Obituaries

Mark Lacter, a longtime L.A. business journalist, died at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after suffering a stroke on Nov. 13, his wife, Laura Levine, told LA Observed. He was 59. 

Lacter covered business in Southern California as an editor and reporter. A regular contributor to LA Observed, Los Angeles magazine and KPCC-FM’s “Morning Edition,” Lacter had previously worked as editor of the Los Angeles Business Journal and business editor for the L.A. Daily News. Lacter also worked for the Orange County Register, the San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, Fast Company and Investor’s Business Daily. 

“Mark’s humor and knowledge contributed not only to our biz coverage, but also to our friendship lo these many years,” “Morning Edition” host Steve Julian wrote on his Facebook page.

A writer who could clarify complex business and economics stories with everyday language, Lacter’s final post at LA Observed on Nov. 12 explored a range of topics that included the Southern California housing market; an analysis of an agreement between airlines and the Justice Department and what it would mean for LAX; and Amazon.com’s push for faster Los Angeles deliveries. 

Lacter was working on a book about the airline industry when he died, LA Observed’s Kevin Roderick wrote. 

“This is a big loss for everyone who knew Mark,” Roderick wrote.

Born Oct. 28, 1954, in Queens, N.Y., according to the Los Angeles Times, Lacter attended George Washington University, graduating in 1976. He began his career at the Washington Post.

Lacter and his wife, a mystery writer, married in 1994.

Funeral services for Lacter are pending. 

Hal Alexander died Nov. 3 at 90. Survived by wife Patricia; daughter Brandy (Marc Kern); sons Keith (Lisa), Steve; 9 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; sister Nancy Goodman. Mount Sinai

Edward Altman died Oct. 24 at 84. Survived by wife Shirley; daughter Sari (Marc) Cohen; 2 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; sister Harriet Urish. Mount Sinai

Elizabeth Ashe died Oct. 29 at 52. Survived by sisters Norah (Cody) Ashe-McNalley, Rebecca (Richard Tighe); brother Benjamin; 2 nieces; 2 nephews. Mount Sinai

Isadore Benjamin died Oct. 28 at 86. Survived by wife Rhonda; daughters Audire Benjamin-Roth, Debbie Jacobs; 4 grandchildren. Hillside

Marvin Berke died Oct. 30 at 94. Survived by daughters Vera Cohen, Wendy Simons; 1 grandchild. Hillside

Helena Block died Nov. 2 at 84. Survived by husband Howard; daughters Elisa (Bob) Charney, Karen Sinnet Frydman; sons Gary (Joan), Leonard; 9 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Jack Blum died Nov. 2 at 83. Survived by wife Lois; daughter Karen; son Ron (Debbie); 2 grandchildren; sister Bettylee Balsam. Mount Sinai

Sarah Breverman died Oct. 31 at 94. Survived by daughters Barbara (Lew) Lev, Bettianee (Hal) Marcus; son Marin (Lindy); 9 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Ruth Brodsky died Oct. 31 at 91. Survived by son Bob; 1 grandchild; sister Shirley Hyman. Mount Sinai

Irving Cohen died Nov. 1 at 92. Survived by wife Frances; daughters Laurie Dahlmeier, Terry Grossman, Julie (Steve) Kinsbursky; 2 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. Mount Sinai

Milton Cohen died Oct. 26 at 95. Survived by son Larry (Susan Eberle); 1 grandchild. Malinow & Silverman

Morris Cohen died Oct. 28 at 100. Survived by daughter Dana; sons Christopher, David. Groman Eden 

Beatrice Mazo Cord died Oct. 23 at 96. Survived by nephews Bernard (Phyllis) Sosner, Harold (Gail) Sosner, Howard (Elaine) Sosner. Mount Sinai

Samuel Cordova died Oct. 23 at 90. Survived by wife Lelly; daughters Teri Senior, Pam Simmons; son Mark; 7 grandchildren. Hillside

Irving Fischer died Oct. 29 at 93. Survived by wife Vilma; daughters Randy (Gene) Bostic, Lori; son Bob; 4 grandchildren. Hillside

Bernice Getzug died Oct. 31 at 103. Survived by daughter Sandra Young; son Sheldon (Gloria); 5 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren. Malinow & Silverman

Samuel Goetz died Oct. 24 at 85. Survived by wife Gertrude; daughter Genie (Steven) Penn; son Joseph; 9 grandchildren; brother Bernard. Hillside

Harold Goldstein died Oct. 28 at 86. Survived by wife Idell; daughter Hollie (Charlie) Mallers; son Bruce; 2 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Betty Hoffenberg died Oct. 26 at 91. Survived by sons David, Peter; 3 grandchildren. Hillside

Erwin Kassel died Oct. 30 at 88. Survived by wife Lee; daughter Susan Stewart; sons Michael, Robert; stepdaughter Gail Rattinger; 8 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Friedrich Landes died Oct. 25 at 82. Survived by daughters Monica (Thomas) Moorman, Ingrid; 5 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Isabel Lane died Oct. 25 at 95. Survived by daughter Judy Varga; sons Gary (Cindy) Victor, Phillip Victor; 2 grandchildren; sister Peggy Evans; brother Raymond (Mardi) Carl. Malinow & Silverman

Charlotte Lewin died Nov. 7 at 86. Survived by daughter Karen (Lawrence) Cardozo; son Steven (Joan Cahn); grandchildren Benjamin (Hadas) Cardozo, Daniel (Katherine) Cardozo, Shoshana (Adam) Fischer, Samantha; great-grandchildren Ellie Cardozo, Danielle Fischer. Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park and Mortuary

Anya Leybovich died Oct. 31 at 87. Survived by daughter Esfir; 1 grandchild; 2 great-grandchildren; sister Riva (Emanuel) Grodzenchik. Mount Sinai

Leah Lieberman died Nov. 3 at 91. Survived by daughter Sandi (Craig Munschy) English Munschy; 1 grandchild; 2 nieces. Mount Sinai

Richard Lissner died Oct. 24 at 87. Survived by wife Judith; daughters Kim, Lauren; sons Craig, Dean; 11 grandchildren; brother Robert. Malinow & Silverman

Ben Markman died Oct. 27 at 89. Survived by wife Tillie; daughters Barbara (James) Barnyak, Teresa (Lewis) Kanter, Annis Kisher; son Stuart; stepdaughter Sandra Lincoln; 9 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; sister Cynthia (Oscar) Ribner; brother Seymour (Phyllis). Hillside 

Sol Marshall died Oct. 25 at 101. Survived by son Steven (Deni); 2 grandchildren. Hillside

Wallace Mason died Nov. 1 at 81. Survived by wife Carmen; daughter Katie (Eric Stern); son Lauren; 4 grandchildren; brother Lawrence (Sandy); 1 nephew. Mount Sinai

Morton Medway died Oct. 27 at 87. Survived by wife Rebecca; daughters Wendy Bachelis, Sharon (Seymour) Gorelick, Sandy (Andy) Matthew, Lisa (Howard) Stern, Carol (Paul), Deborah; son David (Lorie); 12 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Jason Miller died Oct. 24 at 42. Survived by wife Anita; cousins David Gussman, Madeline Gussman. Hillside

Sally Morgan died Oct. 29 at 86. Survived by son Seth; daughters-in-law Fang, Marlene; 2 grandchildren; sister Sherry Scott. Hillside

Jeanne Neimand died Nov. 2 at 82. Survived by husband Murray; daughter Deborah (Don) Matthew; sons Michael (Diane), Richard (Evelyn Goldstein), Steven (Kerry); 5 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; sister Nancy Hollinger. Mount Sinai

Carole Neustadt died Oct. 25 at 76. Survived by sons John (Romi), Kevin (Carolyn); 4 grandchildren; sisters Louise Higgins, Marilyn Kaplan. Mount Sinai

Ruth Olafski died Oct. 28 at 95. Survived by 6 grandchildren; 3 nieces. Mount Sinai

Gerald Paul died Oct. 25 at 72. Survived by wife Judi; daughter Stephanie; sons Benjamin, Johnathan, Zachary; sister Frances Steinberg; brother Cary. Mount Sinai

Sidney Pilot died Oct. 24 at 80. Survived by wife Ruth, son Edward (Sherri Salzman); 2 grandchildren; brother Mickey (Lily) Shapiro. Mount Sinai

Daniel Postar died Oct. 23 at 93. Survived by wife June; son Stanley. Mount Sinai

Geraldine Rosen died Nov. 1 at 93. Survived by daughters Judith Preminger, Diane Wiseman; 3 grandchildren. Hillside 

Nira Roston died Oct. 27 at 77. Survived by daughter Elana (Scott) Saul; son Daniel (Stacy Halpern); 3 grandchildren; sister Varda Galore. Malinow & Silverman

Susan Saltzburg died Nov. 2 at 72. Survived by husband Joel; daughter Wendy (Adam) Stein; son Brian (Troy Golladay); 2 grandchildren. Hillside 

Dorothy Sasner died Nov. 1 at 95. Survived by son Robert; 8 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. Mount Sinai

Jeffrey Schorin died Oct. 26 at 62. Survived by sister Linda; brother-in-law Len Felder. Hillside 

Marvin Shapiro died Nov. 2 at 77. Survived by wife Darryl; daughters Lesli, Robin (Eyal Zucker); son Matthew (Ingrid); 2 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Sidney Sharp died Oct. 30 at 94. Survived by nephew Merle. Hillside

Rena Siegel Goldsmith died Oct. 24 at 74. Survived by husband Fred; sons Jeffrey (Michelle), Michael (Lori); 4 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Sophie Silverstein died Nov. 3 at 94. Survived by daughter Rhona; son Howard; 2 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren. Groman Eden

Roman Smetana died Nov. 3 at 93. Survived by sons Irv (Randi), Morris (Judy), Sam; 7 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Hillside

Emanuel Stein died Oct. 23 at 89. Survived by wife Dorothy; daughter Roberta Nickell; 5 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren. Hillside

Muriel Stern died Oct. 31 at 74. Survived by daughter Debra Zalmanowitz; son David; 2 grandchildren; sister Lenore (Richard) George; brother Kenneth (Joan) Bernstein. Malinow & Silverman

Molly Strozer died Oct. 29 at 93. Survived by son Alan; 3 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren. Malinow & Silverman

Rhoda Tilles died Oct. 29 at 65. Survived by brothers Michael (Janelle), Sheldon (Tobi). Mount Sinai

Michelle Vanderpoel died Oct. 30 at 71. Survived by husband John; daughter Anna (Tracy Bowes) Dunn; brother Marshall (Terry) Steinberg. Malinow & Silverman

Esther Wieser died Oct. 31 at 85. Survived by daughter Monica (Paul) Wells; 2 grandchildren; sister Ruth Halbreich. Hillside 

Mark Zelman died Oct. 29 at 55. Survived by partner Deborah Rodgers; daughter Sarah; son Josh; sister Debra Mabrie. Malinow & Silverman

Zelda Zuckerman died Oct. 27 at 87. Survived by brother Norman Ackerman. Mount Sinai