Mania Hampel

Surrounded by her family and a close friend, Mania Hampel passed away peacefully at her home in San Francisco on July 28, 2011. She was a Holocaust survivor and a member of many charitable organizations. She was one of the founders of the Shalom Club, an organization that helped establish orphanages and care for veterans in Israel.

Mania was born in Pabinance, Poland, a town near Lodz, on December 25, 1920 to Sandor and Devorah Kamelgarn. She was the youngest member of a large family of antique dealers. Her older brothers left Europe before the war. Mania and the other younger siblings were sent to the Lodz Ghetto and later to Auschwitz. Through her great strength, faith and generosity of heart, she survived along with one sister.

Max and Mania Hampel were married before the war in Pabinance. After the war, they were reunited in Bergen Belsen, which became a Displaced Persons Camp. Their first child, Michelle, was born there. They later immigrated to Montreal, where their son, Allen, was born and then moved to San Francisco, where Max had a sister. Max was a tailor and ran a clothing store. He passed away in 1994. In San Francisco, Mania, a warm hostess, always had a house full of family and friends. Her children and grandchildren remember her delicious cookies, apple cake, and most of all her towering sponge cake.

Throughout her life, Mania continued her tireless work for Israel. When she visited Israel, she was warmly received by the many orphans whom she helped shelter and educate through the Shalom Club. She spoke at Israeli Independence Day Celebrations and also at occasions honoring the memory of those who died in the Holocaust, “our holy ones” as Mania called them.

She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her warm heart, proud Judaism and generosity of spirit will survive in the hearts of her family, her friends and all who knew her. She is survived by her daughter Michelle (Richard) Postal, her son Allen (Sharon) Hampel, her grandchildren Debra (Scott) Postal Rose, Linda (Aaron) Postal Armstrong, Jennifer (Justin) Hampel Roth, and Jonathan Hampel along with his fiancée, Evanlee Pesusich. Mania had five great-grandchildren, Madeline and Evan Rose, Chloe and Max Armstrong, and Brody Roth.

Donations may be made to Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame, Congregation Adath Israel in San Francisco, or American Friends of Magen David Adam.

William (Bill) Kroll

William (Bill) Kroll died on July 4, 2011 at age 87 at Stanford Medical Center. Bill grew up in Chicago, where he was born on Nov. 2, 1923, the youngest of four children of Russian immigrants Abraham and Bessie (Kroger). He studied engineering at the University of Illinois before serving as a flight navigator on multiple bombing missions over German cities during World War II. After the war, Bill went on to earn a masters degree in electrical engineering at California Institute of Technology. He spent most of his career at Lockheed in Sunnyvale after moving to the Bay Area from Los Angeles with his wife, Esther, and their three children in the late 1950s.

Bill was greatly admired by colleagues for his engineering skills and ability to design electronic devices that solved critical problems. Bill was also active in B’nai B’rith for many years. After retiring, he volunteered at the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center, including teaching seniors how to use computers. He received the JCC’s Senior Volunteer of the Year Award in 1999.

Bill lost his beloved wife of 59 years to cancer in September 2009, and their younger son Ted died of lymphoma two weeks before Esther’s death. As Bill subsequently wrote to a family acquaintance, “It was like an explosion. I have a long struggle to put my life together.” He continued to live independently, and remained physically active by going for walks along the Bay levees and swimming laps in the pool at his condominium. His death was due to accidental drowning.

Bill is survived by his sister Rebecca Hirshleifer, son David, daughter Heidi and granddaughter Rachel. Donations may be made in his name to the charity of your choice.

Harry Minkin

Harry J. Minkin, 86, passed peacefully at home July 14, 2011. Born in San Francisco in 1925 to Rose and Jacob Minkin. Harry had five brothers and sisters: Al, Louie, Morris, Minnie and Fred. He is survived by his beloved wife Norma, his daughter Carole, his granddaughter Lindsay, and son-in-law Richard Rotblatt, his brother Louie and many cousins, nephews and nieces.

Harry graduated George Washington High School in San Francisco in 1943 and later attended college in Missouri where he took his flight training during WWII. He served in the United States Army Air Corps as a bombadier/navigator in the European theater and survived many heroic downed missions.

After the war, he returned to San Francisco and married Norma Toff, and had a long and rewarding career as an Allstate agent in San Francisco. Norma and Harry celebrated 64 happy years of marriage. His passion for golf led to membership at Lake Merced Golf Club, where he served on the Board of Directors. During his lifetime he made two hole-in-ones at Bay Area courses, but nothing made him happier than his family. He will be forever remembered in our hearts.

Services were held at Eternal Home Cemetery on July 18th, 2011.

Walter J. Monasch

Aug. 29, 1922–Aug. 2, 2011. At home in Novato, surrounded by family. Beloved husband of Brenda Gates-Monasch for 34 years, loving father of David-Michael (Glenda) Monasch, Miriam Monasch (Kathy Johnson), Naomi and Talya Gates-Monasch; adoring grandfather of Mio Monasch, dear brother of Eva Mass and many treasured nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

As he wished, in lieu of flowers the family requests donations to either of the two local organizations he served as President: the Northern California Community Loan Fund, www.ncclf.org or the Marin Interfaith Council, www.marinifc.org.

Call Kol Shofar at (415) 388-1818 for Shiva information.