Obituaries are supported by a generous grant from Sinai Memorial Chapel.

---

Carole A. Cohen

June 5, 1938–March 17, 2020

Carole A. Cohen (don’t forget the “A,” she told us!) was a true San Francisco girl. She remembered the City when it was a collection of separate neighborhoods and the Sunset District was mostly sand dunes. She was confirmed at Emanu-El, graduated from Burkes back when it was called Miss Katherine Delmare Burke’s School for Girls, spent two years at Colorado Women’s College where she met our dad, Lou, and later earned her BA at Cal.

For a brief moment, she was a registered nurse after earning her nursing degree at S.F. State, then ended up in real estate for most of her career. Mom had a remarkable eye and collected local and international print artists and sculptors, filling her home with beauty. She had many old San Francisco friends and made new ones in real estate, collectors and gallery circles, at S.F. Towers where she spent her last few years, and while traveling the world, which she loved to do.

In her salad days she was a fast driver, a darn good skier, and a decent bridge player. In her later years, she became a devoted grandma, attending art shows and soccer, volleyball, baseball, and karate games and exhibitions. She was a great cook and made her much-beloved brisket every Chanukah (alongside her almost equally beloved green Jello mold), but cooking wasn’t her favorite pastime: Instead, she loved nothing more than to take her family or to go with good friends to the newest, latest restaurants in San Francisco, especially sushi. She also loved the S.F. Ballet and Symphony, and Berkeley Rep.

Mostly, she loved her kids, Judi (Carl Speizer) and Andrew (Syvia Magid); her grandkids, Emily and Toby; her sisters, Yvonne (Gary) and Marilyn (Bob, d. 2008), her nieces and nephews Renee (Lyosha), Marc, Michelle (d. 2013), Crissy (Donald), Jeff (Kathryn), and Michael; her seven grand-nieces and nephews, and her big extended S.F. family. She died the way she lived, laughing in the company of her family and telling us all what to do. For the last many years of her life, she was cared for by the wonderful Dr. Kevin Saitowitz, whom she adored, and to whom we are all so grateful.

Her favorite charity was the San Francisco Food Bank, if you’d like to send a donation. Private services will be held, with a memorial to follow when we can have more than ten people in the room. We love you, mom. We’ll miss you always.

---

Ruth Cooper

On November 18, 2019, our Mom went to be with her Sidney.

Ruth was the most beloved wife of Sidney Cooper, beautiful and beloved Mother of Gary and Eileen Greenberg, Marcy Cooper, and Jeffrey (Rafia) Cooper. Daughter of Hannah and Issac Krantz, Grandmother of Brandon (Jennifer), Jeremy, Jason (Marla) Greenberg, Alyssa and Rhianna Cooper, Great-Grandmother of Ethan and Alaina Greenberg, Grandma Ruth to Alexandra Smirnov. Sister of Leo, Harry, Mark, and Claire Krantz, Sister-in-law to Esther Jacobsen (Ralph), Shandy Crug (Manny), and Edie Wasserman (Jerry). Very specially beloved by her nephew and wife Alan and Mary Crug. Nieces Becky Jacobsen Kauffman, Joel Jacobson, and Laura Jacobsen Mroz, Bobby Crug, (Dianna), and many other nieces, nephews, & cousins. Friend to Maddy, Val, Joan, and all her girls at Sonoma Retirement Community.

She was a lover of family, friends, books, documentaries, food, the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, of being right (always), and extremely stubborn to her very last day!

Her attitude as well as her love for her Sidney “forever” will never be forgotten — quite a story!

---

Robert M. Raymer

January 1, 1922–March 23, 2020

Longtime San Francisco lawyer Robert Marcus Raymer of Palo Alto passed away on March 23, 2020. He was 98 years old.

A native of Chicago, born January 1, 1922 to Nathan Raymer and Gertrude Eidenberg Raymer; progressive primary school education in Winnetka, IL. Confirmed at North Shore Congregation Israel; graduated New Trier High School, college undergraduate, ex-1943, and MBA at University of Chicago and its Graduate School of Business; JD Harvard Law School, 1948, on the GI Bill. In World War II he volunteered for the Army Air Force 1942, served in the Pacific Ocean areas with the 721st Army Airways Communications System Group, left active duty 1946.

Married to Shirley Stein Raymer, a pioneer in private college admissions counseling. Together, they:

-Closely supported their own and each other’s professional activities.

-Resided in Atherton, nurtured their garden.

-Traveled the continents; the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

-Partook of and supported Theater, Music, and the Arts both in the City and on the Peninsula.

-At Stanford, established a professorship in Cardiovascular Medicine and funding for a chair in Cancer Research and Teaching.

-At the Jewish Community Federation, funded in perpetuity College Scholarships, and at Harvard Law, set up a permanent Book Fund.

In San Francisco, Bob Raymer was associated with the law firm Cooper, White and Cooper continuously from 1950 to 2016, where formerly he was chairman. In his time there in active practice, he represented the San Francisco Chronicle and other media, airlines and public utilities.

Actively involved in establishing the Mabelle McLeod Lewis Memorial Fund, Mr. Raymer served for many years as trustee of the Fund, making grants to support completion of doctoral dissertations in the humanities, principally at Stanford and UC Berkeley.

Predeceased by his parents and his sisters Miriam R. Bennett and Barbara R. Menaker.

Survived by his wife Shirley Stein Raymer of Palo Alto, a nephew John (Lee) Bennett of Westlake Village, and nieces Nancy Bennett Evans of Bellevue, Washington, and Patricia Bennett of Palo Alto and Jan (Tom) Brock of Oakland and their children and grandchildren.

Gifts in memory to Congregation Beth Am, Los Altos Hills, CA or a charity of your own choice.

---

Shirley Phillips Sichel

Dec. 26, 1924–Feb. 16, 2020

Shirley Sichel passed away on Feb. 16, 2020 at the age of 95 in San Rafael, California. She was the wife of the late Warren Sichel.

Shirley was a native San Franciscan, a graduate of George Washington High School. She went on to receive a degree in dietetics from San Jose State College. In a career spanning more than 30 years, she worked in several hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the U.S. Veterans Hospital in Fresno, and the Permanente Medical Group in San Francisco, and as a private consulting dietitian at psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes.

A lifelong animal lover, Shirley supported research at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where she served on the Advisory Board, and at the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California, Davis. She was also involved with the Marin Humane Society in Novato, California, and the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, where she served on the Board.

She is survived by her daughter, Elaine, and niece, Mariette (Fillman) Siczewicz.

---

Manfred (Manny) Wildmann

April 16, 1930–March 24, 2020

Manfred (Manny) Wildmann, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, passed away from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy on March 24, 2020, a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday.

Manny, the youngest of four children, grew up in Philippsburg, Germany, where his grandfather was the head of the town’s small Jewish community. At age 10, Manny, along with the 20 other Jews of Philippsburg, was deported by the Germans to Camp de Gurs in southern France. Six months after arriving, his family was moved to a different camp, Rivesaltes. Manny and his two sisters were able to leave the camp and they survived the remainder of the war in France. His parents and older brother were deported to Poland and murdered at Auschwitz. In 2015, he returned to Philippsburg with 18 members of his family to be honored by the city leaders. Manny was the last remaining survivor of the Jewish community of Philippsburg.

After the war, Manny attended high school in Grenoble, France, then immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City with his two sisters. Manny graduated from CCNY in Mechanical Engineering, married, and moved to Los Angeles for a job in the aerospace industry. While working there, he earned a Master’s Degree in Engineering from UCLA. In 1962, he moved to Menlo Park where he worked at Ampex Corporation and eventually became Director of Research and Chief Scientist.

Manny thought it was important to educate the younger generation about the Holocaust, and he spoke about it whenever he was asked. In 2011, he was interviewed in the J. about his experience in the Holocaust. Currently, a video clip of him speaking about his deportation from Philippsburg plays at the Holocaust Museum in Washington.

Manny and Sylvia were active at Congregation Beth Jacob and supported Israel and the local Jewish community. Manny was an avid skier and also enjoyed traveling, reading, hiking, bicycling, swimming, bridge and crossword puzzles.

In retirement, he continued traveling the world, seeing family and friends, speaking and writing about the Holocaust and spoiling his grandchildren.

Manny is survived by Sylvia, his wife of 66 years, his three children Nadine, Hugo (Laura), and Viviane (Dan), eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He will be remembered for his intellect, his positive view on life and his love of family.

Condolences may be sent to Sylvia Wildmann, 4075 El Camino Way #327, Palo Alto CA 94306.

Memorial gifts may be made in his memory to Jewish Family and Children’s Services for Holocaust Survivors, or Yad Eliezer, which helps the needy in Israel: yadeliezer.org.