Obituaries are supported by a generous grant from Sinai Memorial Chapel.
Leslie Allen Finkelstein
Sept. 4, 1941–Nov. 14, 2023
Leslie Allen Finkelstein did not pass away due to wet socks, sitting in a draft or having wet hair. Rather, he died peacefully, surrounded by family after a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s.
Les was born on Sept. 4, 1941, in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up pumping gas at his dad’s Sinclair station. In high school, he was the class clown. His principal laughed when he handed him a diploma — never thinking he’d graduate because he was busy pulling so many pranks. But he always managed to squeak through. After high school, he worked as an actual clown at Adam’s Dairy, helping promote buttermilk at local grocery stores.
He went on to become a cook in the U.S. Army and fondly told his family stories of hot dog fights in the kitchen and killing cockroaches that climbed the walls by throwing lemons, limes and other assorted fruit. Notwithstanding the fruit and hot dogs, the Army taught him discipline, and helped him lose the extra 50 pounds put on during childhood by an immigrant mother obsessed with always getting enough nourishment.
He spent nine years driving through small towns in the Midwest as a traveling salesman and personally sold garments to Sam Walton, who at the time was running three small retail stores in Arkansas.
One of his proudest accomplishments was sneaking into a press conference with a Brownie camera and spending the day photographing The Beatles during their first U.S. tour in 1962.
He met his wife-to-be of 54 years, Ruth Marchick, at the Hillel House at Washington University. Tired of driving 50,000 miles a year, he settled down in St. Louis and started Sunshine Drapery & Interior Fashions, which he ran for over 40 years. He expanded and opened furniture stores in four states. He later opened a chain of Discount Decorating outlet stores. He also started an e-commerce store selling wallpaper online, which was later sold to Home Depot.
During the process of running his retail stores, Les fell in love with commercial real estate. He purchased a small, rundown strip shopping center in O’Fallon, Illinois, and worked tirelessly to improve it with nontraditional tenants. He gave many small business owners a chance to achieve success, with below market prices for leases and generous mentoring.
Les loved his three children, Jeffrey, Daniel and Lisa, and talked to them at least every day. On the weekends, he spent endless time with them, building a two-story treehouse that spanned three trees and had a fireman’s pole and mini-blinds.
He loved reading stories to his two grandchildren, Sadie and Jay, when they were little, taking them on Disney princess vacations and always making them smile.
When it was time to retire, they moved to San Francisco to be closer to Ruth’s family. Les couldn’t stop talking — he always had a story or a joke at the tip of his tongue — so he decided to become a licensed City Guide and gave walking tours of the neighborhoods of San Francisco.
Les Finkelstein profoundly affected the lives of people around him. Les grew up very poor and always wanted to help others. He hated injustice and proudly served on the board of the Anti-Defamation League, even after being threatened by neo-Nazis. He marched for gay rights, served on the board of Hillel at Washington University, helped dozens of fresh immigrants get settled in the United States and mentored hundreds of people in business.
Please consider honoring his memory by making a donation to the ADL of San Francisco (sanfrancisco.adl.org) or the San Francisco City Guides (sfcityguides.org).
Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636
Philip Flax
May 1, 1933–Nov. 6, 2023
Philip Leon Flax, whose life reflected the art that he supported, died on Nov. 6 in Santa Rosa, California. His beloved wife, Toby, was at his side.
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, to Sylvia and Herman Flax, on May 1, 1933, he was the youngest child with two older siblings, Jerry and Lita. When he was 3, the family traveled West to settle in San Francisco. He attended neighborhood schools. Upon graduation from Lowell High, he enlisted in the Army, returning home for the untimely death of his father in 1955. He joined the family business, Flax’s Artist Materials, in San Francisco. Phil encouraged the talents of prominent local artists. He became known as a brilliant retailer, turning the “mom and pop” art store into a destination where, after 85 years, it is now recognized as a Legacy Business.
In 1957, Phil met his true love, Carol Toby Melmon; his life gained a new completeness when they married in 1958. Together, they created beautiful homes incorporating the design skills of both. He was proud of his membership at the Mechanics Institute where he was member No. 76. Phil and Toby spent their first years in San Francisco. After the births of their three children, Howard, Craig and Leslie, they moved to San Rafael.
They enjoyed their commitment to Marin County activities, both avid golf and tennis players, eventually moving to Healdsburg, where they planted acres of grapes, the pride of a satisfying partnership with the Russian River Pinot Noir pioneer wineries William Selyem and Merry Edwards. Their beautiful ranch became the playground for the next generation of Flaxes.
His favorite role was that of Poppee to his six grandchildren, Emilie and Charlotte, Isabel and Jackie, Nathaniel and Ella. His prowess with bridge and poker served as entrée to new friendships when he and Toby moved to Varenna in Santa Rosa.
He was a man well loved and respected. His was a life well lived. He will be sadly missed by many nephews and nieces, by old and new friends and especially by his own Toby, Howie (Patty), Craig (Jenn) and Leslie (Thierry).
A celebration of life is being planned for the near future.
Terry Keith
June 28, 1927–Nov. 14, 2023
We have lost Terry Boran Keith, a San Francisco treasure. Terry was born in Pueblo, Colorado, to Sam and Rifka (Finer) Bornstein.
Terry met her future husband, Max, at Stanford University. They were married for 70 years and had three children: Sidney, Harold and Miriam.
Terry is predeceased by her devoted husband Max and son Harold; she is survived by her loving children Sidney (Carolyn) and Miriam, her grandchildren Rivka and Noah, the lights of her life, as well as many cherished relatives, friends and neighbors.
Terry was at the heart of a vibrant prosperous era in San Francisco, which we will never see again.
Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636
Donna Lynn Taub
Aug. 27, 1948–Nov. 10, 2023
Donna Lynn Taub of Los Altos was born on Aug. 27, 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, to Abe and Florence Newman. She had an idealistic childhood growing up in Levittown and Wantagh on Long Island, New York, playing outside all day with her friends and siblings, older brother Neil Newman and younger sister Lois Newman. She graduated from Levittown Memorial High School in 1966. She stayed close to many of her childhood friends throughout her lifetime.
Donna attended college at American University in Washington, D.C., studying art history. She became an art teacher and moved out West to San Francisco in her famed hippie era (with an afro to boot). Donna’s brother had moved earlier to the Bay Area and had two children with his wife, Phyllis. The pediatrician for the children was a nice Jewish man, and they decided to set up Donna and the doctor. He was very impressed by her intelligence, sense of humor, good looks and red hair.
The setup was a success, and Donna and Eli Taub married on Sept. 25, 1977. They soon had a son, David, in 1978, and they moved into their home in Los Altos. A daughter, Ilana, followed in 1981 who inherited the red hair, much to her delight.
Donna was a dedicated mother, and shifted her career to be available for the kids’ needs and worked in one of her passions — travel. She became a travel agent and worked in Los Altos, always around for Girl Scout troop duty and watching her son’s school performances. Donna and Eli traveled the world together, from journeys throughout Europe and Asia, including Israel and many, many cruises.
As times changed and travelers used the internet more than travel agents, Donna shifted again and started “side hustles” before they were a thing, making money selling books on eBay and day-trading stocks. She was a regular at the post office and was very successful, paying for any new car with her earnings.
Donna enjoyed playing mahjong with a dedicated group of friends every week for 30 years, being a grandmother and continuing to travel the world.
Donna passed away at home surrounded by family on Nov. 10 at age 75 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. When she learned the diagnosis, she told Eli, “I’ve had a wonderful life for 75 years, and I am grateful.”
Donna is survived by her husband of 46 years, Eli; her son, David, his wife, Michelle, and grandchildren Mettabel, Atalia and Zebulon; her daughter, Ilana; her brother, Neil (wife Phyllis and children Jason and Justin); and her sister, Lois (children Amber and Alex). She was preceded in death by her mother, Florence, and her father, Abe.
Sinai Memorial
(650) 369-3636