Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc.

09/23/2025

SUSAN KWELLER: (1941-2025) Age 84, passed away on September 21, 2025, at Canterbury Place after succumbing to a series of illnesses against which she struggled for years. Her amazing tenacity, strength and will to live carried her through medical challenges that few could have endured. She was truly a valiant fighter to the end.

Susan was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. on March 13, 1941, to Phyllis (Silverman) Lhormer and Sydney Silverman, who preceded her in death, as did her brother, Thomas N. Silverman. She was the beloved wife of Michael Kweller, and beloved mother of Amy (Larry) Nordby and Sherry (Daniel Berczik) Halsband. Susan's passing leaves an enormous void that cannot be filled for her family and her many dear and lifelong friends who knew her as "Susie". She was a vibrant cook, voracious reader, technical wizard with yarn crafts and a truly remarkable Mother, Wife, Friend and Teacher.

Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 11 AM. Visitation one hour prior to service (10 AM - 11 AM). Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. www.schugar.com

09/16/2025

SUSAN HARDESTY: On Monday, September 15, 2025. Daughter of Inge Hamovitz and the late Neil Hamovitz. Loving mother of Alexis Hardesty. Cherished sister of Judi Hamovitz, Arnie (Christine) Hamovitz, and the late Dennis Hamovitz. Bubbie of Lennon Capellupo and Remy Capellupo. Also survived by nieces and nephew, Jameson, Mollie, and Jenn. Susan grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. She attended Taylor-Allderdice High School and Penn State University. She married the love of her life, Barry Hardesty and had a wonderful daughter, Alexis. She was a bubbie to Lennon and Remy, who were the absolute light in her life. Susan was a wonderful, vibrant woman and was cherished by everyone that crossed her path. After a long battle with cancer, she passed away surrounded by loving family. Susan will be missed everyday. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside, on Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 2 PM. Visitation one hour prior to service (1 PM - 2 PM). Interment Cneseth Israel Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Susan G. Komen (komen.org) or any cancer research organization of your choice.

09/16/2025

JEFFREY SINGER: Age 70, of Mt. Lebanon, PA, passed away on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 while vacationing in North Myrtle Beach, SC -- his happy place. Jeffrey was born on February 2, 1955 to Pauline and Irving Singer, and was the nephew of Maurice (Marilyn) Grob and Frances (Thomas) Winland.

Jeffrey graduated from Peabody High School and the University of Pittsburgh. Public service was important to him, working as an EMT Paramedic Assistant for many years, and most recently for the Allegheny County Treasury Department before retiring. He enjoyed many activities including cooking and baking, basketball, watching the Steelers, and spending time in North Myrtle Beach.

He was preceded in death by his aunts, uncles, parents, and twin brother, Jerrold Singer, and is survived by his daughter Rachael Singer and her mother, Roberta Gerson, brothers David (Ilene) Singer and Fred (Carol) Singer, numerous nieces and nephews, and best friend Bobbie Jo Comes.

Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 1 PM. Visitation one hour prior to service (12 Noon - 1 PM). Interment Mount Lebanon Cemetery. Shiva will be held at Jeffrey's home following burial.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, www.4hcm.org.

09/14/2025

PHYLLIS MARCUS TAUBERG: On Sunday, September 14, 2025; beloved wife of the late Norman B. Tauberg; loving mother of Stuart (Beth) Tauberg and James Tauberg. Sister of the late Murray Marcus. Survived by sisters-in-law Rita Tauberg, Shirley Blau, and Roberta Tepper. Devoted grandmother of Alex Tauberg (Holly Donovan) and Mindy Tauberg (Scott Hollingsworth). Proud great-grandmother of River Hollingsworth. Also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. The family expressess their heartfelt thanks and eternal gratitude to Phyllis' caregivers, Laurie Vaughn, Shonte Hinton, Keisha Smith and Ashaki Rattliff for their love, care and devotion. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 3:00 PM. Visitation one hour prior to services (2-3 PM). Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

Ralph Schugar Chapel is proudly serving Pittsburgh's Jewish Community as an independently owned funeral home.

09/11/2025

Elaine Gail (Roffman) Wolfe, 84 passed away peacefully at home on September 10, 2025 surrounded by her loving family. Elaine was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and cherished member of the Temple David community. She was born on November 16, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland, and married Harvey Wolfe, on September 13, 1959. Together they raised four children Dr. Andrew (Roni) Wolfe, Bonnie (Ted) Bloom, Rabbi Stephanie Wolfe, and Shoshanah (Brian) Drake and were blessed with five grandchildren Kira Wolfe, Molly Wolfe, Trevor Drake, Sarah (Jonathan) Stone, and Paige Lang, all of whom brought her endless joy.

Elaine's heart was most at home in the kitchen. An extraordinary cook and baker, she poured love into every dish she prepared, and her happiest moments were spent sharing meals and laughter with family and friends.

Her devotion extended deeply into her spiritual community at Temple David, where she was an integral presence for decades. In the 1970s, Elaine served as secretary to Rabbi Jason Edelstein and continued to serve the Temple with passion and purpose throughout her life. Among her many contributions, she organized and ran an off-site blood bank for over 30 years to honor her father's memory, a cause deeply meaningful to her. She also served as Sisterhood President, Principal of the Religious School, and produced the Yizkor memorial book since 2011.

As her children grew older, Elaine worked for the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh as a secretary in the communications department, where her talents for organization and dedication shone just as brightly as they did in her volunteer work.

Elaine lived a life of love, service, and community. She nurtured her family with the same dedication she gave to Temple David and everyone fortunate enough to know her. Her warmth, her generosity, and her boundless energy will be deeply missed but forever cherished.

She leaves behind a legacy of devotion to family, faith, and friendship, a legacy that will live on in the lives she touched. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside, on Friday, September 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM. Visitation one hour prior to services (12 noon to 1:00 PM). Interment Temple Sinai Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Harvey and Elaine Wolfe Rabbinic Chair Endowment at Temple David, 4415 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA 15146. www.schugar.com

09/10/2025

It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of Mark Barash on September 8, 2025. Mark died peacefully surrounded by his family. Born on May 5, 1955 in New York, he worked hard to create the opportunities he wanted. At an early age, he published his own New York sports newspaper, became a radio disc jockey, served as the in-stadium play-by-play announcer for the New York Cosmos soccer team, and the voice of the New York Stars football team. Later, he became the regular sportscaster for major TV stations in Fresno, CA and Detroit, MI.

In 1984, he was hired by WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh where he served as Program Director and Operations Manager for 31 years. He was also the creator and Station Manager of the PCNC cable station. He brought major syndicated programs to Pittsburgh like Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and Judge Judy. He helped secure media rights for local events like the Three Rivers Regatta, the Celebrate the Season Parade, the July 4th fireworks, Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball, and the WPXI Carol Sing. He was an extremely creative and innovative individual who never lacked for ideas. He was dynamic, unique, talented, and brilliant.

Mark is survived by his wife Allison Caveglia Barash, son Jason (Jesse), daughter Marissa (Dylan) and grandchildren Jordana, Shai, and Myla, and his sister, Sheila.

Funeral services will be held at Temple Ohav Shalom, 8400 Thompson Run Road, Allison Park at 12 noon on Friday, September 12. No prior visitation. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association or Animal Friends. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel Inc. www.schugar.com

09/08/2025

DORENE BINSTOCK COHEN: Beloved wife of the late Eugene R. ("Huey") Cohen, passed away peacefully on September 8. Dorene was born in Pittsburgh on May 12,1934 to Israel and Ruth Haston Binstock, owners of I. Binstock Jewelers in Squirrel Hill. She was sister to the late Belle (Meyer) Fogel and the late Louis (LaVerne) Binstock and Rena Binstock.

Dorene was cherished by her three children, Jeffrey Cohen, Cathy (Steve) Frank, and Brian (Lori) Cohen. She was the adored Nana of Jason (Miriam) Frank, Hannah Frank, Rebecca (Jonathan) Holder, Jessica (Benjamin) Simon, Amanda (Matthew) Hymansmith, Zephyr (Bruce-Robert) Salz, Katherine (Gil) Salz Golan, and Aaron (Ankita) Salz. She is the great grandmother of Franklin Eugene Holder, Avery Meyer Simon, and Mari and Hazel Hymansmith.

Dorene proudly volunteered with many Jewish organizations, serving in programming, fundraising, and communications roles. She was a lifetime member of Women's American ORT, and the motto "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" was often heard in her Beacon Street home. She instilled this love of service in her daughter Cathy, who chaired ORT Pittsburgh's 50th anniversary, where both she and Dorene enjoyed planning the event and performing in the Musical R***e.

In addition to raising their three children, Dorene and Huey owned Furniture World, a successful furniture store in North Versailles.

Dorene was a social butterfly who will be remembered for her giving nature, stylish and vivacious personality, love of life, and passion for playing Mahjong and Canasta with her many friends. She was a backbone of her family, and particularly cherished her relationships with her first cousins, who were like siblings to her. Her family lovingly referred to her as "the bird", partner to the "the bear", her husband Huey of 69 years. She will be dearly missed by all.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to caregivers Melissa Anderson and Kris Lehman as well as Bethany Hospice, especially Christine Caito, whose excellent care, love and devotion during these past couple of years have been a tremendous source of comfort.

Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 1 PM. No Prior Visitation. Interment Poale Zedeck Memorial Park Cemetery. Shiva will be held at Chabad of Squirrel Hill, 1700 Beechwood Boulevard, from 6pm - 8pm with shiva minyan at 7pm. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer's Association (https://donorservices.alz.org/) or The Women's American ORT (https://ortamerica.org/). www.schugar.com.

08/25/2025

SELMA MARION PODOLSKY RYAVE: (May 7, 1927 – August 25, 2025)

Selma was born May 7, 1927, in Pittsburgh, PA, to Sol and Esther (Lipsitz) Podolsky. Selma graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and completed one year of college at Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1945, she married Joseph Dorn; daughter Rosalyn was born in Los Angeles, CA. Returning to Pittsburgh, daughter Cheryl was born in 1949; they divorced shortly thereafter. In 1954, Selma married Samuel Ryave, and the new family moved to Stanton Heights.

Selma’s husband of 41 years, Sam, daughter Cheryl, sister Leona Green, and brother Irving predeceased her. She is survived by her daughter, Rosalyn Richman (PonJola Coney), brother Malvern Powell (AnnaBelle), three nieces, three nephews, 13 great nieces and nephews, 28 great great nieces and nephews, and countless cousins and friends.

Selma worked as a bookkeeper, first at Temple Sinai, then at Hunt Botanical Library of Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University). While working full time, she resumed her college education, earning a B.A. at CMU, followed by 2 master’s degrees from Pitt, which led to a second career as school librarian at Knoxville Middle School until she retired in 1992.

A “round-the-world Semester at Sea cruise” with a fellow teacher ignited Selma’s passion for travel. After retiring, dozens of Elderhostel educational travel adventures took her across the US and around the globe, visiting more than 60 countries in all. She served as a Volunteer for Israel, working as a laundry aide for the IDF.

At home, Selma became a volunteer usher at numerous theaters, seeing plays, musicals, concerts, and other performances as she “worked.” She joined friends at the Squirrel Hill JCC for bridge games and exercise classes. She resumed her “studies” with Osher Lifelong Learning classes at CMU. Friday evenings nearly always found her at Temple Sinai. Everywhere, Selma was happy when she had at least three activities a day and even happier when her activities involved family.

In 2015, Selma left her beloved Pittsburgh to live with her daughter, first in Richmond, VA, then in Las Cruces, NM, and, finally, Greensboro, NC. For the past 10 years, connected by her computer, she kept in touch by email, took Osher classes, and watched Temple Sinai’s services on Zoom.

Services at Temple Sinai 5505 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill on Friday, August 29, at 1 PM. Visitation at Temple one hour prior to service (12 Noon - 1 PM), which Selma considered her second family. Interment Temple Sinai Memorial Park. Shiva will be held at Temple Sinai as well. Contributions in Selma’s memory may be made to Temple Sinai (https://www.templesinaipgh.org/donation), where two funds have been established by the family (the Selma and Samuel Ryave Children’s Library Fund and the CREATes Fund, named for daughter Cheryl), or a charity of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel Inc. www.schugar.com

08/20/2025

DR. LARRY A. DOBKIN: On Monday, August 18, 2025; Beloved husband of Sharon Weiss Dobkin of Pittsburgh (formerly of Beachwood, OH); Very loving and proud father of Rachel (Ben Eisenstein) Dobkin of Brookline, MA; brother of Joseph Dobkin of Miami, FL. Also survived by several cherished cousins and dear friends. A graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School, Larry majored in chemistry and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brown University. After graduating from of Pitt School of Medicine, Larry practiced internal medicine and geriatrics, taking calls from home, making house calls and providing an unsurpassed level of care and expertise to all he served. Humble, unassuming and quiet, Larry had a wealth of fascinating stories which he remembered with extraordinary detail. A math genius, Larry loved baseball and was an amateur baseball statistician. He was also legendary for being able to balance his checkbook in his head to perfection. Larry loved teaching and mentoring; he loved dogs, especially his beloved Lucy, music and classic cars. He was kind, caring, generous, and down to earth. There was no one like him and he will be terribly missed by his loving family, devoted friends and patients. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside, on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 11 AM. Visitation one hour prior to services (10 AM - 11 AM). Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Parkinson Foundation Western Pennsylvania (pfwpa.org), Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 and the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, (michaeljfox.org). www.schugar.com

08/12/2025

Mira Manes Cohen, on August 12, 2025, died peacefully at home. She was born on October 29, 1945 and was the daughter of the late Allen and Ann Manes. She was preceded in death by the love of her life, Sanford E. Cohen. She loved spending time and kibbitzing with her good friends. Nothing brought her more joy than spending time with family. She was of course happiest with visits from her children, Brian Cohen and Nicole (Howard) Valinsky, grandchildren Alex, Andrew (Danni), Brad, Eric, and Shayna, and of course, her great grandson Milo. As her kids were growing up, she would always be so welcoming to all of their friends who would lovingly refer to her as "Mrs. C." Graveside Service and Interment will be held on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 11 AM at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Please call the funeral home at 412.621.8282 for access to the zoom. Contributions may be made in her honor to Community Day School or Congregation Beth Shalom. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. www.schugar.com

07/26/2025

LLOYD JEROME KLEIN: Beloved husband of Judy Arlene Vernick. Son of the late Mildred Krasnoff Klein, Harry Irving Krasnoff and the Hon. Harold Beryl Klein. Loving brother of Roberta Klein and the Hon. Arnie (Sara) Klein. Also survived by a niece and nephews.

Lloyd grew up in Aliquippa, PA and loved going to Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games with his father. He attended Point Park University, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer/Information Science and an Associate of Science Degree in Public Administration. Lloyd earned his Master's Degree in Public Management from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policyat Carnegie Mellon University. He also received a Master's Certificate in Project Management from the University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz School of Business. Lloyd was a PA Notary Public.

Lloyd was an information technology professional in the financial services industry for over 30 years. Specializing in mainframe systems, he served as a software engineer at PNC Bank. He also was a senior consultant for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.

He was actively involved in the Keystone Mountain Region of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, and later served as President of B'nai B'rith Gateway Lodge of Pittsburgh.

He was an avid Pittsburgh sports fan, with a special love for the Pittsburgh Pirates. As an eight-year-old, he earned local fame for predicting Bill Mazeroski's famous homerun in the 1960 World Series.

Lloyd's greatest love was his treasured wife, Judy, and their beloved dogs.

Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 12 Noon. Visitation one hour prior to services (11 AM - 12 Noon). Interment at The Homewood Cemetery, Star of David Section. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Lloyd's memory may be made to the JCC Pittsburgh and to Animal Friends. www.schugar.com

07/07/2025

Claryne Cooper Berman, formerly of Steubenville, OH, passed away peacefully at age 93 on July 6, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. The only child of the late Benjamin and Jeanne Cooper, Claryne was born on May 11, 1932, in Steubenville, OH, and graduated from Steubenville High School. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 67.5 years, Sanford W. Berman. She is the cherished mother of Stuart Berman of Los Angeles, CA, and Elyse (Marty) Eichner of Pittsburgh, PA; adoring grandmother of Alanna (Salomon) Maya, Mia Berman, Scott (Tracy) Eichner, Adam Berman, Max (Rachel) Eichner, and Erica (Stephen) Pierce; proud great-grandmother of Jacob Maya, Milo, Oliver, and Luca Pierce, and Miller Sophia Eichner.

Services will be private. Donations in Claryne's memory may be made to Sivitz Hospice & Palliative Care, part of the Jewish Association on Aging, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. family-owned and operated. www.schugar.com