Rachel Jacob

February 10, 1925–June 18, 2015

Rachel was born to Hannah and Jack Ezekiel in Shanghai, China. Her grandparents had emigrated there from Bagdad, Iraq, in the 1880s. Her idyllic childhood in Shanghai was centered in the close-knit Sephardic Jewish community to which the family was deeply committed.

Rachel and her entire family were in a Japanese internment camp in Shanghai from 1943 through 1945. She married Aaron Jacob, the love of her life, in 1946. After the birth of their first child Angela, they immigrated to San Francisco in 1949 and their second child Lenora was born.

Rachel and Aaron made their home in the Sunset District a welcoming place for decades of family celebrations; Rachel’s gourmet cooking was her gift to one and all. She and Aaron were avid duplicate bridge players for many years. Rachel also loved music, especially opera, and was a longtime member of the San Francisco Opera’s ushering community.

In 1998, Rachel and Aaron moved to Coventry Park (now Vintage Coventry) in San Francisco. She lived there ever since, making many good friends over the years. She enjoyed a high quality of life to the very end, and throughout what was most important to Rachel was her love of her family.

At the age of 90, on June 18, 2015, Rachel died peacefully at her home. She is survived by her daughter and son-law Angela and Mel Dagovitz, her daughter and son-in-law Lenora Jacob and Tim Sheats, her brothers Fred and George Ezekiel, her grandson and his wife, Alan and Paris Levinovitz, and her great-granddaughter, Hazel. She is also survived by numerous generations of cousins, nieces and nephews throughout the United States, Israel, England and Canada.

A memorial, currently in the planning stages, will be held at Vintage Coventry. Donations in Rachel’s memory can be made to AMIT (amitchildren.org), Congregation Adath Israel in San Francisco or the Jewish Home of San Francisco.

May her memory be a blessing to all who knew her.

Sinai Memorial Chapel (415) 921-3636

Gilbert Leon Linver

9/9/42–6/20/15

Gilbert L. Linver, 73, passed away on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at his home in Rancho Cordova, California, with his loving wife of 32 years, Janice, by his side.

Gil was born on September 9, 1942 in Toledo, Ohio, to Sol and Rae Linver. Gil attended Scott High School and Toledo University. He joined the Army in 1967 and served in the Reserves until 1972. After working at the Toledo Jewish Family Services Foundation, Gil owned and operated Great Lakes Memorial Stone company. Gil then founded a marble importing company for which he traveled extensively in Israel, China, Europe and around the States. He moved to California to accept the position of associate executive director at Sinai Memorial Chapel in San Francisco, the only Jewish funeral home in the Bay Area, where he worked for 18 years until his retirement.

Gil was a caring, charismatic, honorable man who was actively involved in his synagogue and organizations that supported his faith. He loved to travel and with his wife visited many great locations, including his most recent travels to France and Israel. Gil loved art and had a knack for finding amazingly talented, unique artists everywhere he traveled. His passion for art extended to his quilting where he exhibited a keen eye for fabric and color combinations that resulted in quilts that were works of art.

Gil had a quick, dry sense of humor and enjoyed gatherings of his family and friends. He was a host extraordinaire and was in his element when he was entertaining. He was “famous” for incredible Passover, Hanukkah, karaoke and New Year’s Eve parties.

Gil met Janice Eisel in 1980 and knew their love was one-of-a-kind. They were married in October 1983 and lived for six years in Ohio before relocating to California. They settled in the Bay Area, where they both worked until Gil’s retirement when they relocated to the Sacramento area to be near their California grandchildren. Wherever they lived, Gil and Jan reached out to others and continued to grow their circle of friends while still actively maintaining relationships established when Gil was in school in Ohio and while traveling the world. Gil had a way of making each and every one of his friends know they were special to him.

Gil was extremely proud of his Jewish heritage and offered his services throughout his life to support many organizations. Currently, he was serving on the Albert Einstein Residence Center board and the Home of Peace Jewish Cemetery board and various committees at the Mosaic Law Congregation synagogue, all located in Sacramento. Previously, he served on many other nonprofit and religious boards in the San Francisco Bay Area and Toledo, Ohio.

Gil was preceded in death by his parents, Sol and Rae Linver. He is survived by his spouse, Janice, of Rancho Cordova; his daughter Michelle (David) Steed and grandsons Samuel and Charles of Wyoming, Ohio; his daughter Jodie Linver (Brian Thoman) and grandson, Jacob Thoman of Cincinnati, Ohio; his stepson John Eisel (Celeste Marsh) and grandchildren Shauna and Eric Marsh of Moorpark, California; his stepson Timothy Eisel of Rancho Cordova and grandsons Tyler and Jacob Eisel of Metamora, Ohio; and stepson David (Monica) Eisel and grandsons Gavin and Austin Eisel of Fair Oaks, California; his sister Ellie Katz (Frank) of Camarillo, California; his former wife, Kathryn Linver of Toledo, Ohio, numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and other relatives; and a host of incredible friends who were part of his “extended” family.

Services were held at the Mosaic Law Congregation in Sacramento. Burial followed at the Home of Peace Jewish Cemetery in Sacramento. In lieu of flowers the family has requested memorial donations in his memory be made to either the Golden Valley Charter School, 9601 Lake Natoma Drive, Orangevale, CA 95662-5022, or to the National Kidney Cancer Foundation, 30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016.

The family will be sitting Shiva at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25, Sunday, June 28 and Monday, June 29 in Gil’s home at 10986 Disk Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

Sinai Memorial Chapel (415) 921-3636