Deaths

Mollie Klapper Bersin

Mollie Klapper Bersin died peacefully in her sleep on March 8, 2013 in Danville, California. She was 95 years old. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1917 to Romanian immigrant parents, Anna Davidovich Klapper and Abraham Leon Klapper, Mollie was a determined student who attended 13 different schools before graduating from high school during the Great Depression. She received a B.A. at Wayne State University (Michigan) and an M.A. in Special Education from Columbia Teacher’s College.

Exceptionally focused and self-disciplined, Mollie earned a medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia in 1950. Her son, David, was born in 1948 and her daughter, Anne, was born in 1951. Mollie’s first marriage to Arnold Conason ended in divorce and her second marriage to photographer Herbert Bersin lasted from 1950 until the time of his death in 1993.

While bringing up her family, Mollie had a distinguished career with the Los Angeles City School District, first as a school doctor and finally as Director of Employee Health for the largest school system in the country. Mollie was a lifelong learner with a deep appreciation of art, literature, classical music, opera, theater, film, history, astronomy and geography. Practical, ambitious and energetic, she mastered many of the domestic arts, including gardening, needlepoint, gourmet cooking and quilt-making.

Mollie, and her zest for life, will be missed by her son and daughter, David Zemach Bersin of Bucks County, Pa., and Anne Rosenthal of Berkeley, California, son-in-law Fred Rosenthal, daughter-in-law Kaethe Zemach Bersin, grandchildren Ariella Alroy (and husband Aviram), Joey Rosenthal (and wife Hang) and Talya Zemach Bersin, step-grandchildren Cybele Lerman and Mark and Daniel Rosenthal, and great-grandchildren Julian Rosenthal and Eytan Alroy. We mourn the loss of Mollie, celebrate her life, and consider ourselves fortunate to have known her.

Molly Glover, wife of Benny Glover, passed March 16, 2013. She was a Holocaust survivor and grandmother to Michael, Barry and Judy and mother to Sara Schoenhaus and Dora Piotrkowski.

Sinai Memorial Chapel

Florence S. Neuman

A third-generation San Franciscan. Her ancestors came from Germany to San Francisco around the horn of South America in sailing vessels in the mid-1800s, the first arriving in 1850. Florence was born Oct. 4, 1921 and died at her home on Dec. 8, 2012. She graduated from George Washington High School. During World War II she worked at Fort Mason.

She and her husband, Jack, founded the company Gems of the Golden West. For a period of 20 years, all of the stone products sold in Yosemite National Park came from their business. Florence loved to travel and traveled around the world from Asia to Europe to the Brazilian Amazon.

She is survived by her son, Ronald Neuman, and his wife, Dianne, and their children, Julianne Gurvich and her husband, Leo; her grandson Ryan Neuman, his wife, Sheri, and her grandson Zackary Neuman. She is also survived by her four great-grandchildren, Jackson, Noah, Katelin and Brandon. Florence is survived by her daughter, Dianne Fisher, her husband, James Fisher, and their children Jamie and Shanna.

Florence was the devoted sister of Leonard Cohn. In her youth she and her brother spent many days hiking the trails of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County as well as Yosemite National Park.

A private service was held at Hills of Eternity cemetery in Colma. Florence was buried next to her parents and grandparents. A celebration of life was held at her home with her family and friends. Gifts in her honor may be given to the UCSF Foundation, P.O. Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145.

Fany Voaknin Pierce, 61, taught Hebrew to hundreds of Solano/Napa County students at Vallejo’s Congregation B’nai Israel, Napa’s Congregation Beth Shalom, and elsewhere.

She came to America from Israel in 1979 and was an active member of the Vallejo temple where she taught Sunday school and generously shared her love of Israeli dance, culture and food. Her love of family and children led her to support many youth-related activities, particularly Israel’s Ahava Village for children and youth.

Born Dec. 31, 1951 in Casablanca, Morocco, and raised in Haifa, Israel, Fany’s 10-year struggle with breast cancer ended peacefully March 19, surrounded by loving husband Ralph, children Steven and Angelic and grandson Amari. Fany is also survived by nephew Yaniv Okhayon, mother Rena Voaknin, six siblings and many nieces and nephews in Israel as well as extended family in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her father Avraham Voaknin and several siblings preceded her in death.

Funeral services were held March 20, with interment at B’nai Israel Cemetery located within Sunrise Memorial Cemetery, Vallejo. A celebration of her life is pending. Donations to Ahava Village, c/o Congregation B’nai Israel, 1256 Nebraska St., Vallejo, CA 94590.