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

---

Freda Leuin

Nov. 5, 1921–June 13, 2022

Freda R. Leuin passed away on June 13, 2022, at 100 years of age. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Edwin Leuin. She is survived by her loving children, Jan Leuin (Martin Stone) and Tony Leuin (Jean Bertrand); she was the cherished grandmother of Miriam (Tony Fendler), Adam Leuin (Fallon Boyle), Emma Stone (Dylan Fox), Beth Leuin (Jacob Motz) and Sam Stone. “Big Grandma” to Josephine, Frances & Charlotte Fendler. She was funny, feisty, and above all, committed to her family and progressive values. She will remain in our hearts forever.

The family requests donations be made in Freda’s honor to the Ritter Center of San Rafael: rittercenter.org, or to Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco: hflasf.org.

Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636

---

Eugene Israel Mandel

May 29, 1925–May 28, 2022

Eugene Israel Mandel passed away peacefully on the afternoon of May 28, one day shy of his 97th birthday. His dear friend, Misako Sprout, his grandson, Jeremy Brown, daughter, Ruth Brown, and sons, Morris and Mike Mandel, were by his side. True to form, he drifted off in mid-sentence while telling us one of his favorite jokes.

Gene was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, by his parents, Frieda Mandel (nee Rosenzweig) and Morris Mandel (nee Monderstein), both of whom had arrived in the United States early in the 20th century, having fled the violent, antisemitic pogroms raging in Czarist Russia at that time, as well as the limited occupational opportunities available to Jews there.

Gene attended the city’s public schools, including City College of New York (CCNY), and went on to study at New York University College of Dentistry, from which he graduated in 1947.

The following year, while doing a dental internship at one of the municipal hospitals in New York, he was introduced to Marga Oppenheim, a registered nurse who had arrived in San Francisco in 1941 with her parents and siblings, Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. Later that year, Marga and Gene were married, and the following summer they left on an extended cross-country camping trip that ended in San Francisco.

They decided to remain in California, and after some time working as a civil servant dentist at the Presidio, Gene obtained a dental license and started a dental practice in the Sunset District of San Francisco. That was interrupted after four years by a two-year military obligation. Together, with their three small children, all born in the Bay Area, the family spent those two years at a naval auxiliary air station in the Imperial Valley, where Gene served as a navy dental officer. Following Gene’s discharge from the Navy, the family settled in the city of Santa Clara where Gene started a new dental practice.

In 1972, Marga and Gene moved to a house in Los Altos Hills, where they enjoyed the beauty of the natural surroundings and the quiet and privacy afforded by the location. They truly loved their new home, and it became a welcoming spot for both family and friends over the years. Their family vacations often involved hiking in the High Sierra Camps of Yosemite, and the two of them also enjoyed several visits to southwestern France, as well as many voyages up the Inside Passage of British Columbia.

Gene retired in 1993. Marga died in 2009 after 60 years of a happy, fruitful marriage, and Gene remained living alone in their house until 2016 when he moved to The Terraces, a retirement community in Los Altos, California. On numerous occasions, he remarked how much he loved and felt a part of The Terraces community. He developed many friendships, headed the movie committee, and was frequently visited by family and friends. He and his dear friend, Misako, whom he met in 2010, spent much time together taking small excursions and longer trips, spending time with their respective families and enjoying each other’s company. Gene’s last four years at The Terraces were also greatly enhanced by the arrival of his close friend, Charles, who moved there in 2018.

Gene loved and was passionate about many things: family, close friends, nature, travel, classical music, a good joke, reading (especially history and biographies) and discussing current events. He became proficient on his Apple computer, and unexpectedly developed a talent and passion for poetry, writing many excellent poems about a wide range of topics. His intellect, wit and humor remained completely intact. Gene was extremely compassionate and generous, frequently helping family, friends and many others in need with critical moral and financial support. He was the epitome of a mensch.

Gene leaves behind three children and their spouses: Morris (Sue), Mike (Laurie), Ruth (Ralph, dec. 1994); six grandchildren: Jenni (Jamie), Albert (Marina), Jeremy (Sarah), Olivia, Ben, Gina; and three great grandchildren: Kaleb, Jackson and Anthony. His humor, smile, intelligence and big heart will be dearly missed, but always remembered by many, both near and far.

---

Henry Sterngold

Sept. 20, 1923–June 9, 2022

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Henry Sterngold, a resident of the Palo Alto area for 38 years, has passed away. He was 98 years old. Henry was a rock for his friends and family, extraordinary in his optimism, his deep love for his family and commitment to Jewish values. Life for him was an adventure that he embraced wholeheartedly.

After growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., he earned an engineering degree from the University of Michigan, then entered the Navy as an officer during World War II. He served in the South Pacific in the Seabees, the construction brigade, and took enormous pride in his many achievements in those defining years. After the war, he married his great love and life partner, Levona Levy, and they raised four children in Fort Lauderdale.

Henry ran a construction company that built the City Hall, his synagogue, schools and hospitals. He was a bold risk-taker, too, starting several home-building companies and then moving to the Bay Area, which he and his wife loved exploring.

Henry’s wife, Levona, passed away in 2000. He is survived by his four children, Nancy, Arthur, James and Paul, and six grandchildren.

Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636