Stan Cohen

Born on Feb. 2, 1925, in Brooklyn, N.Y.; lived in Oakland since 1950. He died on Jan. 8, 2014 after a long illness with pulmonary fibrosis.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Naomi; his brothers, Sheldon and David; his children, Bea, Dan (Cindy) and Maury (Melanie); eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Stan knew from childhood that he would be an artist, and he lived his dream. He attended the High School of Music and Art where he met his partner for life, Naomi Rudinow. They were married in 1943 while Stan was serving in World War II. He was Quarter-

master aboard the USS Poughkeepsie.

After the war, Stan studied for two years at NYU before he and Naomi moved to Berkeley, where he finished his education at CCAC. They both found teaching jobs in the Oakland public schools and built their home in the hills overlooking Mills College.

In 1949, Stan taught art at San Leandro High School, followed by Elmhurst Junior High and Oakland Technical High. In 1957, he was appointed director of art education for the Oakland Unified School District and led that program until his retirement in 1983. He served as president of the California Art Education Association and was active in developing state and local art curriculum. In 1970, he received Board of Education approval to establish an experimental school in Oakland with art as its core subject. The Arts School grew to serve 300 students in grades kindergarten through high school, and maintained exemplary programs for 30 years.

The family was active in sailing a series of small boats and Stan was Commodore of Lake Merritt Sailing Club and won many trophies racing. After retirement, Stan devoted himself to painting and exhibiting. He was active in four artists’ groups and was an officer in the Oakland Art Association. His recent artwork includes a series of over 60 canvases recalling events in his long and interesting life. He enjoyed painting with art groups at the Kensington Recreation Center and the North Berkeley Senior Center.

An open memorial celebration is scheduled for March 2 at Temple Sinai, 2808 Summit St., Oakland. The service will be in the chapel at 3 p.m.; a reception following will be in Stern Hall.

Richard S. Colman

1935–2014

Dickie passed away Jan. 17 in San Francisco, the city of his birth. Born on Sept. 13, 1935 to Gussie Blum and Maurice Colman, he was preceded in death by his beloved brother, Arnold “Bunky” Colman; loving grandparents, Israel and Rosa Blum; devoted aunts and uncles Pauline Frank, Max Blum, Al Blum, Anne Cohen and Arnie Blum; cousins Morley Shapiro and Edward Edelstein; and stepmother Bettie Colman.

Survivors include brothers Peter and Paul Colman, nephew Gregory Colman and three generations of cousins who mourn his loss.

With gratitude the family acknowledges the caring devotion of Dickie’s dear friend, Lee Ann Prifti. Pursuant to Dickie’s wishes, no services were held.

Sinai Memorial Chapel (415) 921-3636

Margit Hannah Lowenstein

82, passed away peacefully in Burlingame on Jan. 13, 2014. Margit was born in Germany in 1931 and immigrated to the United States in 1936 with her parents, Max and Betty Wolf, and her brother, Gerald Wolf. Margit studied at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. In 1951, she married Tom Lowenstein and had four children — Ann, Robert, Jean and Martin. In 1970, the family moved from Woodmere, N.Y., to Hillsborough, California. Tom and Margit were longtime members of Peninsula Temple Beth El, were active in various Jewish organizations in the Bay Area and loved to travel, especially to their home in Carmel.

Margit is survived by her four children, Ann Wathen (John), Robert Lowenstein (Karen), Jean Morawski (Michael) and Martin Lowenstein (Inbar). Grandchildren Jeffrey, Allison, Jill, Stacey, Daniel, Tamara, Ben and Maya. Step-grandchildren Tyson and Kyle. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law Hanna Wildenberg and Harriet Wolf.

Services were held at Peninsula Temple Beth El, San Mateo, with burial at Skylawn Memorial Park, San Mateo. Contributions may be made to Ceres Community Project of Marin, P.O. Box 151049, San Rafael, CA 94915.

Sinai Memorial Chapel (650) 369-3636

Stanley Sockol

Stanley Sockol, 84, beloved husband, father and grandfather, died on Dec. 13, 2013, after a long battle with cardiovascular disease. Stanley is survived by his wife, Allegra, three children, Marc, David and Elizabeth, and three grandchildren. Stanley enjoyed making jokes, dancing, traveling, eating popcorn and maple candy, and spending time with family and friends. He will be deeply missed.

Henry Steinberg

Passed away on Jan. 14, 2014 (13 Shevat), a month before his 91st birthday. He was born in Berlin and fled to Wales in 1939 at the age of 16 as a member of the Hachshara movement. He married Anne (nee Fuhs) in London in 1948, and they arrived in San Francisco in 1953.

The Steinbergs lived in the Richmond District for many years, where Henry was active in Congregation Chevra Thilim, before moving to Westlake, where he helped build the B’nai Israel community, and later joined Ner Tamid. He was a well-known and respected member of the Jewish community, involved in many causes related to Israel and Jewish education. Upon retirement, Henry and Anne moved to Laguna Woods, while maintaining their close ties with the San Francisco kehillah.

Henry is survived by his wife, Anne, his three children, Gerald (Connie), living in Jerusalem; Doreen (Ron) Hill in Los Angeles; and Alan (Leslie) in San Jose; nine grandchildren plus a new great-granddaughter. Donations in his memory may be made to AFMDA (American Friends of Magen David Adom).

 

Anna Helen (Schwalbenberg) Zorn

Died suddenly of cardiac arrest on Friday, Jan. 10, while riding her horse near Fort Funston. Ann was off-the-charts “good” in both senses of the term: a kind-hearted, high-minded, generous, altruistic woman who also was exceptionally competent and purposeful.

Ann attended San Francisco’s Presentation High School for three years and then graduated from Lowell. A Latin and Greek major at U.C. Berkeley, Ann worked in information technology and proved an excellent administrator as well, not only on the job at the American Electronics Association, Levi-Strauss, Kaiser Permanente and the Or Shalom Jewish Community, but also in her children’s preschools, elementary and high schools. Ann never sought out leadership positions but regularly was given them by acclamation; she was the obvious choice.

Ann will be greatly missed by all those blessed to have known her, whose only consolation now is that she died painlessly doing something she loved. Ann is survived by her husband, Jeff Zorn, children Sarah and Sam Zorn, brothers Michael and Peter Schwalbenberg, sisters Mary Seastrand, Cecilia Schwalbenberg and Monica Schwalbenberg-Pena, nieces Jessica Shannon Finn, Emily Tibbetts, Anna Seastrand and Ariana Schwalbenberg, and nephews Diego and Bill Schwalbenberg, Hal Tibbetts and Alec Seastrand.

A memorial service for Ann was held at Congregation Beth Israel Judea in San Francisco. Donations in Ann’s name may be sent to Or Shalom Jewish Community, 1250 Quintara St., San Francisco, CA 94116.

Sinai Memorial Chapel

(415) 921-3636