Brandeis Magazine

Jerome E. Sacks ’61, of Lexington, Massachusetts, on Sept. 12. A high-tech industry veteran with a PhD in aerospace engineering, who in later years pursued a career as an inventor, he is remembered for his constantly turning mind and his deep kindness to all people. Survived by wife Rita, three children and two grandchildren.

Joan (Mikelbank) Taubman ’61, of Waban, Massachusetts, on July 25. Recalled as a woman of exceptional valor, she gave much of her life to her children, including a son with special needs, and helped introduce the Understanding Handicaps curriculum taught in all Newton elementary schools. Survived by husband Martin, three children and a grandchild.

Sheila Cline ’62, Brandeis National Committee, of Needham, Massachusetts, on Nov. 3. One of the first two women to be invested as a cantor in the U.S., receiving ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1976, she led High Holy Days services for congregations from Vermont to Arizona, and is remembered for her beautiful voice, rich humor and vibrant spirit. Survived by a sister.

Cara (Lesser) Goldfader ’62, P’88, Brandeis National Committee, of Laguna Woods, California, on July 28. A retired nurse devoted to the compassionate care of the elderly, she was the anchor for her family and an avid reader who enjoyed discussing politics, history and current affairs; cooking traditional Jewish dishes; and singing Hebrew songs from her childhood. Survived by three children, including Rebecca ’88, and three grandchildren.

Toby (Stein) Rozen ’62, Brandeis National Committee, of Scarsdale, New York, on July 25. A beloved mother and grandmother, and a major supporter of many charities through the Joseph F. Stein Family Foundation, she and her husband, Michael, died three weeks apart, shortly after celebrating their 60th anniversary. Survived by three children and five grandchildren.

Robert L. Kleiner ’63, of Boca Raton, Florida, on Dec. 8. An attorney who retired from tax law in his early 40s, he became a successful independent investor, working a small part of each day from homes in Manhattan, Vermont and Florida, and enjoying outdoor sports as well as travel, theater and art. Survived by wife Sally Drob, a daughter and two grandchildren.

William R. Moody ’65, of Concord, New Hampshire, on July 23. A member of the 4,000 Footer Club, having hiked all the mountains in New England over 4,000 feet, he is remembered for his quiet manner, bright smile and dry wit; the joy he took in his grandchildren; and his mission service as a parishioner of Christ the King Catholic Church. Survived by wife Claire, two sons and 12 grandchildren.

Lilly (Offenbach) Strauss, MA’65, PhD’70, of Toronto, on Oct. 18. A Wien Scholar in sociology at Brandeis and a former faculty member at York University, she commemorated her late husband, Nathan, through endowments at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall law schools, and is recalled for her widely interested and interesting personality. Survived by two nieces and a cousin.

Norman H. Harris ’66, of Minneapolis, on Nov. 5. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala who became an advertising copywriter, he is remembered as a man who treated others with kindness and consideration, and whose true love was his family. Survived by wife Marlys (Moses) ’67, two sons and three grandchildren.

Mark Levinthal, PhD’66, of West Lafayette, Indiana, on Oct. 23. A biologist whose research at Purdue University is being revisited today by those who study the genetics of the coronavirus, he contributed to the fields of biosemiotics and bioanthropology; was active in the civil rights and antiwar movements in the 1960s; and enjoyed baseball, traveling the world, cooking, teaching adult-education classes and writing a newspaper column on cycling. Survived by wife Donna, two children and a grandchild.

Lee (Weiner) Sharkey ’66, of Portland, Maine, on Oct. 18. A poet whose work appeared in Kenyon Review, Tikkun and other publications, she founded the women’s studies program at the University of Maine at Farmington, co-founded the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, co-edited the Beloit Poetry Journal, and in 2017 was awarded the Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize. Survived by husband Al Bersbach, a son and two grandchildren.

Melissa Nan (Trommer) Weiss ’66, Brandeis National Committee, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 24. A mother, therapist and philanthropist, she is remembered for the humanity she showed her patients, her care for her friends and her fierce love for her family. Survived by husband Mark, two daughters and four grandchildren.

Frederick Demeo ’67, of Boxford, Massachusetts, on May 8, 2019. A software developer and the founder of Compucopia Corp. and Frante Corp., he loved gardening; soccer; all things Italian, from Alfa Romeos to fine wines; and, most especially, his family. Survived by wife Andrea, two children and a grandchild.

Richard Burgin ’68, of St. Louis, on Oct. 22. The son of two Boston Symphony Orchestra violinists, he was the founder of Boulevard Magazine, the author of 19 books, and the winner of five Pushcart Prizes; friend Joyce Carol Oates recalled him as “a writer of extraordinary short fiction; a composer of powerful, elegiac music; and a brilliant and tireless editor of one of our best literary magazines.” Survived by a son. Loren

Leah (Storch) Gelber ’68, of Charlotte, North Carolina, on Nov. 6, 2019. Having earned a PhD in medicinal chemistry from Northeastern University, she spent 40 years in the pharmaceutical industry, working at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and as a regulatory compliance officer at various companies. Survived by a son.

Barbara L. Arnn ’69, of Port Townsend, Washington, on June 1. A scholar of medieval Japanese history and literature who taught at several universities, and who also wrote a novel, a memoir and several books about dogs, she was happiest with her hands in the soil, volunteering on a farm, growing saffron and working for the Jefferson Land Trust. Survived by husband W. Nick Hill, two stepchildren and four stepgrandchildren.