Brandeis Magazine

Sumner L. Feldberg, G’08, Fellow, of West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 1. The founder of Zayre, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and TJ Maxx, he received the Gold Medal Award from the National Retail Merchants Association for his work as a CEO, and served on many corporate and university boards, including at Brandeis. Survived by wife Esther Granofsky Feldberg, G’08; three children; nine grandchildren, including Jesse Mills ’08; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Frank Brandeis Gilbert, H’16, Fellow, Brandeis National Committee, Friend, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, on May 14. Grandson of Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the man for whom Brandeis University was named, Frank was a national leader in historic preservation who helped save Grand Central Terminal from demolition; a beloved family man; and a devoted friend of the university, serving on the Board of Fellows and, with his wife, Ann, providing generous support, establishing a scholarship, and donating important family memorabilia to the university archives. Survived by his wife.

Sondra F. Homer-Warner, P’80, G’02, Fellow, Brandeis National Committee, of Boca Raton, Florida, on July 16. She served as the BNC’s national vice president and as sisterhood president at Temple Beth Or, and was active in the Asthmatic Children’s Foundation. Survived by three sons, including Robert Homer ’80; five grandchildren, including Megan Hardin ’02; and eight great-grandchildren.

Louis E. Levy, Fellow, President’s Councilor, Friend, of Sarasota, Florida, on June 23. After a career at KPMG, during which he collected information used during the Iran hostage-crisis negotiations, he devoted 25 years of service to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which made him an Honorary Life Director, and was beloved for his compassion, leadership, intelligence, and wry humor. Survived by wife Sandra, three sons, and eight grandchildren.

Younes Nazarian, Friend, of Los Angeles, on March 18. Raised in Iran, he moved to Israel shortly after its establishment, became a serial entrepreneur, then moved to the United States in the late ’70s; an early investor in Qualcomm and a self-made billionaire, he established numerous charitable organizations. Survived by wife Soraya, four children, 11 grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Esther Ocuin, P’02, Friend, of Bethesda, Maryland, on April 29. A veteran of both the Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. Army, where she earned the rank of lieutenant colonel, she was the first female interventional cardiologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Survived by husband Jay, P’02; son Lee ’02; and two granddaughters.

Lily Safra, H’05, G’04, G’06, G’09, Friend, of Geneva, Switzerland, on July 9. A high-impact philanthropist, she was a board member at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and chaired the Edmond J. Safra Foundation for more than 20 years. Survived by her children; grandchildren, including David Elia ’04, Lily Elia ’06, and Gabriel Cohen ’09; and great-grandchildren.

Stanley W. Snider, Fellow, Friend, of Needham, Massachusetts, on April 4. The second of four generations to lead his family’s design and construction firm, he guided the business to a focus on community-building projects and loved traveling with wife Mary Ann, especially to Japan. Survived by his wife, two children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.