Obituaries

Bernard M. Shapiro,
El Caballero Country Club Founder,
Dies at 89

Bernard M. Shapiro who founded the El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana in 1957, died Aug. 26. He was 89.

After playing golf at the Bel-Air Country Club in 1954, Shapiro wanted to join, but a friend told him he would not be welcome because he was Jewish, Shapiro told the Los Angeles Times in 1998.

With the help of a few friends, including supermarket owner Eugene Gelson, Shapiro built a member-owned country club that anyone was welcome to join.

Shapiro was born in Minneapolis to parents who had fled Eastern Europe. His Los Angeles company, Royal Seal, began in the 1930s as a vending machine business and expanded to processing nuts and manufacturing for national candymakers.

When he sold the company in 1947, he retired and became a philanthropist. He helped found the Boys and Girls Club of the San Fernando Valley and served on the board of many service organizations.

He is survived by sons, Melvin, Stanley and Gerald; daughter, Janice; and four grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Boys & Girls Club of the San Fernando Valley, 11251 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331.

Esther Wapner Arbeitel died July 30 at 97. She is survived by her nephew, Judge Joseph (Mickey) Wapner; niece, Irene (Russell) Franklin; and many great-nieces and great-nephews. Mount Sinai

Morris Baram died July 30 at 96. She is survived by her daughters, Beverly Young and Charlotte Seigel; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Groman

Rachel Berdischewsky died July 28 at 94. She is survived by her son, Myron (Lilith). Chevra Kadisha

Bernard Bergal died Aug. 2 at 77. He is survived by his wife, Caroline; son, Mark; daughter, Lisa; and sisters, Jeanette Braner and Mickie Stangler. Groman

Alfred Biller died Aug. 2 at 97. He is survived by his wife, Judith; son, Jim (Diane); daughters, Jacki (Roger Bjorklund) Coates and Brenda (Daniel) Hanin; and three grandchildren. Groman

Esther Block died Aug. 2 at 86. She is survived by her son, Mitchell. Malinow and Silverman

Arlene Blonsky died July 27 at 72. She is survived by her husband, Paul; sons, Larry (Barbara), Jerry (Sunny), David (Cheryl) and Barry (Siska); six grandchildren; and brother, Ronald (Annette) Aberhams. Mount Sinai

Jacob Churg died July 27 at 95. He is survived by his sons, Warren and Andrew; and two grandchildren. Groman

Solomon Cohen died July 27 at 86. He is survived by his brother, Isaac; sister, Esther Bension; and niece, Delecia Enenstein. Groman

DAVID SOLOMON CRYSTAL died Aug. 1 at 85. He is survived by his son, Lee; daughter, Robin Johnson; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Hillside

Bruce Deyong died July 31 at 57. He is survived by his wife, Paula. Malinow and Silverman

Leo Diamond died July 30 at 89. He is survived by his daughter, Kathleen (Pedro) Vargas; and sister, Ruth Freund. Mount Sinai

Harold Dropkin died Aug. 1 at 93. He is survived by his wife, Mazie; son, Lester (Sara); daughter, Mara (Bruce) Kasper; and three grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Jack Fargo died July 29 at 78. He is survived by his companion, Marilyn Weinshenk; sons, Gary (Angela) Herschel, Steven (Debbie) Weinshenk and Lance (Tye); and grandchildren, Daniel, Nicole, Justin, Sarah and Leah. Mount Sinai

GILDA FINK died July 28 at 76. She is survived by her daughter, Arlene (Stanley) Greengard; son, Nelson; four grandchildren; sisters, Marylan Marsh and Sara Bogard; and brother, David Treister. Hillside

Walter Firstman died Aug. 1 at 84. He is survived by his wife, Lee; sons, Curtis and Bruce; daughter, Barbara (Don) Kaplan; and six grandchildren. Groman

Benjamin Glass died July 29 at 91. He is survived by his son, Stanley; and two grandchildren; and brother, Sidney. Groman

Edith Hanauer died July 30 at 95. She is survived by her daughter, Sandra (Les) Bursten; son, Gary; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Malinow and Silverman

Philip Heine died July 31 at 81. He is survived by his wife, Rhoda; sons, Richard, Bruce and David; one grandchild; and brother, David. Malinow and Silverman

Malvina Hersh died July 29 at 95. She is survived by her daughter, Rita Smith; two grandchildren; and sister, Pearl Gottesman. Groman

Jack Hirshleifer died July 26 at 79. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; sons, John (Linda) and David (Siew Hong); and three grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Esther Knoblowitz died July 27 at 86. She is survived by her husband, Bernard; and son, Martin. Chevra Kadisha

Nathan Kort died Aug. 2 at 73. He is survived by his wife, Diane; daughter, Stephanie (Tim) Trombley; son, Glen; step-daughter, Cindy (Patrick) Napolitano; seven grandchildren; and brother, Barney (Jean) Kort. Mount Sinai

Tsilia Laufer died July 30 at 90. She is survived by her sons, Eugene and Boris Bakalinsky; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Groman

Sol Meyerson died July 31 at 65. He is survived by his wife, Estelle; son, Steven (Annette); daughters, Jo Anne (Paul) Block and Deborah (Abraham) Raphael; four grandchildren; and sisters, Harriet Weisner and Florence Essman. Groman

Avrim Namak died July 27 at 64. He is survived by his wife, Judy; daughter, Shulamit; three stepchildren; mother, Gertrude; and sister, Dena Katz. Malinow and Silverman

MARY RACHLIN died July 29 at 91. She is survived by her daughter, Carol (Marvin D.) Rowen; four grandchildren; 10 great- grandchildren; and brother, Melvin Weintraub. Hillside

Lisa Francine Rowen died July 29 at 46. She is survived by her husband, Eric; sons, Hunter and Austin; daughter, Jessica; brother, Brad (Gina) Lieberman; sister, Kiera (David)Allen; and mother, Laurayne Lieberman. Chevra Kadisha

Arnold Schnitzer died July 29 at 85. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; and daughters, Leslie Jacobs, Stacy Kenyon, Wendy Willock and Anita McLaughlin. Malinow and Silverman

LAWRENCE SCHULNER died July 11 at 66. He is survived by his wife, Sharalynn; sons, Keith (Debbie) and Matthew; stepsons, David (Gigi) and Brian Shapiro; daughter, Shulamit (David) Widawsky; four grandchildren; and sister, Avis (Marshal) Cohen.

Manfred Schweda died July 31 at 71. He is survived by his wife, Lenora; daughters, Margaret Chroman and Sharon Neiyer; and four grandchildren. Groman

ROBERT MILTON SERIN died July 28 at 65. He is survived by his sons, William and Scott; and two grandchildren. Hillside

BETTY SHEPARD died July 28 at 86. She is survived by her daughter, Maxine; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Hillside

Herbert Singer died July 29 at 76. He is survived by his sons, Jeff (Kellie), Michael (Jennifer) and Stephen (Maureen); daughter, Debbie (Frank) Dimario; six grandchildren; and sister, Helene. Mount Sinai

Irwin Phillip Solomon died July 30 at 71. He is survived by his wife, Marcia; and daughters, Stacey and Shelby. Groman

Robert Turer died July 31 at 47. He is survived by his wife, Shellie; sons, Ethan and Shane; daughter, Nicole; parents, Mark and Betty; sisters-in-law, Debbie, Brenda (Phil), Sherrie, Toni (Dave) and Teri (Craig); and 10 nieces and nephews. Chevra Kadisha

Carol Underwood died July 29 at 55. She is survived by her daughters, Tewlyn (Jesse) Yoburn and Amanda (Kevin) Musselwhite; brothers, Michael (Natalie) and Stanley (Ella) Schwartz; and ex-husband, Phillip (Auyrina). Mount Sinai

Joan Vineberg died July 29 at 74. She is survived by her sister, Jackie Zuravel; brother, Marvin Ripes; and several nieces and nephews. Mount Sinai

Dr. Ernest Otto Weinman died July 31 at 82. He is surivived by his wife, Phyllis; and his brother, Hans. Groman

Lillian Weinstein died July 29 at 88. She is survived by her daughter, Susan; and son, Robert (Alvina) Weinstein. Malinow and Silverman

Mohtaram Youssefzadeh died July 30 at 76. She is survived by her husband Asher Benyamin; and children, Lida Hanaie and Kamal Benyamin. Chevra Kadisha