Obituaries are supported by a generous grant from Sinai Memorial Chapel.
Shirley Edelson
June 5, 1927–July 14, 2024
Mothers teach us to love, to bloom and to find our place in the world where we can positively impact the lives of others.
Shirley was born to Mary and Herman Shansky in Great Falls, Montana. She met her husband, Dan, at a B’nai B’rith function in the Bay Area. Both Dan and Shirley were presidents of their club. They married on Aug. 20, 1950, and started their family in 1957. They adopted three children, Ellen, Maureen and Marty.
Shirley loved children so much she started her own daycare business in San Francisco. At times, Shirley could have 20 children running around her home eating popsicles and tripping on toys. If the parents could not afford to pay Shirley, she would watch their child for free.
Shirley was someone who brought a warm and positive smile to anyone she met, making all feel welcome. When Dan got sick and had to give up his accounting practice, Shirley had to give up her daycare business so he could rest at home. At 53 years old, she started working at the office supply store Patrick and Co. on Mission Street. All of the customers loved her. Shirley charmed the socks off everyone. She continued to work at Patrick and Co. for 37 years until she retired on March 31, 2017, just two months shy of turning 90.
Shirley was predeceased by her husband, Dan, and her two adoring sisters, Lila and Ruthie. Shirley is survived by her children, Ellen, Maureen (Gary) and Marty, and her four grandchildren, Brittany, Matthew, Danielle and Sarah.
As Shirley would say, “One day at a time.”
Graveside services were held at Home of Peace on July 17 followed by a Celebration of Life at Congregation Ner Tamid.
In lieu of flowers, you can make a donation to the charity of your choice.
Leah Nelson Ezray
We are saddened to announce the death of Leah Ezray in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday, July 3, at the age of 91. She was a devoted wife, beloved sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, aunt and great-aunt who treasured each member of her family.
Leah was born in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to Sacramento in 1960. She was active in the Jewish community and instilled a strong Jewish identity in each of her children. Leah was a gifted educator who taught 4th grade and art. She was a pioneer in founding an innovative magnet school which utilized integrative curricula. In addition, she helped found the Shalom School in Sacramento.
Leah was a political activist who fought for social justice and taught her family to stand up for justice. She was a feminist who fought for equal rights and made sure her sons knew how to cook, and insisted her daughter take upper-level math well before it was commonplace. In retirement, Leah volunteered for multiple organizations. She was a devoted archivist for over 20 years at Congregation B’nai Israel and for the city of Sacramento. She ran health conferences for Hadassah and helped the Central Valley Holocaust Educators’ Network thrive.
A strong and independent woman, Leah devoted herself to her health and exercised on a regular basis. She not only took yoga classes but led them at the YMCA for decades. She was an extraordinary artist whose works are treasured by those blessed to have them.
Leah is survived by husband Mervin Ezray; sons Jay (Michelle) Ezray and Rabbi Nathaniel (Mimi) Ezray, daughter Leyne (Eric) Milstein; grandchildren Evan (Alicia) Ezray, Brianna (Drew) Wham, Emily (Mike) Dressler, Hannah Milstein (Alex Eppler), Abby Milstein and Ethan Ezray and great-grandchildren Mateo Ezray, Lucas Ezray and Violet Wham.
Leah left a legacy of cherishing friends and family and the importance of showing up for the large and small moments in life. She will be missed. Her memory is a blessing.
Bobbie (Roberta) Goldstein
Jan. 4, 1941–June 8, 2024
Bobbie (Roberta) Goldstein passed away on June 8 in Portland, Oregon.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, to Jack and Celia Tuck Lazarus, she is the beloved mother of Jeff (Kendra), Mark (Lauren) and David (deceased). Bobbie was married to Michael (deceased), whom she met at Cal, and raised her children on the Peninsula. She was a lifelong Jewish educator who started the Peninsula Temple Sholom preschool. She was Bubbie/Baboo to her precious grandchildren Amelia, Olivia, Jack, Evan, Sadie and Bodie. She was a loving sister to Sydney (George) Levine and Alan (deceased), as well as her nieces and nephews Cari (Mike), Craig (Shana) Jacob, Scarlett and Beau.
Robert L. Katz
Professor, Business Executive, and Environmentalist
Jan. 8, 1926–June 30, 2024
Robert L. Katz, a lifelong Bay Area resident, World War II veteran, university professor, business executive and environmental leader, died peacefully on June 30, 2024. He was 98 years old.
A fourth-generation Californian, Bob was born Jan. 8, 1926, in San Francisco. He attended Montezuma School for Boys, UC Berkeley, Stanford and Harvard. While at Cal he enrolled in Naval ROTC and after graduation served as an officer in the Pacific during WWII.
In 1953 he married Susan Goldsmith of San Francisco. The couple moved East as Bob taught in the graduate schools of business at Dartmouth and Harvard before returning back home to teach at Stanford. He authored several business textbooks and articles, including a Harvard Business School Classic “Skills of an Effective Administrator.” He was a favorite speaker for the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and provided leadership to corporations worldwide such as Petro-Lewis, Newell Brands and Pratt Industries.
With a lifelong love and appreciation for ecology and conservation, Bob moved his family to Portola Valley in 1959 for its natural beauty and proximity to Stanford. He was on the organizing committee to incorporate the Town to protect against rapid unchecked growth. After incorporation, he served as Chairman of the Town’s first Planning Commission.
He also served as President and CEO of US Natural Resources Inc., a subsidiary of which ran the concession operations for Yosemite Park and Curry Company. Under Bob’s leadership, a number of important conservation and preservation undertakings were completed in Yosemite Valley, including limiting car traffic, the introduction of propane buses, and transforming paved roads to hiking trails.
Bob was involved with many environmental organizations and nonprofit boards, which included the Board of Trustees for the California State Parks system, Sempervirens Fund and BUILD.
Bob loved family, friends and community. He was an avid golfer and member at Sharon Heights and Stanford Golf Clubs. He also took great pleasure in skiing, backpacking, fly fishing, horseback riding and especially traveling with family.
He was married to Susan for 44 years until her death in 1997, and is survived by three sons: Andrew (Nancy) of Portola Valley, Peter (Meg Marks) of Menlo Park and Jeffrey (Maureen Weingeist) of San Antonio, Texas; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Any donations in Bob’s name may be made to your favorite charity.
Fred Offenbach
April 6, 1927–July 6, 2024
Frederick George Offenbach, beloved partner, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on Saturday, July 6, at his home in Cupertino. He is survived by his partner Penny, his three children Karen (William) Gourdin, Paula (Rabbi George) Schlesinger, and Randy (Elaine) Offenbach, as well as six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Fred was born in San Francisco to Ira and Goldie Offenbach. After graduating from Commerce High School, he served a brief stint in the Navy and earned a degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley, a perfect fit for his curious and analytical mind.
In 1948 he married Verlayne Shaves, and in 1955 they moved to San Carlos to raise their children. There, Fred enjoyed gardening, including growing orchids and succulents in greenhouses he built. Fred was a lifelong tinkerer and engineer, regularly dreaming up and executing home-improvement projects.
After Verlayne’s death in 2015, Fred moved to Cupertino where he met Penny Gardner, who became his loving partner for the rest of his life. Funeral services were held at Skylawn Memorial Park.
Sinai Memorial | (415) 921-3636
Charles “Chuck” William Pascal
April 28, 1944–June 25, 2024
Dr. Charles “Chuck” William Pascal, D.D.S., a distinguished dentist, community leader, and loving family man, passed away on June 25, 2024, at the age of 80. A native of Southern California, he was born on April 28, 1944, to Aaron Byron Pascal – a Merchant Marine – and Victoria Pascal. He grew up alongside his older brother Barry and his younger sister Valinda.
In 1961, he graduated from Birmingham High School in the San Fernando Valley. After completing three years towards a civil engineering degree, Chuck decided to change paths and applied to dental school. He was accepted to the University of Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco, where he ultimately received his degree.
While in dental school, Chuck met the love of his life, Beth. One fateful evening in 1968, Beth was helping her friend Marcia Wolff get ready for her date at a dental school fraternity dance with Roger Pelzner (Chuck’s best friend). In walked Chuck (with a date) and Roger. Although their first encounter was brief, it was love at first sight for Chuck. After begging for Beth’s number, Beth and Chuck had their first date on June 29, 1968. They were engaged after three months, and married less than a year later, on May 24, 1969. Their whirlwind romance led to a beautiful marriage of 55 years filled with love and companionship.
In 1970, Chuck went on to serve as a Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve Dental Corps. He was stationed on Treasure Island in San Francisco. Following his service in the Navy, he opened a private practice in General and Advanced Restorative Dentistry in San Mateo, which he maintained for 45 years until his retirement in 2015. He loved going to work every day.
Chuck was a “dentist to the greats” – the team dentist for the San Francisco Giants baseball team for 21 years. During his tenure with the Giants, he conducted groundbreaking research with the National Institutes of Health and the University of California on the effects of smokeless tobacco on baseball players. This led to the development of a nationwide protocol for annual oral examinations for professional baseball players. In addition, he published over 300 articles for the Dental Digest column in the local paper, the San Mateo Times.
His passion for the practice of dentistry also prompted his position as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry – a position which he held for over 12 years (both during his time practicing and during retirement). He loved teaching and was excited to share his expertise with the next generation.
He was also deeply embedded in his community. Chuck was a resident of Hillsborough for over 50 years. He was a dedicated member of local service clubs. He was President of the Burlingame Lions Club and later was an active member of the San Mateo Rotary Club. He also held leadership roles in the Jewish community at Peninsula Temple Sholom, serving as President of the temple and the brotherhood.
He was a licensed HAM radio operator, and was a volunteer sheriff of San Mateo County in the communications unit, which provided support and assistance to the community during local and regional events and emergencies.
Outside of his professional achievements and community involvement, he had many, many hobbies, and always kept himself busy reading, learning, creating or fixing something around the house.
He had a passion for sculpting and building models, which was his focus from his retirement up until his passing. He spent countless hours in his “hobby room,” where he worked on his many “projects.”
One of his completed projects – a large-scale airplane – is currently on display on the second floor of the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California.
His home was adorned with many of his bronze sculptures, including a chess set he carved piece by piece representing the historical Battle of Agincourt, which he cast in bronze and silver.
Additionally, up until a couple of months before he passed, he was putting the finishing touches on a model of the 15th-century English fighting ship “Sovereign of the Seas.”
Finally, he loved sailing. Chuck enjoyed sailing the San Francisco Bay with his sons for many years. He frequently took the family on tours of the Bay on large and small catamarans. He even completed a sailboat race with his oldest son Gregory.
Chuck leaves behind a legacy of professional excellence, community service, and artistic creativity. His memory will be cherished by all who knew him. His family was so proud of him and all his life’s accomplishments and will miss him forever.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Beth; his sons Gregory (Cynthia) Pascal and Larry (Shani) Pascal; his daughter Allison (Mark) Javitch; and his seven grandchildren, Aaron Pascal, Levi Pascal, Michael Pascal, Noa Pascal, Lielle Pascal, Abe Javitch, and Charlotte Javitch. He is also survived by his brother Barry (Shirley) Pascal of Northridge. And, of course, his dog Harry.
Donations can be made in honor of Chuck to Hiller Aviation Museum and Chabad North Peninsula.
Joel Riff
Isaac Joel Riff passed away in Manhattan on June 16, 2024, at age 73, due to respiratory failure.
Joel was born and raised in Chicago (West Rogers Park) to Morris Riff and Esther (Weingarten) Riff. A son of Holocaust survivors, Joel graduated from Mather High School, the University of Michigan, and the University of Chicago Law School. He worked for more than 30 years as a lawyer in Silicon Valley, including at GCA Law Partners and Fenwick & West, where he served as chair of the licensing and online commerce group. Joel started his career as a software engineer, and spent a year on Kibbutz Ketura in Israel. In 2016, Joel returned to Chicago, and then to New York to be closer to his children and beloved grandchildren.
Joel was a lifelong lover of Yiddish language and culture, political news and discussion, folk music, and cinema. He is remembered by lifelong friends, family, and colleagues, who treasured their relationships with someone so patient, thoughtful, earnest, full of empathy, and free of judgment.
Joel is deeply mourned by his sons Adam and Daniel Riff, his son-in-law Chris Coffey, his grandchildren Will and Sona Riff-Coffey, his brother Bernie Riff, his niece Jessi Young Riff, and Judi Zyroff, with whom he celebrated many joyful occasions even after the end of their 35-year marriage.
Joel was buried at the Hills of Eternity cemetery in Colma on June 18, 2024. Donations in Joel’s memory can be made to the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Mignon Offel
Mignon “Midge” (Schlussel) Offel died peacefully in her sleep on July 13, 2024, at the age of 94 in San Mateo. Despite being a resident of San Mateo for close to 70 years, Midge was a proud native San Franciscan, born and raised in the Richmond District where she attended Frank McCoppin Elementary School and Presidio Junior High School, and graduated in the Class of ‘48 from George Washington High School.
Fearful of becoming an “old maid” (at 24), she knew that future husband Armand Offel was the one for her when her dog, Mutt, took an instant liking to him, a first among the dates she had in her late teens and early 20s. In 1955, they married and moved to a home on Randall Road in San Mateo where they resided together for over 50 years, raising their two children, Janet and Jim, before Armand entered a board and care in San Mateo for the last several years of his life, and Midge became a member and resident of the Peninsula Regent. Over the 10 years she resided at the Regent, Midge continued her lifelong habit of making good friends, enjoyed several weekly bridge games, regularly attended the San Francisco Symphony, and enjoyed the many benefits of the Regent.
Midge is survived by her daughter Rabbi Janet Offel (Michael Nebenzahl), son Jim Offel (Nancy Lewin), grandchildren Josh and Bryn, nephew and niece Steven and Karen Schlussel and her beloved cousins in the Spiegelman family.
Charitable donations in Midge’s memory can be made to the Morris Spiegelman Fund at Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco, a memorial fund established to honor her beloved grandfather and his contributions to the San Francisco Jewish community (including his service as President of HFL in the early 20th century) or to the Peninsula Regent Educational Grant Fund at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, to support Regent staff members in their pursuit of educational goals and in recognition of the devoted care Midge received at the Regent.
Bella Seligman
Aug. 22, 1938–July 5, 2024
Bella Behrendt Seligman, age 85, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, July 5, 2024. Born in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 22, 1938, to Mia and Harry Behrendt, Bella’s early life was marked by resilience and bravery. In 1939, her family fled to Shanghai, China, where they lived in the Hongkew Ghetto. They later immigrated to the United States in November 1947, seeking a better life.
Bella was a devoted mother to Susan Koff (Stephen) and Ronald Seligman (Deborah), and a cherished grandmother to Stacy and Tracy Koff, and Rebecca and David Seligman.
She was known for her vibrant personality, finding joy in laughter, long phone conversations, and playing Mahjong with her many friends. Bella’s family was the center of her world, and she will be remembered for the deep bonds she shared with them and her unwavering love and dedication.
Donations to be sent in lieu of flowers to gaucherdisease.org.
Sinai Memorial | (415) 921-3636
Cynthia “Cindy” Pepper (Hornstein)
Nov. 14, 1961–June 21, 2024
“She danced her way through life”
Cynthia “Cindy” Pepper lived a beautiful life filled with love, passion, curiosity, creativity and optimism. Cynthia devoted her life to family and creative pursuits. She passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family and holding her husband’s hand.
Cynthia was born to Maggie Weiss and Sanford Pepper, the owner of a 4th-generation business in Salt Lake City, where she spent her formative years. Influenced by her mother’s family legacy of Fantasy Records and the Blackhawk Nightclub, she chose a career in the arts.
Cynthia began her performance career with Virginia Tanner’s Children’s Dance Theatre at the University of Utah prior to the age of 3. She performed around the world with Virginia, and at the age of 8 danced at the White House for the president.
Graduating with a BFA in Dance from California Institute of the Arts, Cynthia performed with Bella Lewitzky Company at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Shortly after, Cynthia was enamored with the beauty of Marin County where she relocated. She spent many years teaching dance mostly to children at Marin Ballet and Marin Dance Theatre and choreographing and producing dance-related events and dance films, writing books and scripts, and generally being creative.
Cynthia received an MA in Creative Arts from San Francisco State University and continued to produce dance, film and art projects, mostly in the Bay Area. She created outreach dance programs to bring live musicians into the schools throughout the Bay Area, educating thousands of children in over 30 world dance forms. She estimated that she taught over 8,000 students.
Cynthia also created 14 original short dance films for television, internet and international film festivals. Alongside her producing partner, Melinda Darlington-Bach, she produced Emmy Award–winning fashion shows, performances, and short films for Disney, Nickelodeon, and Sesame Street.
Cynthia spent much of the last decade presenting oil, acrylic, and collage multimedia paintings in gallery showings, and her artwork graces many homes.
Some of her creative legacy can be found at CynthiaPepper.com.
In 1990, Cynthia married Val Hornstein, a softball-playing lawyer. Along with her love for the arts, Cynthia made her family her top priority. She was enormously proud to have raised two beautiful daughters, to have created a loving household for her family and to have had the love of hundreds of friends.
Cynthia’s life was taken by an incurable metastatic kidney cancer that she fought for more than four years with courage, determination and grace. She led a full life during that fight.
Cynthia is survived by her husband of 34 years, Val Dawson Hornstein, her daughters Olivia “Sunbeam” Dora Hornstein and Rose “Rosebud” Sarah Hornstein, her siblings Lisa Pepper-Satkin and Mark (Margaret) Pepper, and her mother J. Maggie Weiss.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to honor Cynthia’s life and memory to Congregation Rodef Sholom (San Rafael, CA) and the UCSF Medical Center.