Millie Aronovsky

Daughter of Morris and Tillie Segal Reuben. Born September 14, 1935 in San Francisco, CA. A S.F. native who graduated George Washington High School (1953) and City College of San Francisco. Beloved wife of Aron Aronovsky for 54 years. Many cousins, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers please make donations to a charity of your choice.

Sinai Memorial Chapel (415) 921-3636

Leonard Murray Norack

Passed away on April 20, 2014. Born on June 21, 1927. Leonard was the cherished son of Nathan and Ida Norack. He was the loving husband of the late Betty Norack, the beloved father to Denise Norack, Linda Norack-Breen, the loving father-in-law to James Breen, and the adored and devoted “Bubba” to Caitlin Breen. He was the brother to Arthur Norack and the companion to Zel Bauer. Leonard was the brother-in-law to Norma and William Siskin, Celia and Leo Zweig and Roz Goldman. He was the much-loved uncle to many nieces and nephews. A native San Franciscan, Leonard and Betty owned variety and toy stores, were active in the neighborhood merchants associations, and gave generously to many charities.

Leonard and his brother Arthur spent many years as basketball officials. Leonard was inducted into the Peninsula Basketball Hall of Fame and received a Golden Bagel Award for his contributions. Leonard loved to travel with his family and friends. We will miss him dearly.

Henry Ramek

Passed away on March 19, 2014 at age 95. He was born in Mlawa, Poland to Esther and Leib Ramek. They were a very Orthodox and observant family of 12 children. Henry studied and became a Rabbi at a very young age. Henry was a Holocaust survivor. He was taken to Treblinka and escaped, only to be taken to a Ghetto and then to Auschwitz for a horrifying two years. He was chosen by partisans to help them with espionage and undercover work in the camp. He saved many lives and did dangerous work, enabling information to be given to the free press about the slaughter of the Jewish people in the camps. He was sent to Stutthof, a camp where he was in solitary confinement for six months as punishment for his espionage work.

The war was ending, the camps were being liquidated and Henry was sent along with 300 others on a death march. He collapsed near an American military hospital where he was saved by two army nurses. An American captain offered him a job with the army, when they discovered that Henry spoke many languages including fluent German. He worked for them for five years capturing Nazis that were hiding in the general population. Henry was a hero both in the camps, and after the war. He saved Anna’s life (his future wife) as well as her two sisters.

Henry and Anna came to Oakland, Calif. in 1950. They operated a kosher meat market. Henry was a member of Beth Jacob Congregation, where he attended minion daily and supported many charitable causes He spoke before schools and churches about the Holocaust, where he always told the kids “never give up” and about the Holocaust, “Never again.”

Henry will always be remembered for his love for HaShem, his kindness, his good cheer, his strength, his many good deeds, and especially his love for his family.

He had great pride in his twin sons, who are both medical doctors. He was predeceased by his wife of 45 years, Anna Ramek, and is survived by his wife, Eve Gordon Ramek, his sons Dr. Joseph Ramek and Dr. Leo Ramek. Grandchildren Talia Tennenbaum, Michael Ramek and wife Karen, Alex Ralek and wife Talia and three great grandchildren Yitsi, Yaakov and Basya Tennenbaum.

Walter Roos

Died suddenly, April 19, 2014 of pneumonia. He was 96. Born November 13, 1917 in Bruecken, a small village in Germany. He was the last of 10 children of Bernhard and Rosa Jakob Roos. His oldest brother was killed in World War I, two months before Walter’s birth. He lived a quiet, rural childhood, accompanying his father to sell cattle and helping his mother at her dry goods store. He attended high school/college level classes at Kaiserslautern, where his quiet life was disrupted by Adolf Hitler. In 1936, his stated view that Hitler’s social policies would be bad for Germany led to his expulsion, and a ban on attendance at any German school.

That year, sponsored by his oldest brother, a physician, who left Germany years earlier, he immigrated to America. The rest of his immediate family followed. They lived in Chicago, where he met and married the love of his life, Shirley Carson, with whom he shared more than 60 years. He studied drafting at the Armour Institute, and his first professional job was with an architectural firm, which designed a number of notable early Chicago skyscrapers. Walter became an HVAC engineer. On loan for six months to a firm in San Francisco, he and Shirley fell in love with California. They worked first in the Richmond shipyards, and he then worked for Kaiser Engineers, from which he retired after 35 years, at 65. They raised their three children in the hills of El Cerrito. Walter and Shirley traveled across the U.S. with their family. After retirement, they traveled throughout Europe and Scandinavia. Shirley passed away in 2002.

Walter and his high school sweetheart, Margaret Tuteur (who left Germany for England and Canada), met again in 2002. They found that their teenage love had endured over 70 years. They spent two loving and contented years together until her death in 2004. At the time of his death, Walter shared the companionship of Hilda Sheppard, a loving friend.

Walter was professional and always elegantly turned out. He was a gentle, wise man whose main interest was people. He made lasting friendships everywhere: among his children’s friends, co-workers, neighbors and people he met on his travels. He was accepting of all, interested and always ready to listen. He found a community, too, in the Jewish Humanist Society, Kol Hadash. He was informed and intelligent on many topics from the broadest global issues to state and local ballots (he was a Democrat). He was always ready to share and inform others about his experiences in Nazi Germany. Never angry or bitter, his was a cautionary tale. He was a remarkable gentleman with deep understanding of humanity. Walter also brought grace to day-to-day life. The savor of a fresh peach or a bowl of cherries delighted him.

Walter was pre-deceased by his beloved siblings: Leo, Julius, Hermine, Claire, Max, Fred, Lore, Albert and Eric. Walter leaves his children, Carol, Leslie and Roger Roos of the Bay Area, many nieces and nephews from the Carson and Roos families and their offspring, and countless friends, each of whom he dearly valued and who loved him. The family is grateful for the loving care of Patricia Lockner Prine, volunteers/friends from JFCS, and to his neighbors and friends.

Donations to Kol Hadash (www.kolhadash.org) or the charity of your choice.