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

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Dr. Emile Daniel

On Aug. 13, 2022, Dr. Emile Daniel passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 95. Dr. Daniel was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1926, to a Jewish family, and he studied and received his degree from Cairo University, School of Medicine. He practiced medicine in Egypt, but was forced to flee political persecution in 1956. He remained briefly in France with family, before settling in the United States, where he began a successful private medical practice.

Dr. Daniel lived in San Francisco, where he met his wife, Suse Daniel, a nurse at Mount Zion hospital. He practiced medicine for over 40 years, raising his family and setting down permanent roots in the city. He was fluent in French and English and was a dedicated faculty member of Mount Zion Hospital and UCSF, among other local medical institutions. He was a tireless surgeon and an inspired mentor to both his patients and students.

Dr. Daniel was an avid traveler, who appreciated people and their cultural traditions. He defined himself as a lover of classical music and local arts, as he and his wife were long-standing members of the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and other local museums and charities. His love of family helped to shape his later years, as he was a positive presence in his grandchildren’s lives. His warmth and care for others will be missed.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Suse Daniel, and his two children, Janice and Andrew Daniel, and his three grandchildren, Zoe, David and Ethan, who all will miss him greatly.

Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636

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Rosanne P. Levitt

Aug. 15, 1937–Aug. 27, 2022

Rosanne P. Levitt, a longtime resident of San Mateo, passed away at the age of 85 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Born in Philadelphia, PA, to Elsie and Bernard Perlman, she was the eldest of four children. She had three younger brothers, Jason and Wesler, both of whom preceded her in death, and Neal. When Rosanne was 3 years old, the family moved to Galveston, Texas. The Galveston-Houston area provided Rosanne the opportunity to be surrounded by her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

As a child, Rosanne loved the beach. Some of her fondest childhood memories were of the beach in Galveston and her love for the beach continued until her death.

After graduating from Ball High School in 1955, Rosanne attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. As a freshman, she joined Alpha Epsilon Phi and made several lifelong friends. Rosanne met Al Levitt in the spring of her freshman year and they married on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 1957, in Galveston, Texas. Immediately after their celebration, Rosanne moved to Berkeley, Calif., where Al was attending law school.

While in Berkeley, Rosanne worked as a laboratory assistant at the Lawrence Livermore Lab. Her love of science and math were passed down to both her children and grandchildren. Over time, Rosanne and Al settled in San Mateo to raise their family and they lived there for more than 55 years.

Rosanne was active in both the local and Jewish communities. She was a member of the League of Women Voters and actively campaigned for several causes, including the effort to save Sugarloaf Mountain in the mid-1970s. She was involved in the children’s schools and was a Brownies leader for her daughter Susan’s Brownies troop.

As the children became settled in school, Rosanne returned to school at San Francisco State University to complete her bachelor’s degree and later received her master’s degree in psychology. After receiving her master’s degree, Rosanne worked at the Suicide Prevention Center.

In 1986, Rosanne became the director of the San Francisco Jewish Community Center’s Interfaith Connection. During her 18 years of service in this position, Rosanne touched the lives of hundreds of interfaith couples. She put her heart and soul into providing top-notch programming for couples who previously did not have access to an open forum for couples with different faith perspectives.

Rosanne loved to travel. She and Al traveled to six continents and more than 70 countries. Rosanne meticulously planned each of the trips. She loved to read and learn about each of the places she visited.

Rosanne was also a lover of the theater, ballet and the arts; she took up painting later in her life, and created beautiful still-life pictures that adorn Al and their children’s homes.

Above all, Rosanne’s great joy in life was being mother and grandmother. She relished in being the magnet that pulled the family together.  She regularly hosted Chanukah parties and Passover seders. She also enjoyed vacationing with her children and grandchildren every year. Some of her favorite destinations were Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, Yosemite or one of the three spectacular cruises the family took together.

Rosanne is survived by her beloved husband of 64 years, Al; her loving children Brad (Selena), Doug (Lori), Susan (Michael); and her cherished grandchildren Sarah, Hannah, Brooke, Sloane, Ryan, Maya; as well as numerous cousins, nieces and friends.

A celebration of Rosanne’s life will be held at Peninsula Temple Beth El, 1700 Alameda de Las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Jewish Family and Children’s Services, 2150 Post St., S.F. 94115; Rhoda Goldman Plaza, 2180 Post St., S.F. 94115; or a charity of your choice.

Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636

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Lynne Dianne Raider

July 5, 1943–Aug. 26, 2022

Lynne Raider was born in New York, raised in Mobile, Alabama, but was predominantly, and proudly, a San Franciscan.

Beloved by all who knew her, Lynne touched many with her charitable nature, her love for art, music, birding, tennis (especially Roger Federer) and good food, and for her joyous and independent spirit.

A proud UC Berkeley grad, Lynne spent many years working in retail, and then Pacific Bell, from which she retired. In a time when it was extremely uncommon, she raised her only child, Melinna, as a single mother.

In recent years, Lynne became a strong advocate for Parkinson’s disease research, participating in many studies and conferences to help search for a cure.

Although she was raised with a brother and sister (David Raider and Paula Raider, both of blessed memory) she discovered two years ago that she had a half sister, Joyce Hamersmith, living in Miami. In July, Lynne visited Joyce, met her entire new extended family and dipped her toes in the Gulf Coast waters one last time.

Lynne is survived by her daughter, Melinna Gershik and son-in-law Adam Hanin; her grandchildren Sam and Sarah Gershik and Arianna and Alexandra Hanin; and her sister Joyce Hamersmith.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation; Food Runners; Springhill Avenue Temple, Mobile, AL; UC Berkeley (Go Bears!); or any cause that will make the world a better place.

Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636

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Howard H. Sussman

Oct. 21, 1934–July 14, 2022

Dr. Howard H. Sussman passed away surrounded by his children early on July 14, 2022. He was predeceased by his parents, Maurice D. Sussman, lawyer, and Sarah (Sally, née Rosenfeld), and sister, Laura. His wife, Neilda Sussman (née Freedman), passed away in 2014.

Howard was born and spent his childhood in northeast Portland, Oregon, part of a large extended family closely tied to the city’s Jewish community. He graduated from Grant High School as valedictorian in 1952. In his later years, when asked who Grant High’s rival was he responded: “Grant had no rivals.” He earned his BS from University of Oregon, then a MS in biochemistry and an MD from Oregon Health & Science University. After spending much of the 1960s on the East Coast doing medical residencies at the National Institutes of Health and N.Y.-Presbyterian Hospital, he returned to the West Coast in 1970 to take a faculty position in pathology at the Stanford School of Medicine.

Howard met the love of his life, Neilda, on a blind date while living in Washington, D.C. She followed him to San Francisco, where they married in 1970. They raised three children in the Ladera neighborhood of Portola Valley, and their home became a meeting place for their families and large community of friends.

Howard was a devoted family man and proud and kind father to his children, Sarah (Nicolas), Rai Sue (Bernie) and Daniel (Patricia). He was always there to see his kids off to school and for nightly family dinners. He was a proud grandfather to Alec and Magali Saint-Arnaud, Avigdor and Neilda Jean Sussace, and Ariella and Lilah Sussman. He had close relationships with his sister-in-law Ceevah Sobel and her husband Irwin, his sister Roberta Olman, dear nephew and niece Steven Sussman and Sally Khandadash, and many other family members and friends.

Always athletic, he joined his father in playing baseball and handball. He was the 1955 University of Oregon handball champion and continued to play through adulthood. Baseball was a particular love and he was catcher on Grant High’s state champion team in 1951. He shared baseball with his children, coaching their little league and softball teams. Other athletic feats included climbing and summiting Mount Hood in the early 1950s (after which he decided not to pursue more mountain climbing), skiing and swimming. He would sometimes walk or bike to work a few miles away, or go on long bike rides after work or on the weekends. He used his athleticism in the lab and kitchen to catch dropped test tubes or glasses with his foot, like a hackysack, to prevent them from shattering.

When Howard started at Stanford, its Pathology Department had just been formed. He took on the role of organizing the clinical pathology laboratory into a functional research and testing lab. His interest in medical research and computer systems led him to work with computer scientist graduate students to automate Stanford Hospital’s clinical laboratory operations. The system that they put in place was adopted by Stanford Hospital and used for the next 30 years. He also collaborated with and mentored countless scientists, eventually publishing over 80 scientific papers.

Upon his passing, many of those whom he worked with over the years fondly recalled his friendship and guidance of their professional growth. To quote one laboratory colleague: “His insightful smile, glare and/or perplexed look provided us with the instant feedback we needed to navigate through our professional journeys. We all loved your dad!” Later in his career, he consulted on hospital laboratories and collaborated with scientists in the U.S. and abroad, including Vietnam, China and Mexico. He often brought Neilda along on his travels.

Howard’s interests ranged far beyond medicine. He had a unique sense of humor, sometimes juvenile, always dry. His love and retention of history was legend, as was his appetite for reading and his extensive home library. He could converse on a myriad of topics, including obscure battles, pre-Roman history, sports and politics. He would expound on biblical and pre-Judaic history each year while conducting Passover seders surrounded by guests. He participated in a monthly salon, the Saturday Morning Club. Howard lived an aesthetic life: he had style, enjoyed art and music, and cultivated friendships with a wide range of people. He loved cars, and a special treat for his kids was to go for a ride in his 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS, which he bought new and drove across the country, or the 1950 Willys-Overland Jeepster, the first car he and Neilda bought together.

After the passing of his love, Neilda, Howard turned to his battle with Parkinson’s disease. In his later years, he was well-cared for at Palo Alto Commons. The family wishes to especially thank Rita, Hazel, Jean and Chris, caregivers who all treated him with loving competence, skill and respect. He will be missed by many. The family suggests donations in his memory to Peninsula Open Space Trust, HIAS, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, or to the charity of your choice.