Obituaries are supported by a generous grant from Sinai Memorial Chapel.
Fay Goodman
Fay Goodman, a woman of style, elegance, class, and generosity, passed away peacefully in San Mateo after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease at age 91 years old.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Fay cherished her family and enjoyed many happy years as a longtime member of Lake Merced Golf Club, where she played weekly card games with dear friends and celebrated special occasions with loved ones.
Fay is survived by her loving daughter, Marcie Salberg; her supportive son-in-law, Gerry Salberg; and her wonderful grandson, Taylor Salberg, who was the light of her life. She also leaves behind her devoted sister-in-law, Pearl Mosk, and many loving nieces and nephews.
She is reunited with her beloved husband of 67 years, Mervyn Goodman, who preceded her in death, along with her brothers Milton and Mel Mosk.
The Goodman family extends heartfelt thanks to Wendy, Gigi, and Chona for their dedicated care, and to the Sutter Hospice team — Stephanie, Andrea, and Dr. Cohen — for their compassion and support during this difficult time.
A private family burial was held at Hills of Eternity Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Sutter Hospice, 1670 South Amphlett Suite 300B, San Mateo, California 94402.
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Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Margolis
Dr. Larry Margolis died on July 11 at his home in Hillsborough. Larry was 86.
Larry spent 43 years working in medicine as a radiation oncologist, professor, and vice chair of the department of radiation oncology at the University of California San Francisco. He specialized in radiation treatment for breast and skin cancers.
Larry is survived by his wife, Barbara, of 54 years; two children, Michelle Ebersman (David) of Charlotte, N.C., and Jason Margolis (Amy) of Newton, Mass.; and four grandchildren, Max, Theo, Charley, Haley, and the late Samuel Ebersman.
Larry was born in 1938, in Milwaukee, Wis., during the end of the Great Depression. He was born and raised Jewish in a loving home by his parents Ben and Jen, an immigrant from Ukraine, along with his older brother Marvin.
Larry attended his beloved University of Wisconsin for both college and medical school. After his studies, he headed west to San Francisco for a residency at UCSF and never left the Bay Area.
Dr. Margolis loved the medical profession, both helping his patients and teaching young residents. At UCSF, residents selected him four consecutive years as “teacher of the year.” Upon his retirement in 2007, the teaching award for radiation oncology was renamed the “Lawrence W. Margolis Excellence in Teaching Award.” Dr. Margolis was honored as one of the best doctors in America on four occasions and was repeatedly listed as a top doctor in the Bay Area. He traveled the world with his wife, Barbara, giving lectures on skin and breast cancer including speaking engagements in Honolulu, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Portugal, Sydney, Montreal, and San Francisco, to name a few locations. He also wrote many chapters in textbooks.
Larry was a huge baseball fan. His first love was the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers, but he gradually shifted allegiances to the San Francisco Giants. He also was a devoted 49er faithful.
After retiring from medicine, Larry focused his time on family, running a regular carpool and attending his grandkids’ sporting events. He also took many vacations with Barbara to visit his son, Jason, and his family in Boston. On his 70th birthday, Larry caught a ball on top of Fenway Park’s Green Monster.
Larry died from complications of the neurological disorder multiple system atrophy (MSA), an incurable disease he battled during the last years of his life.
Funeral services were held at Skylawn Memorial Park. Contributions may be made in memory of Lawrence to The Multiple System Atrophy Coalition, The American Cancer Society, or the charity of your choice.
Sinai Memorial Chapel | (415) 921-3636
Edward N. Silberman
Feb. 24, 1953–Jan. 23, 2025
Hebrew name Yochanan ben Ozer v’Esther
Hebrew dates: 19 Sh’vat 5713–23 Tevet 5785
Ed Silberman, storyteller and folk singer, harmonica player, songwriter, and longtime Berkeley resident, died Jan. 23 after several years of increasingly serious health problems, including diabetes and cancer. Ed was known for his uproarious sense of humor, bold sense of fashion, great generosity of spirit, and rich bass voice.
Ed was born in 1953 in Philadelphia to Oscar and Esther Silberman and raised in Pennsauken, New Jersey, along with his two sisters and older brother. Ed was extremely creative, teaching himself things he found important and ignoring the instruction of his teachers. His independent personality clashed with his father’s rigid approach, so immediately after high school graduation, Ed moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where he remained the rest of his life. At some point he took on the middle initial “N.” which stood for “nothing.”
In San Francisco, Ed found work as a bike messenger and as a nursing home activities director. He moved to the East Bay in 1986 and continued working with the elderly. Over his career, Ed worked as program director for nursing homes including Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland; at preschools including those at Congregation Beth Israel, Temple Beth El in Berkeley, and at the religious school of Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland; and he did Sunday morning child care work at Berkeley Episcopal churches St. Mark’s and All Souls.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, Ed, a self-taught musician, became active in the folk music and folklore scenes. Over the years, Ed continued and expanded that involvement. He performed at countless festivals, schools, synagogues, churches, bars, bookstores, private parties, coffeehouses, community centers, and libraries as a storyteller and singer. Ed was a mainstay at folk music gatherings and song circles throughout the Bay Area. He played harmonica — favoring British Isles folk music — and also collected and taught folk songs about his home state of New Jersey. He led participatory “Sing, Say, or Play” events for 15 years.
After Ed’s brother and parents moved to Israel, Ed performed there at the Tzora Folk Club and at various private venues. He was a regular performer at the Bay Area Storytelling Festival and sang bass with In Harmony’s Way, a singing and recording group.
His record collection contained thousands of roots music albums, ranging from Lomax recordings of American blues and folk artists, to jug band, klezmer, and traditional music from the British Isles and Canada. He liked his music to be “lower” on the roots — the rougher the better. Prior to his death, his albums were acquired by renowned Down Home Music in El Cerrito.
Ed took special pride in being part of Purimshpils, one-act comedies performed during the Jewish holiday of Purim. For at least 15 years, Ed contributed as a writer, actor/singer and director to Purimshpils presented by The Shushan Liberation Front, Aquarian Minyan Players, and Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley. As an actor, he most often played the horny and clueless King Achashverosh.
Ed volunteered over the years with The Freight, Jewish Music Festival, S.F. Jewish Film Festival, and KlezCalifornia Yiddish culture festivals. He was an active member of Congregation Netivot Shalom, Beyt Chesed Chavurah, and the Nishmat Shalom feminist minyan.
Ed did not think clothing was gendered and often wore scarves, skirts, dresses, and elaborate hats. His favorite Scotch whisky was Bowmore, his favorite color purple, and his favorite word “squeegee.” His partners over the years included the late Berkeley folk singer Dale Boland and singer Jill “Yidl” Tallmer — like Ed, a Yiddish music lover — currently living in New York City.
Ed’s life was celebrated Jan. 27 at a graveside service at Gan Yarok in Mill Valley facilitated by Rabbi Julie-Saxe Taller, at a memorial gathering Jan. 30 at Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, at an online gathering Feb. 2 with participants from several countries, and at a livestreamed event Feb. 23 at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church hosted by his many friends in the folk music world.
Ed asked those mourning him to make a fuss; wear purple or sequins; think of him when drinking beer, bourbon, or scotch or when eating babaganoush, Humphry Slocombe Secret Breakfast Ice Cream, doughnuts, shawarma or really great hummus; or when listening to his favorite singers and storytellers such as Susan McKeown, Etta James, Nina Simone, and Ewan MacColl.
Ed is survived by his brother Steve Silberman of Raanana, Israel; sisters Gail Silberman and Linda Silberman-Jenner, both of New York; and hundreds of friends in the Bay Area and beyond.
Gabor Somorjai
May 4, 1935–July 7, 2025
Gabor Somorjai passed away peacefully on July 7, 2025, at the age of 90. Born and raised in Budapest, Hungary, Gabor and his immediate family survived the Holocaust. He was saved from the Nazis in 1944 when his mother sought the assistance of Raoul Wallenberg, who issued Swedish passports to his family. Gabor immigrated to the United States with his beloved Judith during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.
Gabor enrolled in graduate study at UC Berkeley and obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1960. He joined IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center staff for a few years in Yorktown Heights, New York, but returned to Berkeley as an assistant professor in 1964 and remained at Berkeley for the rest of his career. In 2002, he was named a University Professor by the UC Board of Regents.
Gabor was a renowned chemist whose research advanced surface chemistry important for energy, manufacturing and clean water, in addition to a range of other contributions. He has been a leader in catalysis for more than five decades. He received the Fermi Award in 2023 for key contributions in molecular studies of surfaces through the use of single crystals, the development of techniques for quantitative determinations of surface structure and establishing the molecular foundations of heterogeneous metal catalysis.
Among his many honors, Gabor received the Wolf Foundation Prize in chemistry in 1998, the National Medal of Science in 2001, the Priestley Medal in 2008, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1979.
Gabor educated more than 130 Ph.D. students and 250 postdoctoral fellows. He was the author of more than 1,200 scientific papers in the fields of surface chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, and solid state chemistry, and wrote four textbooks.
He loved Cal Berkeley, family trips to Maui, reading historical biographies and the San Francisco 49ers.
Gabor is survived by his wife of 68 years, Judith, his daughter Nicole Alivisatos (Paul), his son John Somorjai (Hilary), and his beloved grandchildren: Stephanie (Michael), Clara, Ben and Diana, and great-grandchild Margot.
Susan Elaine Geifman
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Susan Elaine Geifman (Yehudith bat Reb Herschel).
After attending the University of Iowa, Susan married Howard, and together they moved west to build a loving family. In 1969, a transfer with Howard’s company, Lucky Stores, brought them to California.
Ever committed to personal growth and helping others, Susan studied at the John F. Kennedy School in Orinda to pursue a Master’s in Career Development.
Susan’s final years were marked by great difficulty, but we take comfort in knowing she now rests in peace. Her memory will forever be a blessing to all who knew and loved her. May her legacy of kindness, wisdom, and inspiration continue to shine in our hearts.
Donations in Susan’s memory can be sent to Chabad of Contra Costa at tinyurl.com/contra-costa-chabad-donate or Temple Isaiah (temple-isaiah.org/about/donate).
Baruch dayan emet (“Blessed is the Judge of Truth”).