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In Memory

August 15, 2008

AMSTER Mr. Phillip Sonny Amster died July 19, 2008.

Sonny was the owner of Watson Bagel, Elmora Bagel, Sonny’s Bagel of South Orange, Sonny’s Bakery in Vaux Hall and Broadway Deli in East Brunswick. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He was predeceased by his sons, Ronald and Daryl; grandson, Torrey R.; brother, Joe; and sisters, Rebecca and Anne Windholz and Mildred Seligman.

Sonny is survived by his wife, Lillian; sons, Harlan and Mark; daughter, Krystal; four grandchildren; and sisters, Edith Katchem and Florence A. Berstein. Arrangements by Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, New Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the Torrey R. Amster Foundation, 30 Stern Rd., Springfield, N.J. 07081.

BARKOE. Mr. Ira Barkoe of North Brunswick died Aug. 9, 2008, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. He was 63.

Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Barkoe live in Yonkers and Mt. Vernon, N.Y., before moving to North Brunswick in 1978. He was the founder and operator of Innovative Marketing Concepts, North Brunswick, a Web site design company that he founded in 1998. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in business from the Baruch School of Business at CCNY. He was a member of Business Networking International, Middlesex County Section, and a member of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce. Active with his family, he was a member of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, New Brunswick. He was predeceased by his father, Arthur; and brother, Jay.

Mr. Barkoe is survived by his wife, Susan of North Brunswick; mother, Miriam of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; and son and daughter-in-law, David and Brooke of Guttenberg. Interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Arrangements by Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, New Brunswick.

DIAMOND. Mrs. Elsie Diamond died Aug. 5, 2008. She was 80.

Born on Aug. 23, 1927, in Newark to the late Lena (Kreuger) and Harry Handleman, Elsie was employed as a driver for Middlesex County. She lived at The Regency Jewish Heritage in Somerset for the past 10 years. She was very active at the home as president of the Resident Council and head of the “Red Hats”. All who knew her will remember her as a kind and caring person. She will be sadly missed by family and friends. She was predeceased by her husband, Victor; daughter, Cheryl; and brothers, Samuel and Ronald Handleman.

Elsie is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, David and Sylvia Handleman of Hatboro, Pa.; sisters and brother-in-law, Jeanette Weiss of Monroe and Shirley and Martin Yermanok of Brooklyn; and several nieces and nephews. Interment at Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Iselin. Arrangements by Somerville Funeral Home, Somerville.

GOLDMAN. Mrs. Dorothy Goldman died July 19, 2008, at Green Acres Manor in Toms River. She was 89.

Born in Washington Heights, Mrs. Goldman graduated from Wadley High School. She worked in New York City and for the Treasury Department in Washington D.C. She met the love of her life, Mort Goldman, while camping in Lake George, N.Y., and they were married in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 27, 1941. Mort served in Europe as an officer and was discharged as a captain in 1945. After the war Mrs. Goldman joined her husband and together they bought a farm on Old Freehold Road in Toms River and raised chickens and three loving children. Mort is a master photographer; they worked together at the Peskin-Goldman Studio on Main Street in Toms River for many years before retiring in 1984. Dorothy is one of the founders and longtime members of Congregation B’nai Israel in Toms River. She was past president and member of the Sisterhood; she was involved with the Jewish National Fund; Israel Bonds; Hadassah; B’nai B’rith Fund and other Jewish causes. She loved her family, and she and Mort enjoyed attending Elderhostels and traveling around the world. Dorothy was an avid reader and skilled knitter. She volunteered for many years at the Ocean County Library in Toms River and at Congregation B’nai Israel’s Library. She moved to Leisure Village West in Manchester in 1996 and was a member of several different clubs in the village.

Mrs. Goldman is survived by her devoted husband of 67 wonderful years of marriage, Mort; sister, Lee Ottenbreit of Fairlawn; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Roy and Georgia of Pennsylvania; daughters and sons-in-law, Judy and Don Van Nostrand of Oakhurst, and Irene and Charles Hoyt of Princeton; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Interment at Congregation B’nai Israel Memorial Park. Arrangements by Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home, Toms Rive. Memorial donations may be made to Congregation B’nai Israel Educational Endowment Fund, 1488 Old Freehold Rd., Toms River, N.J. 08753.

GROSSBERG. Mr. Gary Grossberg died July 30, 2008, at home. He was 77.

Born in Manhattan, Mr. Grossberg lived in Oceanside, N.Y., until moving to Monroe nine years ago. He served in the Army and was a registered architect for the Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J. and retired as project manager in 1995.

Mr. Grossberg is survived by his wife of 51 years, Estelle Fried Grossberg; daughter and son-in-law, Beth and Brad Honigfeld of Livingston; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Amy of Roslyn Heights, N.Y.; and grandchildren, Jason, Jordyn, Rebecca and Max. Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick. Interment at New Montefiore Cemetery, Farmingdale, N.Y. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cancer Institute of N.J., Tower Two, 5th Floor, 120 Albany St., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901.

HIMEL. Mrs. Sharon B. Eisgrau Himel died Aug. 6, 2008, at Willow Creek Rehabilitation Center, Somerset. She was 60.

Born in the Bronx, Mrs. Himel lived in Yonkers, before moving to East Brunswick 20 years ago.

Mrs. Himel is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Deborah of North Brunswick; brother, Saul Eisgrau of Scarsdale, N.Y.; and granddaughter, Stacey Leah Himel. Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick. Interment at Old Montefiore Cemetery, St. Albans, N.Y.

KLINE. Mrs. Harriet Schwartz Kline, 90, founder of the American Red Cross Handicapped Swim program in Somerville, died peacefully July 29, 2008, at Somerset Medical Center, with her devoted daughters, Shirley Kline Bennett of Somerville and Florence E. Kline of California, who survive her, at her side. Her beloved husband of 60 years, Dr. Michael S. Kline of Somerville, died in 2001.

Harriet was a pioneer in teaching disabled children through innovative Red Cross swimming programs that she designed and implemented for more than 27 years (1961-88).

Born in Manhattan in 1918, the youngest child of the late Daniel and Mollie Schwartz, Harriet graduated from the High School of Music and Art in New York City in 1935, where she was president of the “Arista” honor society. She attended Baruch College of the City University of New York until 1937, when the Schwartz family moved to Somerville. She worked as an accountant-bookkeeper for the family business throughout her lifetime. She was chairman of First Aid and Water Safety for the Red Cross from 1940 through 1945. After World War II she dedicated her efforts to swimming instruction and lifesaving instruction. In 1961 she designed a unique swim program to fit the special needs of disabled children and founded the Handicapped Swim Program in the area, under the auspices of the Raritan Valley Chapter, American Red Cross, and other community organizations. She was chairman and instructor for more than 27 years.

Harriet was awarded the international medal of the League of Red Cross Society for Distinguished Achievement, the national Clara Barton Medal for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership, the American Red Cross Honor Award, the Somerset Crippled Children’s Treatment Center Distinguished Service Award, and the STAR award. She received a special certificate of appreciation from U.S. Congressman Bob Franks in 1995. She served the Red Cross in many executive capacities, notably as chairman of the Raritan Valley Chapter, and led other community organizations, notably as a Girl Scout leader and trainer-instructor, receiving the Distinguished Leadership Award; president, Somerville High School Parent Teacher Association; and president, National Council of Jewish Women, Somerville Chapter. She was a member of Hadassah and Temple Sholom, Bridgewater.

Interment at Riverside Cemetery, Saddle Brook, with graveside services conducted by Rabbi Abraham Zigelman of Fort Lee. Arrangements by Somerville Funeral Home, Somerville.

LIEBESKIND. Mr. Gerald P. “Gerry” Liebeskind died peacefully Aug. 10, 2008, following a long illness.

Gerry was a graduate of Southside High School and the Rutgers University class of 1947, and a World War II Army veteran. He taught fifth-grade in South Plainfield for 35 years and was a substitute teacher in Hillside for 10 years. He was an active member of Hillside B’nai B’rith, serving as president for six terms and serving one term as president of the Northern N.J. Council. He was a proud member of the South Plainfield Education Association and a member of the Union County Bowlers Hall of Fame.

Gerry was married to Shirley (née Faigen) for 59 years and 11 months. Together they traveled the world from Australia to Alaska, including all 50 states and all of Canada. He is survived by his children, Alan, Debra and Joanne; in-laws, Lenore Liebeskind and Steve Johnson; and grandchildren, Jennifer and Paul. Arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union. Interment at Beth David Memorial Park, Kenilworth.

NAIBURG. Mr. Robert A. Naiburg died Aug. 8, 2008, at home. He was 61.

Born in Stamford, Conn., Mr. Naiburg lived in North Brunswick until moving to East Brunswick in 1975. He was a sales representative for Coronet Carpet, Dalton, Ga., and was the former owner of Carpet Market, East Brunswick. His father, Irving, died in 1992.

Mr. Naiburg is survived by his mother, Roslyn Hirschfield Naiburg, with whom he lived; and brother and sister-in-law, David and Dorothy of North Brunswick. Interment at Washington Cemetery, South Brunswick. Arrangements by Mt. Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick.

WEINSTEIN. Mr. Stanley David Weinstein died peacefully Aug. 9, 2008, in the family’s long-time Adirondack vacation house in Jay, N.Y. He was 79.

Born Sept. 7, 1928, in New York city, son of Herman and Henrietta Weinstein, Mr. Weinstein studied chemistry at Columbia University and served in the Army Chemical Center in Maryland in 1951. He joined Preservaline Manufacturing Company in Brooklyn in 1952, selling seasonings and spices to food manufacturers in the New York metropolitan area. The company relocated to Flemington, where he became sales manager. He later bought the company and changed the name to Presco Food Products, Inc. Throughout his career, he was very active in the National Seasoning Manufacturing Association, serving as president for a number of years. He was a long-time member of the American Meat Institute.

Stanley and his wife, Joan, lived in Bridgewater for more than 40 years until their retirement to Palm Beach Gardens in 1994. They were founding members of Temple Beth El in Somerville, and Stanley was one of the congregation’s presidents during its infancy.  He was an avid skier and golfer, a dedicated New York Rangers hockey fan, and more recently became a Florida Marlins fan and spring training season ticket holder. During the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, he served as a gate judge for the alpine skiing events at Whiteface Mountain. His participation in those Olympic Games was a source of lifelong pride. In Florida, he was a member of the Eastpointe Golf and Racquet Club, participated in continuing education courses at Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, attended Elderhostel programs at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, and played bridge and attended the opera regularly. His wife of 50 years, Joan (Kenyon), died Nov. 1, 2002; his son, Steven D., died Dec. 8, 1989.

Mr. Weinstein is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Susan W. and Robert Steven Albert of Pittstown, and Kathy W. and Gordon Palmer of Bethlehem, Pa.; grandchildren, Martin Robert Albert and his fiancéd Sue Ellen Touma, Brian Matthew Albert and his girlfriend Allison Carragher, Meredith Lane Palmer, and Allen Douglas Palmer; and daughter-in-law, Lori Weinstein and her fiancé John Ackerman of Flemington. Interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Arrangements by Somerville Funeral Home, Somerville. Memorial donations may be made to Or Chadash Reform Temple, 149 Foothill Road, Flemington, N.J. 08822, or to a charity of one’s choice.

WOVSANIKER. Mrs. Sally Gooen Wovsaniker died Aug. 8, 2008. She was 79.

A lifelong resident of Hillside, Mrs. Wovsaniker retired after 35 years of service to the Hillside public school system as a teacher and guidance counselor. She was also a lawyer and a retired partner with the law firm of Wovsaniker and Wovsaniker in Hillside. She graduated from William Smith College and Seton Hall University Law School. She was a past president of the Pauline Levin Memorial Club and a member since she was 7 years old. She was also past president of Hillside Education Association, the the Sisterhood of Sinai Congregation and the Hillside-Union Hadassah, of which she was a lifelong member. She was a trustee of the Hillside Public Library and the Hillside Scholarship Fund, a member of the board of the Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey and an active member of the Ruth Estrin Goldberg Memorial for Cancer Research and Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim in Cranford.

Mrs. Wovsaniker is survived by her husband of 58 years, Harold; sons, Alan and Mark; grandchildren, Erica, Lauren and Evan; and sister, Anita Brody. Arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union. Memorial contributions may be made to Hillside-Union Hadassah, 822 Westminster Ave., Hillside, N.J. 07205, or to the Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey, 1391 Martine Ave., Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076.