay Area. Richard was a proud 20-year volunteer of the Fairfax Fire Department.

He recently celebrated his 52nd wedding anniversary with the love of his life Claudette. Many people smile as they think of a very content Rich, people-watching, while Claudette shopped.

Those who love him are his wife Claudette, his children David and Angeline Greenblat, Lori and Bob Wick and Leah Greenblat. His adored grandchildren are Rachel and Elyse Greenblat and Kevin and Alex Wick. Rich truly treasured his family and his friends.

A memorial service and private burial were held.

Please consider a donation honoring him to: Hospice by the Bay, 17 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Larkspur, CA 94939. They gave him wonderful care. Or, by sending a donation to the Synagogue that held so many happy family memories: Congregation Rodef Sholom.

Sinai Memorial Chapel

Dorothy Rosen Miller

99 Years Young

Dorothy passed away on August 23, 2010 after a long life noteworthy for its commitment to her family and community. She moved to San Lorenzo in 1947 from Salt Lake City, where she was born on July 12, 1911. She was the eldest daughter of Harry and Lena Rosen and had two sisters, Clara Myerfeld and Ethel Pollock (both deceased). Her parents immigrated to America from Russia and were one of the early Jewish families to settle in Utah. They were active members of Congregation Montefiore in Salt Lake.

Dorothy attended West High School, where she was proud to be a pioneer in her own way by enrolling in the first secretarial and bookkeeping courses offered to women in Salt Lake. She met and fell in love with Jules Miller, a dapper and persuasive salesman from Portland, OR, and they were married on September 6, 1931, a marriage that lasted 65 years, until Jules passed away in 1997. Dorothy and Jules had three children, Dan, Rae, Hal in Salt Lake, and Steve, who came along in 1948, after they moved to San Lorenzo, CA.

Throughout her life Dorothy was an active leader in religious and other organizations. In Salt Lake she was President of the Congregation Sisterhood and of the Uintah Elementary School PTA. She also participated in Hadassah, B’nai B’rith Women and taught Sunday school.

In the Bay Area she helped organize the first B’nai B’rith Women’s Chapter in the San Leandro/Hayward area, and was then President of the Chapter. She was President of the Northern California Anti-Defamation League, and the Northern California Regional B’nai B’rith Women. After she moved to Baywood Court Senior Living in Castro Valley, she served as President of the Residents Association.

For most people, raising a family and being a civic leader would have been more than enough. But not for Dorothy. For 25 years she was the Accounting and Credit Manager for Grutman’s Men’s and Boy’s Wear stores working in San Lorenzo and Hayward. She was a writer for the Society Section of the Hayward Review, and wrote articles for other organizations and senior living communities. At home she was a great cook and welcoming hostess. She traveled to Hawaii, Spain, Portugal, and Denmark where she visited her grandson and his family. She took several cruises, which she loved.

Dorothy is survived by Dan (Sandra) of San Francisco; Rae (Salka) Miller of Martinez, CA; Hal (Rita) of Central Point, OR; Steve and his partner Jot Toledo, of Buffalo, NY; and dear friends Kit Miller of Albany, OR, and Marian Miller of Cheektowaga, NY. She has eight grandchildren — Jeff Salka (Sanne Holm) who live near Copenhagen, Denmark; Corey Salka (Lisa Orlick) of Seattle; Dave Salka (Julie McKibbin) of Concord; Lys Miller-Drake (Peter) of Chicago; Kristy Wells (Matt) of Tracy; Gina Ebberling (Jason) of Ashland, OR; Marcus Miller of San Francisco, and Lynsey Miller of Buffalo, NY. She is also survived by eight great-grandchildren: Benjamin, Jacob, Amanda and Jonathan of Denmark; Ariel and Daniel of Seattle; Steven and Amber of Concord, and many beloved nieces and nephews in CA, Utah and WA.

Quietly, with no fanfare, Dorothy had a positive impact on everyone she touched. She exhibited a boundless generosity of sprit. She saw the best in people and always had a positive attitude toward the world around her. On the occasion of her 99th birthday celebration in July, she said, “We have to accept things the way they are and just get on with our life.” Her family and friends will do their best to take her advice. But even if we do, we’ll still miss her.

Memorial services have been held.

Donations in her memory may be made to: Shriners Hospitals for Children. Call toll-free to (800) 241-GIFT (4438) or UCSF Foundation, Brain Tumor Research Center, P.O. Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339, (415) 502-8315.

Ilene Riccardi Zimmerman

Ilene (nee Eisenberg) was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to almost everyone she met. She left this world on August 31, after a brave battle with Lymphoma, just three weeks shy of her 90th birthday.

Ilene’s strong spirit, sense of humor and sweetness was evident up until the very end of her long and full life. She was born in 1920 to Harriet and Albert Eisenberg in NYC and later, as a single mother, raised her son and daughter on Long Island. She later lived in Florida, and for the past 15 years, in Marin County to be near her California family.

In addition to many very dear friends, Ilene leaves behind her son, Alan Zimmerman, daughter-in-law, Betsy (Rosenberg) Zimmerman, and granddaughter, Jenna Zimmerman of Tiburon, her grandsons, Daniel Zimmerman of Healdsburg, and Jon Zimmerman of Brooklyn, New York, daughter-in-law, Turna Zimmerman, and great-granddaughter, Clea Zimmerman. In Miami Beach, Florida she leaves her daughter, Mary Wilbar, son-in-law, Richard Wilbar, and grandson, Jesse Wilbar. She will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered.