Mark Kermit

Resident of Orinda

Mark Kermit, born in Vienna, Austria on June 1, 1921, died just prior to his 91st birthday on April 9, 2012.

He left Vienna on the afternoon of November 8, 1938, miraculously escaping the infamous “Kristallnacht.” During WWII, he served in the U.S. Army field artillery and in denazification procedures immediately after the war.

He earned a degree in Civil Engineering from Columbia University. In December 1947, he married Penny. They left New York for a job in Seattle, but were enchanted by San Francisco and stayed there. He then earned his Master’s Degree in Traffic Engineering from U.C. Berkeley.

He worked for the S.F. Department of Public Works until 1958 when he became Deputy Director of Public Works for Contra Costa County. He worked on life-saving Rumble Strips, a road paving that creates a rhythmic vibration as cars go over it alerting drivers to unexpected danger. When the railroad right-of-way became available, he was instrumental in preserving it as parkland, the Iron Horse Trail.

He retired from Contra Costa County after 25 years, and then served U.C. Berkeley for 10 years as administrator of an Extension Division program for the Institute of Transportation Engineering. He arranged seminars for technology transfer between the University and workers in the field. After retiring from UCB, he acted as a legal consultant.

Mark and Penny were married for 64 years. Their three children and seven grandchildren, Eve (Victor Canfield), Mari and Elliot; Eben (Lynn Ware), Jeremy, Nathan, Mark and Brooke; and Jesse (Marilyn Kermit) and Lucas, were with him offering comfort and care at the end of his long and productive life. He will be sorely missed.

Please make donations to Temple Isaiah, 945 Risa Road, Lafayette, CA 94549 or the charity of your choice.

Sinai Memorial Chapel

 

Caroline Kuhn

Caroline Sarah Kuhn (née Nahman) — Caroline passed away peacefully on May 19, 2012, 34 years and 1 day after the death of her beloved husband Marshall. A native San Franciscan, Caroline was a graduate of Lowell High School and San Francisco State University. She put her Masters Degree in Social Work to good use at the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood House prior to her marriage and, once her own children were grown, at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, where she was a guidance counselor for almost three decades.

In the 1960s and ’70s, she served as an officer on the boards of the Emanu-El Residence Club, the Jewish Family Service Agency, the Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood, and the San Francisco Committee of Brandeis Women. During that time, she was also a director of the women’s division of the Jewish Welfare Federation; an active member of the National Council of Jewish Women’s study “Windows on Day Care”; and chair of Mt. Zion Hospital’s teen volunteer program. She was also active in a host of non-Jewish community organizations, and the San Francisco Chapter of Soroptimists International recognized her as their Woman of the Year for 1994.

She is survived by her brother, Dr. Norris S. Nahman; her children, Alyson Kuhn, Bruce Kuhn (Jeanine), and Nancy Kuhn; by her seven grandchildren, James (Jill), Audrey, Emily (Evan), Teddy (Divina), A.J., Fionna, and Henry; and by her two great-grandchildren, Jade and Jacob. Her volunteer affiliations and board service gave her great satisfaction; she loved to be useful. Caroline was a superb hostess to friends, family, and the many organizations she actively supported; she was a passionate advocate of education and opportunities for young people; she enjoyed reading, music, and theater in addition to spending time with family.

A celebration of Caroline’s life will be held on Thursday, June 7, at 2 p.m. at the Jewish Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Jewish Home in memory of Caroline.

Dr. Fred Neustadter

Dr. Fred Neustadter, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, died on April 27, 2012, from complications of a severe stroke. He was born in Neumarkt, Germany, in 1923, and came to San Francisco in 1938 with his family as refugees from Nazi Germany. He graduated from Lowell High School in 1940, completing the four-year curriculum in two years, and earned a scholarship to attend the University of California, Berkeley. In three years’ time, he completed academic majors in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics and wrote an outstanding thesis that earned him a Benjamin Pierce Instructorship at Harvard University. As part of this prestigious award, he served for three years at Harvard, receiving high praise for his teaching. Following his instructorship, he worked as a Mathematician for the Lincoln Laboratory of MIT and as consultant for Sylvania Electronics Laboratory.

In 1958 he joined the faculty of San Francisco State. Professor Neustadter was a member of the faculty from 1958 till his retirement in 1993. During this period he continued consulting work for Sylvania and became one of the chief consultants for the Mathematics Department in assisting fellow colleagues in a number of departments on mathematical applications to their disciplines. He was the initial co-author of the present program of Applied Mathematics in the Mathematics Department. He had a continuous record of outstanding teaching evaluations from his students and published scholarly works on Applied Mathematics.

Beatrice Teitsman

Beatrice Teitsman, 93, beloved mother, grandmother, wife, sister and aunt, peacefully passed away May 28, 2012, in Atlanta, GA. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 55 years, Harry “Tippy” Teitsman, and her sister, Martha Klinger. Bea is survived by her two devoted daughters, Elizabeth Atterman (Kenneth) of San Anselmo, and Deborah Teitsman (Carolyn Sudberry) of Atlanta; sister, Evelyn Weiss (Clifford) of Atlanta; and cherished granddaughters, Jennifer and Melanie Atterman. She will also be missed by nieces, nephews, their families and the many friends who knew and laughed with her over the years.

After spending most of their life in Queens, N.Y., Bea and Tippy retired to Aventura, FL, where they lived until Tippy’s passing. Bea then relocated to Atlanta to be near her daughter Debby and family. In later years, she enjoyed family vacation cruises and visits from Liz and her family to Atlanta.

Bea will always be remembered by those who knew her for her sharp sense of humor, warm personality and style.

Private services will be held at Hills of Eternity Cemetery, Colma, CA. An online guestbook is available at www.edressler.com. Donations in Bea’s memory may be made to the William Breman Jewish Home, 3150 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30327.

 

Unveiling

Unveiling for Dr. Reuven Jaffe on Tuesday, June 5 at 12:30 p.m. at Eternal Home Cemetery, Colma.

correction

The death notice for Betty Rosenblatt in the May 18 issue of j. omitted that the deceased is survived by her husband, Martin Rosenblatt.