RUTH L. STONE, 78, of Oak Park, died Sept. 9, 2000. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Max and Roslyn Garber of West Bloomfield; sister and brother-in-law Idarose and Harry Newman of Oak Park; nieces and nephews. Mrs. Stone was the beloved wife of the late Harry W. Stone. Contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice. Services and intermenty were at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
NELLIE REDSTONE, 90, former Detroiter of Occidental, Calif., died Feb. 4, 2000. Mrs. Redstone was a member of the American Jewish Congress and Hadassah. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Linda Redstone of Denver, Colo.; daughter and son-in-law, Miriam Redstone and David Dillman of Occidental; grandchildren, Donna Redstone of San Francisco, Laura Redstone of Denver, Sasha Dillman of Occidental; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ben and Blanch Klar of Southfield, Edward and Shirley Klar of West Bloomfield; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Louis and Ruth Redstone of Detroit. She was the beloved wife of the late Solomon Redstone; dear sister and sister-in-law of the late Irwin and Gladys Klar. Contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice. Interment in Occidental.
BEATRICE GOLDSTONE, 96, of Troy, died Nov. 13, 1999. Mrs. Goldstone is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Ronald M. and Marilyn Goldstone of West Bloomfield; daughter Audrey Klaper of Troy; grandchildren Debra, Robert, Laurie and Amy Kahn, Caren Goldstone, Dr. Larry Goldstone, great-grandson Matthew Schabel; sister and brother-in-law Jean and Leslie Fox of Chicago. She was the beloved wife of the late Mitchell Goldstone. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
CLARA STONE, 96, former Detroiter of El Paso, Tex., died Sept. 26, 1999. Mrs. Stone is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Ruth and Myer Erlich of El Paso; sons and daughters-in-law Jack and Susan Stone of Lake Orion, Dr. Allen and Annette Stone of West Bloomfield; grandchildren Dr. Andrew (Robin) Erlich, Joani (Bryan) Schonberg, Dr. Nathan (Wendy) Stone, Steven Stone, Kim Stone; Robert (Dr. Leslie) Stone, Amy Stone, Dr. Michael (Nancy) Stone; great-grandchildren Ben and Danielle Erlich, Joshua, Zachary and Rachel Stone, Alexander Stone. She was the beloved wife of the late Morris Stone and the loving grandmother of the late David Erlich. Interment was in El Paso.
JEANNETTE STONE, 91, of Scottsdale, Ariz., formerly of Detroit, died March 12, 1999. She is survived by her son, Donald Stone of Chicago; daughter and son-in-law Barbara and Raymond Zeichik of Scottsdale, Ariz.; sister Dorothy Strehl of St. Clair Shores; grandchildren Evelyn and Gerald Lewinson, Allen and Cheryl Zeichik, Richard and Colleen Zeichik, Ari Stone, Stephanie Stone; great-grandchildren Edward Lewinson, Samuel Lewinson, Suzanne Lewinson, Timothy Zeichik, Joshua Zeichik, Noelie Zeichik. Contributions may be made to Jewish National Fund, 17100 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48075 or a charity of one's choice. Interment at Hebrew Memorial Park. Services and arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
MINA K. STONE, 103, of West Bloomfield, died Feb. 27, 1999. Mrs. Stone was born in Vilnius, Lithuania and became a government-certified midwife in Kovno. She came to the United States in 1922 and married Samuel Stone in 1926. She was a regular contributor to the Writers' Corner of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit. Mrs. Stone is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Joseph and Marilyn Stone of New York; grandchildren, Sara, Edward and Lisa Stone, Daniel Stone; great-grandchildren Lindsay and Luke Stone. She was the beloved wife of the late Samuel Stone and the loving grandmother of the late Hillary Stone. Contributions may be directed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Interment at Machpelah Cemetery. Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.
MORRIS M. LIGHTSTONE, 81, of Bloomfield Hills, died Feb. 9, 1999. Mr. Lightstone was an automotive quality control expert for Chrysler Corp. He received his master's degree from the University of Michigan in math, was a member of the American Society of Quality and a member of Technion. Mr. Lightstone was an Army veteran of World War II. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Jonno Lightstone and Martha Baillie of Toronto; daughter Rosanne Lightstone of Royal Oak; granddaughter Emma Chesley Lightstone; sisters and brother-in-law Ett and Milton Kemnitz of Ann Arbor, Pauline Rose of Florida. Interment at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be directed to a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.
JACK "JACOB" STONE, 69, of Southfield, died Feb. 3, 1999. Mr. Stone worked in the deli department at Farmer Jack, was a union steward and was the previous owner of McCohens in Dearborn. He was also an army instructor in heavy artillery during the Korean War. Mr. Stone is survived by his wife of 31 years, Marilyn Stone; daughters and sons-in-law, Sherry Piper of Novi, Debbie and Terry Korth of Potomac, Md., Wendy and Derk Beckerleg of West Bloomfield; son, David Michael Stone of Southfield; grandchildren, Laurie and Robin Piper, Joshua and Jason Korth, Adam Beckerleg; sister and brother-in-law, Bette and Sidney Feldsteen of Farmington Hills and sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Bess Stone and Roz and Bernard Tucker. He was the dear brother of the late Philip Stone and the late Elsie Helwig. Interment at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be directed to the Leukemia Foundation. Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.
ROSE STONE, 83, of Royal Oak, died Jan. 12. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Joan Stone of Algonquin, Ill., Dick and Barbara Stone of Libertyville, Ill.; sister and brother-in-law, May and Ben Mack of Huntington Woods; grandchildren, Lisa Hanlon, Jeffrey (Cynthia) Stone, Gregory Stone, Rick (Lisa) Stone, Michelle Stone, Douglas Stone, Bobbi Stone and Brett Stone; great-grandchildren, Nicholas, Jacob, Grace and David. Rose was the beloved wife of the late, Louis Stone, sister of the late, Albert Boodin and Sue Silver, grandmother of the late, David Stone. Services were held at the Machpelah Cemetery Chapel followed by intermenty in the cemetery. Contributions can be made to the Charity of ones choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Funeral Direction.
MAYME STONE, 97, of Orchard Lake, died Jan. 6. Prior to retirement, Ms. Stone was a secretary for the Detroit Water Department. She was also a long time member of Temple Beth El. Ms. Stone is survived by her nieces and nephews, Natalie and Donald Canvasser of Bloomfield Hills, Morton and Harriett Freedman of Orchard Lake, Joseph and Marilyn Stone of New York City and many loving grand nieces and loving grand nephews. Interment at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be directed to a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
BEULAH MILLER STONE, 83, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., died Dec. 20. Mrs. Stone was an electrical contractor executive. For many years, Mrs. Stone organized the Angel Balls for the National Council of Jewish Women and was instrumental in organizing the Thrift Shop. She was also a volunteer at Sinai Hospital and at Northridge Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Mrs. Stone is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Larry Rosen of Calif.; son and daughter-in-law, Jimmy and Yaffa Stone of Israel; grandchildren, Susan and Eric Bender, Richard Rosen, Edward Rosen, Tina Rosen, Debbie and Nissan Ruben, David Stone, Sivan Stone, Rona Stone and great-grandchildren, Allison and Ryan Bender, Yaniv, Gali and Lior Ruben. She was the beloved wife of the late Arthur Stone. Interment at Beth El Memorial Park. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
HASKELL STONE, 66, of Oak Park, died May 15. He is survived by his wife, Rosalyn Kranhouse Stone; son, David N. Stone of Oak Park; daughters and son-in-law, Deborah A. Rodriguez of West Bloomfield, Judith M. and Scott Blanchard of Novi; grandchildren, Haskell Joseph, Leah, Evan, Benjamin, Joshua, Jordan; sister-in-law, Michelle Artt; nieces, Liz Meggison and Ruth Foster. Graveside services were held at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery in Mt. Clemens. Contributions may be made to the Jewish National Fund, 17100 W. 10 Mile, Southfield, MI 48075, or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Funeral Direction.
MAUREEN D. GLADSTONE, 61, former Detroiter of East Lansing, died April 16. She was a member and past president of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing and of its sisterhood and Women’s B’nai B’rith. She owned and operated Maureen G in Okemos, was a member of the Women Business Owners Association, a committee member for Kaleidoscope. She was appointed a member of the Meridian Township Planning Commercial Development Commission and was one of the chairpersons for the restoration of the Dodge Mansion. She is survived by her husband, Marvin; daughters, Kim Gladstone of Ferndale, Kari Gladstone of Denver, Colo., Alexis Gladstone of Hoboken, N.J.; son, Ron Gladstone of Roswell, Ga. She was the loving daughter of the late Harriet Sigel. Contributions may be made to Michigan State University — Safe Place, c/o MSU Development Fund, 4700 S. Hagadorn, Ste. 220, East Lansing, MI 48823; Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing or a charity of one’s choice. Services at Shaarey Zedek; intermenty at Evergreen Cemetery. Arrangements by Estes-Leadley Great Lansing Chapel.
DR. ARNOLD STONE, 73, of West Bloomfield, died March 31. Dr. Stone was a self-employed optometrist in Detroit. He was a member of the American Optometric Association and B’nai B’rith. He is survived by his wife, Nora Stone; daughters and sons-in-law, Cathy and Dr. Sanford Baim of Shorewood, Wis., Cynthia Stone and John Walsh of Anaheim Hill, Calif., Enid and Kevin Check of Farmington Hills; stepchildren, Lori and Robin Edelson of West Bloomfield, Lanie and Leslie Kanat of Essex, Vt., Perri and Nathan Rosen of West Bloomfield, Kim and Steven Kanat of Royal Oak; grandchildren, Matteah and Arielle Baim, Benjamin, Rory and Marni Stone-Walsh, Melanie and Jeremy Check, Gabe and Alex Edelson, Ari, Zachary and Emily Rosen; sister and brother-in-law, Rita and Dr. Jack Portney of West Bloomfield. Interment at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
RAE WASSERMANN, 90, of West Bloomfield, died April 1, 2001. She was a member of the Youth Education league, Women's American ORT, Maimonides Medical Society, Hadassah and Congregation Shaarey Zedek and its sisterhood.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Morley and Michele Wassermann of West Bloomfield, Dr. Fred and Shelley Wassermann of West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Maida and Evan Wassermann, Greta and Gil Bolton, Leesa and Jeff Kulczynski and Blake Miller. She was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Lewis C. Wassermann.
Interment at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
ALVIN WASSERMAN, Delivering On His Promise:
Two years ago, before being overwhelmed by his struggle with Alzheimer's disease, entrepreneur and inventor Alvin Wasserman wrote a poem reflecting on his illustrious life. His thoughts: "A person asks, 'What is life?' I replied without hesitation, 'A race through time, in search of love.'"
As this unbridled entrepreneur perceived it, love was broader than the kindness he bestowed upon his family and friends. It meant using his business genius for the betterment of the society, and it inspired the enterprises he built and the creative inventions he dabbled in.
Mr. Wasserman, of Bloomfield Hills, died March 9, 2001 at age 80. A founder of 24 businesses and a holder of eight patents, his intense energy was driven by a need to find a way to make things easier for people, said his son, Rodger.
Mr. Wasserman's genius at breaking complex business systems down to the tiniest elements inspired Allied Delivery Systems, a package delivery firm he founded in 1938, soon after graduating Central High School in Detroit. His first delivery vehicle was a $25 used hearse.
He volunteered to serve in the Navy after Pearl Harbor, returning in 1945 to grow his business into the model for package delivery. Under 48 years of his ownership, it became an institution in Southeastern Michigan. When he sold the business in 1986, it had 150 trucks and 3,000 local customers, handling 20,000 packages a day.
Mr. Wasserman looked out for the welfare of his employees by developing roller conveyers to move the packages and by heating his warehouse loading docks in winter. "The company was world famous," said Rodger.
Mr. Wasserman did not attend college until age 60, when he graduated a three-year program for business leaders at Harvard University. "It was his proudest achievement," said Rodger. As a businessman, he lectured at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Lawrence Technological University in Southfield.
Other of Mr. Wasserman's ventures included selling small airplanes to pilots after the war, selling garage doors during a building boom, and selling specialty industrial metal products. He designed the baggage handling system at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and worked for McKinsey & Co., a pre-eminent management-consulting firm.
"He had an absolute gift for anticipating market need," said Rodger. "He was always coming up with inventions."
About 40 years ago, he invented and marketed one of the first industrial robots, one that could pick up a piece of metal and run it through a pattern in a punch press. In 1963, he marketed an early telephone answering machine. In 1968, he already had a primitive personal computer in his home and, in 1994, although in the early stages of Alzheimer's, he developed "Easy PL," a simplified DOS-based programmable language. Although these projects were never successfully marketed, they provided an outlet for his creative and competitive juices.
"He was a complex and really remarkable intellect," said son Gary. "He was mentally fast, verbally fast, physically quick, totally intense and passionate about everything that he did. He was a ball of fire."
His sense of competition extended to athletics. He was a nationally ranked pingpong player from his youth into his 50s and excelled as well at golf and tennis. "He was known as either 'Al, the pingpong player' or 'Al, the genius,'" said Rodger. His competitiveness and finely honed people-instincts made him a successful card player.
Mr. Wasserman was always available to help a friend in need, said Roger, providing that the person would return the favor not to him, but to another. He mentored young entrepreneurs though the SCORE program in Detroit and wrote an advice column in the business pages of the Detroit Free Press. In his latter years he worked with Oakland County Probate Court Judge Eugene Moore and his staff to create a video to explain the probate court system to children caught in the process.
Up until two years ago, even while afflicted with Alzheimer's, he still was able to serve as a business consultant to Cafe Domain, a Royal Oak cyber cafe. "His intellectual strength still was there," said Gary. "They were thrilled to have him."
At Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, he established the outdoor Wasserman Pavilion. He also funded the social hall for the former Congregation Beth Achim in Southfield, the exhibition hall at the Cranbrook Science Institute in Bloomfield Hills and the box-level promenade at the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit. He was named the 1979 man of the year of the Reform Jewish Appeal.
In addition, he was a supporter of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Southfield and enjoyed regular give-and-take on religion and philosophy with its former executive vice president, the late Rabbi Max Wohlgelernter.
"My dad was a very emotional man, totally devoted to his family and the people who needed him," Gary said.
Alvin Wasserman is survived by his wife of 58 years, Edith L. Wasserman; sons and daughters-in-law Rodger and Loree Wasserman of Birmingham, Gary and Rita Wasserman of Birmingham; daughter and son-in-law Linda Wasserman and Joseph Aviv of Birmingham; grandchildren Amy and Ted Parfet, Nick Wasserman, Zachary Wasserman, Laura Wasserman, Imke Wasserman, Stephanie Etkin, Elizabeth Aviv, Sari Aviv and Rachel Aviv; brother and sister-in-law Sidney and Harriet Wasserman of Southfield.
Mr. Wasserman was the loving son of the late Max and the late Rose Wasserman; dear brother of the late Sam Wasserman. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Hospice of Michigan and the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
LUCENE JOAN WASSERMAN, 73, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 18, 2000. She was a member of Yad Ezra.
She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Marcia and Thomas Grutza of Minnesota, Karen and Michael Saginaw of Texas, Ilene Wasserman of West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Jessica, Jilian, Katie, Aaron and Sara.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the National Kidney Foundation. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
GOLDIE WASSERMAN, 84, of Farmington Hills, died March 11, 1999. She is survived her son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Bobbi Wasserman of Naples, Fla.; daughter Lillian Jacobs of Farmington Hills; grandchildren Lisa and Brian Boettcher, Juli and James Rousseau, Brad and Marcy Wasserman, Susan and David Glickman, Marcia and Zack Ruderman, Jennifer Wasserman, Donna and Bill McShane, Don and Jennifer LaDrew; great-grandchildren Sydney Papenheim, Joel and Jenna Boettcher, Daniel Wasserman, Scott Wasserman, Rachel Wasserman, Clay McShane; nephew and niece Barry and Carol Rankin. Mrs. Wasserman was the beloved wife of the late Sam Wasserman. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer's Association, 17220 W. 12 Mile Rd., Ste. 100, Southfield, MI 48076 or Na'amat USA, 25900 Greenfield, Ste. 205D, Oak Park, MI 48237. Interment at Hebrew Memorial Park. Services and arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
GEORGE WAYBURN, 100, of Palm Beach, Fla., died March 31, 2001. He was a co-owner of Englander Triangle Furniture stores. He was also a member of Temple Beth El.
Mr. Wayburn is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Barrett and Sybil Wayburn of West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Bradley Wayburn, Corie and Arthur Crawley, Kip and John Vota; great-grandchildren, Griffin Crawley and Nick Crawley. He was the beloved husband of the late Louise Wayburn.
Interment at Beth El Memorial Park. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
