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Howard Philip Marguleas, 82, died June 1 in Rancho Mirage, California, following complications from cancer. Born Dec. 5, 1934 in San Francisco to Joseph and Belle Marguleas, he and his wife Ardith resided in Rancho Mirage, California, where they lived off and on since 1958.

A leader in the U.S. produce industry and the principal founder of Sun World International, Marguleas delighted in bringing many new fruits and vegetables to American consumers: Beginning in the 1960s with the first Hawaiian pineapples sold on the mainland, then branded fruit and nuts under the Sun Giant brand, and red flame seedless grapes, vine-ripened tomatoes, colored sweet peppers, seedless watermelon, and assorted new grapes and plums under the Sun World brand, as well as his coveted California-grown mangoes.

He attended Lowell High School in San Francisco and received his bachelor of arts in agricultural economics from the University of California at Berkeley. Earlier in his career, along with his father Joseph and partner Frank Heggblade, he worked for produce marketing company Heggblade-Marguleas Co., which they sold to Tenneco Inc. in 1970. He subsequently served as president and chief executive officer of Heggblade-Marguleas-Tenneco in Bakersfield, which held the oil conglomerate’s extensive California agriculture and real estate holdings. In the mid-1970s, he founded Sun World International, which he sold 20 years later after growing it into one of the most innovative and largest privately held produce companies in the country.

In addition to his wide-ranging agribusiness interests, Marguleas was an investor in the Irvine Company, the Orange County, California, real estate giant, and in several Southern California golf course developments.

He was long recognized as a dynamic leader and innovator in American agribusiness circles. Marguleas was appointed and served under California governors Edmund G. (Pat) Brown and Ronald Reagan as a member of the California State Board of Agriculture. Produce industry publication The Packer honored him as its 1989 Man of the Year and later named him one of the most influential produce industry leaders of the past 100 years. He was recognized with the Distinguished California Agriculturalist Award in 1990, granted the esteemed Mentor’s Award by the California Fresh Fruit Association and named the Riverside County Farm Bureau’s Man of the Year in 1999.

Marguleas was a longstanding philanthropist and champion for health care, education and community organizations, serving on countless boards of directors and trustees, in academia including the Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada, American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, Ben-Gurion University of Beersheva in Israel, Volcani Center International Scholarship and Research Fund (chairman) in Israel, California Council on Science and Technology, the University of California at Davis Graduate School of Management, the University of California Agricultural Issues Center Advisory Board and the University of California at Riverside (vice chair); in health care including Eisenhower Medical Center, the American Cancer Society Foundation for the U.S. (founding chairman), Heart Institute of the Desert (chair) and Society of Fellows at United Cerebral Palsy of the Inland Empire (chairman); and in supporting local and national community organizations such as the Coachella Valley Boys and Girls Club (as a founding member), the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California (as a founding member) and the Nevada-based Parasol Foundation in Incline Village. He chaired the board of the California State Chamber of Commerce and served on various corporate boards including the Irvine Company, Sun World International (chairman), Ready Pac Foods, Summit Health and Blue Shield of California. Marguleas was also a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and Chief Executives Organization (CEO).

He is survived by his beloved wife, Ardith, of 59 years, four children, David (Robin) of Palm Desert, California; Dianna (Youval) of Berkeley, California; Anthony (Sue) of Pacific Palisades, California; and Brian (Lisa) of Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as nine grandchildren (Gabby Dar of Berkeley, California; Jack, Anna, Sam and Max Marguleas of Pacific Palisades, California; Maile and Melia Marguleas of Honolulu, Hawaii; and Sydney and Oliver Marguleas of New York City and Washington, D.C.). He is also survived by his dear sisters Thelma Colvin of San Mateo, California; Betty Newman of San Francisco, California, by his sister-in-law and brother-in law Arlene and Jack Garfinkle of Piedmont, California, and by many cousins, nephews and nieces.

Memorial contributions may be made to Eisenhower Medical Center, City of Hope or American Cancer Society.

Funeral services were held in San Francisco on June 5 at Sinai Memorial Chapel followed by interment at Salem Memorial Park in Colma. A “Celebration of Life” will be held in the Coachella Valley on Sunday, June 11 at 1 p.m. at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at the Eisenhower Medical Center, 39000 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage, California.

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Itskhok Simon Markushevich

Itskhok Simon Markushevich passed away on June 3, 2017 in Palo Alto. He was 84. His life was too short. He was a teacher, and he still had so much to share. His mind was clear to the last moments, and it was full of knowledge, which he generously shared with others, even during his last days in the hospital. His students respected and adored him. His friends respected and adored him.

Itskhok endured a lot during his life: He fled from the Nazis in 1941 under a bombardment, almost starved during WWII, struggled with a long cardio-vascular illness and multiple surgeries, lost his loving wife, Polina, to a premature death, and felt eternal pain over the loss of his many uncles, aunts and cousins who vanished in the Holocaust. Through it all, he stayed strong and resilient.

He also had many joys in his life. His marriage to Polina, his adoring daughter Ilana, his son-in-law Val, his grandson Mark and Mark’s wife Karina, his granddaughter Michelle, and his many students who brought happiness and satisfaction to his life.

He left us being very much loved by his brother Nokhum, first cousin Genokh and the rest of the small family that was left after the Holocaust.

He will be remembered by many as a mensch and as a great teacher.

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Harriet Sloan passed away on Friday, May 19, 2017 in San Francisco. She was 81 years old.

Harriet was born June 4, 1935 to Joseph and Adele Greenfeld, Hungarian immigrants, in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Ohio State University. Predeceased by her husband, Martin Sloan, z”l, a Hungarian survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Harriet is survived by her three sons, Michael (Alice Morin), Steven (Rhona Edelbaum) and Eric and her sister, Charlotte Kaminsky. She worked in retail at the May Company and Saks Fifth Avenue in Cleveland. In 2000, she and Martin happily retired in Palm Springs to be closer to their three children.

She was an active member of Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs but enjoyed attending Congregation Beth Sholom, Congregation Chevra Thilim and Chabad of Noe Valley on her frequent visits to San Francisco.

Nothing brought Harriet greater happiness than spending time with her family, especially her three precious grandchildren, Myles, Talia and Daniella Sloan. Harriet loved celebrating the Jewish holidays and Shabbat. She particularly enjoyed walking around the Richmond District, shopping, reading and meeting new people.

Her family would like to thank her caregivers at UCSF, the Jewish Home and the chevra kadisha at Sinai Memorial Chapel. Private funeral services were held in Los Angeles. The family requests that any contributions be made to either Congregation Chevra Thilim or Congregation Beth Sholom, both in San Francisco.

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Francine Woolfe

With deep sadness I announce the passing of Francine with her loving daughter by her side.

She was the daughter of the late Louis and Rose Liebert, sister of the late Arthur and Bert. Her beloved husband Phillip preceded her in death in 2013.

She was a longtime member of Congregation Emanu-El. She and Phillip were world travelers and members of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Her family was her life. She was a loving and cherished wife and mother.

Besides her adoring daughter, Michele Avramov, she leaves behind niece and nephew Denise (Bob) Webb and Phil Liebert; great niece and nephew Daniel and Katy.

Special thanks to Wilma and Stephanie for their devoted care and friendship.

She is missed and will be forever in our hearts. Her memory is a blessing.

Services were held privately.

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Unveiling

Jack Rosenberg, May 25, 1925–December 25, 2016. Son, Brother, Friend, Mariner. Unveiling was held on June 6, 2017, at Eternal Home Cemetery in Colma. The sea he sails does not touch this shore. For more information, contact Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, (415) 750-4197 or jewishhealingcenter.org.