1952-59

Dorothy Danzig Masch ’54, of Nyack, New York, died on Nov. 29, 2015. She was involved in many community organizations and felt passionately about trying to make a difference. She leaves her children, Julia, Jason and Rachel; her sister, Jeanne; and grandchildren Elizabeth and Mark. Lee Rogers Fowler ’57, of Pacifica, California, a cantor, died on Sept. 16, 2015. He leaves his wife, Cantor Hilda Abrevaya Fowler; his daughter, Helena; and two grandchildren. Leo Surette ’57, of Medfield, Massachusetts, a longtime employee at Raytheon, died on Oct. 1, 2015. He came to Brandeis in 1950 and played on the freshman football team before leaving the university to join the Marine Corps in 1951, during the Korean War. He returned to Brandeis in 1954 after receiving an honorable discharge, and played for Coach Benny Friedman. After graduation, he supported the Friends of Brandeis Athletics and joined his former teammates in launching a campaign, ultimately successful in 2005, to have Friedman enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At Raytheon, Leo became a project manager and supervised construction of radar installations around the world. He leaves his wife, Joanne; children Amanda and Stanley; and four grandchildren. Avrom Zaritsky ’57, of Miami Beach, formerly of Dobbs Ferry, New York, an award-winning producer at NBC News, died on Dec. 29, 2015. After graduating from Brandeis, he earned two master’s degrees — in international relations from Yale, and journalism from Columbia. He worked at NBC News for 35 years, including as a producer for “Dateline.” He won an Emmy Award for his documentary “Angel of Belsen.” He leaves his wife of 52 years, Joyce ’60, and two children, Joshua and Eve. Wallace “Wally” Jackson, MA’58, of Durham, North Carolina, professor emeritus of English at Duke, where he taught for 35 years, died on Nov. 29, 2015. He was a respected scholar of William Blake and Alexander Pope, publishing three books and numerous journal articles, and accepting invitations to speak and review the work of peers at other academic institutions. He leaves his daughter, Laura, and his partner, Waltraud Bernstein. Martha Conant Karoff ’58, of Santa Barbara, California, the unofficial mayor of West Newton Hill (in Massachusetts), died on Sept. 3, 2015. Martha was the first woman president of the Neighborhood Club in West Newton, and the founding board chair of New Repertory Theatre in Watertown. In 2014, to celebrate its 30th anniversary, New Rep established the Karoff Award for Lifelong Leadership, with Martha as its first recipient. Martha served on the boards of the All-Newton Music School and the New Arts Center. She leaves her husband, Peter ’59; children Deborah, Lorinda, Rebecca and Thomas; and seven grandchildren. Jacob Katz ’59, of Boston, formerly of New York, died on Sept. 3, 2015. He leaves his siblings, Moshe, Jeanette, Edie and Bernice.