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Ephraim Isaac Baran passed away at age 95 on June 7, 2017 in his home in Santa Monica surrounded by loving family and friends.

Ephraim lived a long, fulfilled life that included a highly successful career in architecture; a 63-year love affair with his wife, Annette; loving relationships with his children (Joshua, David and Naomi), grandchildren (Ariel and Mark), and friends around the world; and a passion for music, art, travel, politics, gourmet food and backpacking.

Born in Sacramento in 1921, he was the son of Mayer and Dora Baran, immigrants from the Ukraine. At age 2, Ephraim moved to the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles with his family, including his brother, Morris Verger, and lived in the city for most of his life. Over the years, he played an active role in the development of the city he loved.

Ephraim studied architecture at UC Berkeley. His college career was interrupted by service in the Army from 1942 to 1947, where he headed up the military intelligence library and trained as a fighter pilot. He married his wife, Annette, on May 18, 1948, and returned to Cal to complete his architectural degree, which he received in 1950.

In 1952, Ephraim founded the architectural firm of Rochlin & Baran with his closest friend, Fred Rochlin, a classmate at Cal. They established their first office in Van Nuys and moved several times as the firm grew. In 1985, they relocated to Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood, where the company became RBB Architects with the addition of Joe Balbona as Senior Partner and CEO. RBB continues to thrive today — 65 years after its founding — employing over 100 people, specializing in medical architecture and other large institutional projects, designing buildings throughout the United States and abroad.

In the Bay Area, Ephraim designed the notable Howard A. Friedman Pavilion (at the Jewish Home of San Francisco) and the Alta Bates Comprehensive Cancer Center in Berkeley. Both buildings give evidence of Ephraim’s superb eye for detail, his capacity to mesh utility with beauty and to design healing spaces that bring the outside in by allowing access to plants, gardens, and natural light and materials. He also had an office in Tel Aviv and designed many hospitals and medical centers throughout Israel.

After he retired in 1992, Ephraim created the Architectural Office Visit program, an innovative project that brought inner-city youth on tours to architecture firms and buildings to inspire an interest in architecture and to facilitate training opportunities.

Ephraim was an avid adventurer. His journeys around the world with Annette led to lifelong friendships, legendary storytelling, a beautiful art collection and a strong commitment to social justice. Ephraim and Annette hosted people visiting and studying for months to years at a time from Ethiopia, India, Vietnam and Europe. He was a lover of culture, a classical guitarist and an opera aficionado. He was also funny as hell, with an acerbic wit, memorable facial expressions and pithy one-liners. Ephraim was known for his generosity, strength, creativity, avid curiosity and intelligence. Most of all, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend.

Florence Sokoloff passed away peacefully on Friday, June 16, 2017. She was 100 years and six months young. Mom was born Jan. 4, 1917 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Mom lost the love of her life, Philip Sokoloff, seven years ago. They would have been married 80 years on June 18. Mom was a tremendous supporter of the Contra Costa Jewish Community Center. She spent her days as a dedicated volunteer wherever needed — a strong matriarch of the Sokoloff family and the Blatt family.

As a young teenager, her mother passed away, leaving Mom the responsibility of raising her five siblings. She married our dad, took on the responsibility and never looked back. She then had two sons, Tilden and Howard, who both became physicians. Mom has loving daughters-in-law, Francine and Sheri Sokoloff, and five grandchildren: Randall, Michelle, Marla, Jared and Jordan. She also has two great grandchildren. She leaves one younger brother, Joseph Blatt.

Private service was held at Gan Shalom Cemetery.

Rest in Peace, Mom. Job well done and a life well lived.

Sinai Memorial Chapel
(925) 962-3636