Obituaries

Minnette Friedman

Minnette Doris Marks Friedman, 84, died Dec. 31, 2020. Born in Irvington, New Jersey, on June 6, 1937, Minnette was the daughter of Paul Jerome Marks and Jeannette Samuels Marks. As an only child, Minnette developed a strong sense of independence and self-reliance. After graduating as the valedictorian from… Read more »

Isidore Shapiro dies at 101

Isidore Shapiro, 101, died Dec. 27, 2020. Izzy was born in 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved with his family to New York City a few years later. Izzy dedicated his professional life to helping others: working first as a probation officer, then as a social worker and the… Read more »

Goldie Shapiro

Goldie Shapiro, 93, died Oct. 6, 2020. Goldie was born in New York City in 1927 to Isidore and Rachel Grushka, immigrants from what is now Poland, who were active members of the Workmen’s Circle (now named the Workers Circle). The family lived in the Bronx until she was… Read more »

Allen Berns

Allen Berns, 92, died Jan. 5, 2021 of complications related to COVID-19. Originally from Chicago, Allen was a 25-year resident of Tucson. He retired young and enjoyed life. Allen had the gift of gab and made friends everywhere he went. As Al would say, “You have one go around… Read more »

Rahmat Aziz, 93, dies

Rahmat Aziz, 93, died Nov. 28, 2020 Mr. Aziz was born in the Punjab to Bibi and Jon Mohammed. He grew up in a small village, always motivated to expand beyond its boundaries, and saw education as a way out. His love of learning and passion for reading drove… Read more »

Marvin Glassberg dies of Covid pneumonia at 84

Marvin Glassberg, 84, died Dec. 31, 2020 at Peppi’s House Hospice in Tucson from Covid pneumonia, surrounded virtually by his loving family. Born in Spring Valley, New York, he moved to Tucson with his parents, and graduated from Tucson High School and the University of Arizona. He had a… Read more »

Morton Kranitz

Morton Kiel Kranitz, 94, died Dec. 11, 2020. He was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a successful shoe salesman before entering the automotive business. He was the longtime proprietor of Kranitz Automotive Group (later Mort’s… Read more »

Esther Starr

Esther Tannenhaus Starr, 95, died Nov. 24, 2020. Born in New York, on December 21, 1924, she raised her family in Freehold, N.J. prior to relocating to Tucson in 1986. She was a committed volunteer throughout her life; devoting her time and energies to a variety of auxiliaries, hospitals… Read more »

Melvin Margolis

Dr. Melvin Burton Margolis, 87, died Dec. 26, 2020. He was born in Chicago on June 20, 1933, to the late Hyman and Ida Margolis. Melvin was the beloved husband of the late Letty Berman Margolis for 56 years. Melvin served active duty as a dental officer with the… Read more »

Retired shoe store owner Sid Hirsh, 90, dies

Sidney Hirsh, 90, died Dec. 9, 2020. Sid was born Aug. 22, 1930 in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, to Rose and David Hirsh. David owned a successful shoe store, The Bootery. For health reasons, the family moved to Tucson in 1944. After graduating from Tucson High, Sid attended the University of… Read more »

Dr. Lee Robinson Chutkow, 93, dies

Dr. Lee Robinson Chutkow, 93, died Nov. 30, 2020. In no specific order, Lee loved classical music, Shakespeare’s writings, Shabbat morning services, and chocolate ice cream. He was a lifelong learner and his desire for knowledge did not lessen with age. Barnes & Noble bookstore was his “Disneyland” and… Read more »

Thelma Nathanson

Thelma Nathanson, 83, died Nov. 3, 2020, surrounded by family. Born in Midland, Michigan, Thelma was happily married for over 60 years to her late husband, Gerald Nathanson. She was a worldwide traveler and had an uncanny ability to make lifelong friends wherever she went. She had a keen… Read more »

Amanda Leigh Cohn

Amanda Leigh Cohn, 44, died Oct. 18, 2020. Amanda was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She moved to Tucson as an infant, and lived in California since she was 19. Amanda loved being with her family and friends. She had an adventurous spirit, adored children and animals, was a talented… Read more »

David Wolsky, 66, dies

David Irwin Wolsky, 66, died suddenly on Sunday, September 27, 2020. David was born July 13, 1954 in Chicago, where he lived until moving to Tucson with his family in 1994. He embraced life in Tucson and developed many close friendships as well as a love for bike riding… Read more »

Havah Haskell, DVM, dies at age 47

Havah Beth Haskell, DVM, 47, died Nov. 1, 2020 at age 47 after coping with breast cancer since early 2019. Havah was born on June 27, 1973 in Philadelphia to her parents, Andrea Haskell and Albert Roy Morgan. Havah was raised by her mother and stepfathers in Vista, California,… Read more »

Former Tucsonan Albert Morrow, a lawyer, died last year

Albert-Morrow-obit

Albert Morrow, 85, lost his battle with Lewy body dementia on Nov. 2, 2019. Al was born to Harry and Rhea (Millman) Rosenblum on July 10, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York. Al grew up in Brooklyn, eventually moved to Valley Stream, New York, and graduated from Valley Stream Central… Read more »

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, first Jewish woman to serve on Supreme Court, dies at 87

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in a discussion at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court and a tireless advocate for gender equality, has died at 87. A fierce jurist known for her outsized presence and outspokenness, Ginsburg died from “complications of metastatic pancreas cancer,” the Supreme Court announced… Read more »

Earl Surwit, M.D., 73, died Sept. 10

Earl Surwit, M.D., 73, died Sept. 10, 2020. Earl grew up in Maryland and earned a medical degree from Georgetown University. Earl grew up in Maryland. He graduated from Muhlenberg College and earned a medical degree from Georgetown University. He completed a residency at the University of North Carolina… Read more »

Dan Karsch, longtime Tucson doctor and community activist, dies at 78

dan_karsch-_tom_newman_large_obitAt left, Daniel Karsch (left) and Tom Newman, former partners in Old Pueblo Urology, during a visit Karsch and his wife, Carol, made to Tucson from Israel in February 2020. At right, Karsch and Newman co-host 'The Plumber's Ball' in 1974. (Courtesy Carol Karsch)

Daniel Nathan Karsch, M.D., 78, died of cancer on July 23, 2020. Dan was born in Philadelphia to Lil and Joe Karsch and grew up in the large Jewish neighborhood of Wynnefield, centered around Har Zion Temple, Jewish schools, synagogues, and Camp Ramah. A graduate of Ursinus College and Jefferson… Read more »

Jone Hughes

Jone Koran Hughes, 89, formerly of Tucson, died July 7, 2020. She was born in New York City to John J. Koran and Matilda Lutcha Koran. Jone survived polio as a child and carried a disability her whole life. The first in her family to earn a degree, from… Read more »