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

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Jerrilyn Beth Kaplan

Aug. 24, 1947–March 13, 2021

Jerrilyn (Harris) Kaplan, age 73, passed away on March 13, 2021 after a sudden, difficult battle with pancreatic cancer.  She was the wonderful mother of twin daughters and a grandmother of their three little girls: Nicole Kaplan (Blake Echols and Hannah Echols) and Dara Sue (Alan Sue, Lylah Sue and Rayah Sue). Jerrilyn is also survived by her siblings, Marvin Harris, Denise Handwerker and Jeff Cohen.

Jerrilyn was born in Oakland, California. She attended Skyline High School and graduated from UC Berkeley, where she met many of her lifelong friends. She met Robert Kaplan over a Thanksgiving weekend in 1974. It was love at first sight, and they were engaged to be married 10 weeks later. Jerrilyn was an elementary school teacher for over 30 years, an active member in her synagogue, Temple Israel, a passionate theatergoer, a world traveler, and was part of many groups that enjoyed hobbies such as quilting, books and cinema.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the following organizations: Berkeley Rep (2025 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94704), Friends of Alameda Free Library (P.O. Box 1024, Alameda, CA 94501), Temple Israel (3183 Mecartney Road, Alameda, CA 94502) or the American Cancer Society (P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123). Please reference “In memory of Jerrilyn Kaplan.” Private services have been held.

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Bessie (Shulkin) Mintz

Oct. 11, 1925–March 20, 2021

Bessie, a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away at The Elms in San Carlos, CA at the age of 95 years after a life well lived.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Harry Mintz, and survived by her daughters, Ellen Rosenberg (Martin) and Donna Feitelberg (Phillip); grandchildren, Jill Engel (Marc), Julie Kraus (Edward), Amy Levin (Aron) and Daniel Feitelberg (Brittany); as well as her nine great-grandchildren, Mollie, Harry and Jacob Kraus, Hannah and Maxwell Engel, Aria and Avery Feitelberg, and Cooper and Karlsen Levin. Bessie was dearly loved by and deeply loved each member of her family.

Bessie was born on Oct. 11, 1925 in Sioux City, Iowa, but grew up in Los Angeles. Shortly after graduating from Fairfax High School, she was introduced to a handsome Army Air corpsman, they fell in love, married and after World War II, moved to San Francisco where they raised two daughters, Ellen and Donna.

After Harry’s death in 1968, Bessie went to work at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Belmont, working with preschool children.  One of her proudest achievements, at the age of 76, was taking two college early childhood classes and writing her first term paper, on violence against women, receiving an A in both classes.

Bess loved to travel throughout the United States and abroad, but her “happy place” was Lake Tahoe, where she spent a week each summer with family members.

One of the last survivors of the “Greatest Generation,” Bessie lived up to that title.  She was a proud American, recently boasting that in her long voting career, she consistently voted for Democrats.

Donations may be made to the ALS Foundation or, because of Bessie’s love and dedication to children, the Jewish Community Center preschool in Foster City or Jewish Family and Children’s Services.

The family wishes to thank the dedicated and loving staff at The Elms for their incredible care treating each resident with respect, kindness, generosity and selflessness, as well as all her doctors and Sutter Health Hospice. We are eternally grateful.

Sinai-Redwood City

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Stanley Fox Newman

Sept. 8, 1924–Feb. 28, 2021

Stanley Fox Newman died Feb. 28 after a short hospitalization. The only child of Henry and Mildred (Fox) Newman, Stan was born on Sept. 8, 1924 in Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from high school at age 16 and attended Caltech in Pasadena, graduating in 1944 with a degree in chemical engineering. He enlisted in the Navy, serving on active duty until 1946, when he returned to Caltech to get his master’s degree.

In Pasadena, Stan met Miriam Edelman. They were married in New York City on April 28, 1945, shortly after he was commissioned. Their first son, David Michael Newman, was born in March 1946, while Stan was serving on the USS Perkins in the western Pacific.

Stan worked for Shell Development Company, first in Long Beach and then in the Bay Area. Their second son, Kenneth Alan Newman, was born in June 1949. Stan and Miriam lived in San Francisco until 1971, when they moved with his job, first to Cherry Hills, New Jersey, and then to Houston, Texas. They returned to the Bay Area in 1981 after Stan’s retirement from Shell. He finished his career at Catalytica, a small Silicon Valley firm. Although he rarely talked about his work, Stan was clearly a gifted engineer. He received several patents for his work at Shell Development and Catalytica.

In 1983, David invited him to try cross-country skiing. It was a perfect match. He became an avid skier, spending three weeks every year at Royal Gorge’s Wilderness Lodge near Soda Springs. He routinely out-paced skiers who were a generation younger and made friends with people to whom he remained close for years after he put his skis away in his mid 80s.

Stan and Miriam were enthusiastic supporters of Israel, and after Miriam’s death in 2017, Stan made major gifts to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Weizmann Institute of Science. He believed that Israel’s greatest strength was its people and that supporting its universities was a way of developing Israel’s human capital. He also made a major gift to Caltech, in thanks for the role it played in launching his career.

Stan is survived by his son and daughter-in-law David and Ellen Newman of San Francisco and grandson Benjamin Newman of Waltham, Massachusetts; his son and daughter-in-law Kenneth and Kathy Newman of Overland Park, Kansas, grandchildren Brian and Adam Newman and Kristin (Dylan) Rogers, and great-granddaughters Madelynn and Leah; and dear friend Mimi Rosenberg of Walnut Creek.

Donations in Stanley Newman’s name may be made to the Stanley and Miriam Newman AKIS Fellowship Fund of the American Associates of Ben-Gurion University or to your local food bank.

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Joseph Piade

June 22, 1923–March 2, 2021

Joseph Isaac Piade, beloved husband, father and friend, passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of March 2, 2021. He was 97 years young.

Joe was born on June 22, 1923, in Alexandria, Egypt to Isaac and Marie (Soussan) Piade. He received a formal French education and the beach was the center of his social life, where extended family and friends would spend time together. In 1956, he and his mother left Egypt for France, along with many of his relatives, and in 1959 he immigrated with his mother to the U.S. and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. His greatest joy there came from meeting his wife, Lois, and starting a family.

Joe worked as a successful insurance agent and manager for Prudential for over 20 years, and in 1978 he moved the family to Southern California. He later retired in West Hills (Los Angeles), where he continued to thrive and give back to his local and international community through volunteering and travel. Family and community were most important to him, especially his synagogue affiliations.

Joe’s positive outlook, warmth and Mediterranean spirit were obvious the moment he turned on his smile. He is remembered for having a twinkle in his eye, being a dapper dresser, for his firm handshake and his sweet tooth.

Joe was preceded in death by his sister Rachel (Piade) Mattatia. He is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Lois, of Walnut Creek, and his two children, Jeffrey (Martin Tilzer) and Lynne, both of San Francisco. Interment was held at Hills of Eternity in Colma. Memorial donations can be made to Jewish Family and Children’s Services, or the charity of your choice. May his memory be for a blessing.

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Reva Lee Riskin

April 14, 1932- March 23, 2021

Reva Lee Riskin, 88, passed away peacefully in her sleep while listening to Joni Mitchell, operatic arias and Hildegard Von Bingen on March 23, 2021 in Tiburon, California. A native San Franciscan, born on April 14, 1932, Reva was married to her late beloved husband Jack, for 52 years until his passing in 2015. Educated in the San Francisco public schools, she attended Lowell High School, U.C. Berkeley, Columbia University and, at 60 years old, earned her Ph.D. in psychology at the Wright Institute. In addition to being a third-grade teacher in Pacifica public schools until 1962, she was a therapist for the City and County of San Francisco later in life, as well as having a private practice, both from which she retired in 1999.

She was an avid reader, especially of the Sunday newspaper, loved travel, fine dining, never drank anything but water, pretended to love whiskey sours but always let someone else finish her drinks, and adored Almond Royals made by See’s Candies. What she loved most, aside from her husband and sons, were her three granddaughters, Adrienne, Kelly and Hannah, and in her later years was most happy when they visited.

She is survived by sons, Seth Riskin (Melissa) and Josh Riskin (Susan Lee); and granddaughters Adrienne Donskoy, Kelly Riskin and Hannah Riskin; first cousins Selma Small and her children, Steve and Andy, and Joe Rotenberg and his children, Jill and Cyd; first cousins once removed, Jason and Paul Geller; as well as numerous other cousins, spouses of cousins and friends whom she loved very much. Reva is preceded in death by her husband Jack, father Jacob, mother Hazel and daughter-in-law Kathy.

The family wishes to thank Sheryl Radomile, Eldercare Specialists, Beatrice Clark, Imelda Brann, Hospice by The Bay and everyone at Marin Convalescent Hospital in Tiburon for their care and devotion to our dear mom. Due to Covid, private services were held at Salem Memorial Park, Colma.

Donations in Reva’s memory can be made to the Jewish National Fund.

Sinai-SF