Chapter Eternal

Obituaries

Issue: Spring 2019

Join us in mourning those brothers who have entered the Chapter Eternal.

Nicholas Apuzzo, Eta Iota (State University of New York – Plattsburgh) 2018
APUZZO Nicholas of East Islip, LI, tragically on January 26, 2019. Beloved son of Alphonse and Barbara Apuzzo. Loving brother of Michael and Kelly Apuzzo. Cherished grandson of Pasquale and Crocetta Apuzzo and the late Alice Marie Kelly. Survived by many loving Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and friends. We will love and miss you forever.

Everett A. Evnen, Alpha Theta (University of Nebraska – Lincoln) 1948
Everett A. Evnen was born in Lincoln on December 8, 1927, to Eli and Dorothy (Lettween) Evnen, the younger of their two children. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelors’ degree in business administration and was an active member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He served in the Army in the occupational force in Japan. In 1951, he married his wife of 67 years, Elaine (Sherman).

He was the embodiment of an entrepreneur: an optimist with a vision who loved people. In 1957 he founded Lincoln Poultry & Egg Co. with two employees. When the company was sold in 2010, there were more than 200 employees.

All of his life, Everett loved the natural world. He loved his farm and taking his grandchildren there. He loved his dogs and bee-keeping. He enjoyed flying and owned several aircraft. He was an ice sculptor.

Everett served on many business, charitable and civic boards. Among others, he served on the boards of Bryan Memorial Hospital, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Gateway Bank and Madonna Hospital. He was a past president of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and the Tifereth Israel Foundation. He was an owner of Capitol Broadcasting, Inc., which put on the air the first FM station in Lincoln to broadcast in stereo. He was an owner of Brody’s Beef-Beer-BBQ. He brought Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream stores to Lincoln. He created Hunz Hickory ‘N Spices “for gourmet…BBQ” and Original Pizza. He was the packmaster of Cub Scout Pack 48, and an adult leader of YMCA Indian Guides.

Everett was beloved by those who knew him. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Maurine Kessler. He is survived by his wife, Elaine (Sherman), their children, Robert (Debra), Richard (Kim Heier), Jaine Merliss (Andrew) and Judith Evnen. He is survived by 19 grandchildren and their spouses, and five great-grandchildren.

Sanford Zwee ‘Sandy’ Friedman, Alpha Phi (Miami University) 1955
Sanford Zwee ‘Sandy’ Friedman, 88, of Michiana Shores, passed away peacefully at the home of his loving caregivers, Halina and Zbigniew Kasprzak in Trail Creek early on the morning of Tuesday, December 18, 2018. Born October 31, 1930 to Morton and Florence Friedman in Cleveland, OH, Friedman moved to LaPorte in 1956 where he married Barbara Shapiro, daughter of Charles and Celia Shapiro. He had met Barbara during their days together attending Miami University, Oxford, OH. He remained an active alum until his passing as well as a faithful member of his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau.

He is survived by four children that he raised with his wife Barbara – a son Shaw (Greta) Friedman and three daughters, Morgan (Preston) Wolin of Chicago, IL, Robin (Nat) Shapo of Wilmette, IL and Lane (Shawn) Rabin of Phoenix, Arizona as well as four grandchildren, Margaux Friedman, Alex Friedman, Noah Shapo and Max Rabin as well as a brother, Dr. Jerome Friedman of New York City along with three nieces, countless cousins and family in the Cleveland, OH area. Sandy grew up in the Cleveland area and became a batboy for his beloved Cleveland Indians in the 1940’s and talked often of his heroes from the Indians who included Bob Feller, Lou Boudreau and Larry Doby. After serving as a batboy in his teenage years, he worked at Cleveland Stadium as a hot dog and beer vendor plying the steps of Cleveland Stadium and his eyes would glaze over in his later years talking about the Indians’ 1948 World Series championship. He also worked in his father’s gasoline station in Cleveland before heading off to college.

He obtained both his Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from Miami University of Ohio majoring in Architecture and Urban Planning. After graduation from Miami of Ohio, Sandy Friedman worked in two firms, one in Chicago (where he helped design the layout for the burgeoning suburb of Oak Brook, IL) and then in LaPorte where he practiced architecture and designed various buildings such as the interior of the LaPorte Public Library and he provided design for the Salvation Army chapel as well as the law offices located behind City Hall.

It was in 1960 that he was asked to lay out the design for what would become the Wonderland Discount Department Store and he took an ownership interest in the store and would then make a transition to retailer for the next thirty years. First opening in 1961 at 1230 State Road 2 West, Wonderland had strong appeal to shoppers who were looking for bargains on everything from toys to clothing, paint and electrical supplies. So successful was the store’s concept that Friedman would open four other Wonderland stores including stores in Niles, MI; Michigan City, INa, South Haven, IN and Dowagiac MI. Known for his creative advertising and promotions including Krazy Daze sales and events in his parking lot, Wonderland survived and thrived even at very competitive locations, such as LaPorte where competitors TG&Y and K-Mart were located nearby.

At one point in 1968, following the assassination of Robert Kennedy, he earned recognition from national media when he became one of the few retailers in the country to stop selling ‘Saturday Night Specials’ in his sporting goods department, the same snub-nosed revolver used in the assassination. Sources as diverse as Sander Vinocur of ABC-News and columnist Ann Landers lauded his move at the time. Friedman was also active in local Democratic Party politics having started the County Democratic Party’s Century Club with fellow Democrats Cliff Arnold and George Borane and serving in key roles in campaigns such as that for Dennis Smith for LaPorte Mayor in 1971 and Phil Sprague for Congress in 1970. Though he was a devoted Democrat, he prized his relationships ‘across the aisle’ and counted LaPorte County Republican Chairman J. Willard Simcox among his closest friends. It’s only fitting that ‘Sandy Prairie Trail’ on the twelve acre campus of Swanson Center on 400 North near Michigan City is situated adjacent to the J. Willard Simcox Pavilion.

During the thirty years that he operated Wonderland, Sanford Friedman became exceptionally involved in his community chairing non profit ventures as diverse as the Swanson Center community mental health agency and the Salvation Army (where he designed the chapel that currently serves as home for the State Street Church). He was a member of the YMCA, Elks, LaPorte Chamber of Commerce and for a period of time served as a Guest Lecturer in Architecture at the Purdue North Central Campus in Westville.

He kept his architectural credentials intact all those years and remained a member of the American Institute of Architects and poured his creative energies into work on ventures like the Lubeznik Arts Center where he once served as Board President and continued his lifelong love of welding and sculptures, many of which are still displayed at or around his home on Lakeshore Drive in Michiana Shores.

A devoted member of Sinai Temple in Michigan City, Friedman once served as President of Sinai Temple’s Board of Trustees. For his community service, Sanford Friedman was awarded the coveted Sagamore of the Wabash in 2006 by then-Indiana Governor Joe Kernan.

Austen D. Jones, Theta (University of Pennsylvania) 2001 passed away after a courageous battle with cancer on December 10, 2018 in Torrance, California.  He was only 41 but had led a challenging and inspirational life. Austen graduated from the Wharton School and was working as a senior benefit analyst with Keenan & Associates since 2005. He is survived by his parents, Bill and Clémence Jones from Columbia Falls, Montana and by his sister Darcy Jones from Brooklyn, NY.

Donald W. Katz, Nu (The Ohio State University) 1948
About five years ago, at dinner in the home of his niece and her husband, Donald W. Katz began to tell some stories about his World War II service with the Army Air Forces. As he described bombing the Ploesti oil fields in eastern Romania as a nose gunner on a B-24, his niece’s husband, Alan Feinberg, wrote, “We were spellbound.” Feinberg’s interest in recording Mr. Katz’s stories for his grandchildren blossomed into “Bagels Over Berlin,” a documentary about Jewish veterans of the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Emily Chassin, a granddaughter who interviewed Mr. Katz for a college class, said that a predominant theme of her grandfather’s life was how lucky he had been. “He believed it was very important to be lucky in life,” she said.

Mr. Katz, a longtime residential and commercial real estate agent in Buffalo, died Jan. 27, 2019, at his home in Lantana, Fla. He was 95.

Mr. Katz was born in his parents’ Rumsey Road house on Sept. 28, 1923. He was the youngest child of Max Katz and Mollie Melzer Katz and brother of Annette, Emanuel “Manny” and Beatrice. The family home later became Calasanctius Preparatory School. After graduating from Lafayette High School, Mr. Katz entered Ohio State University, but his education was interrupted in his first year when he enlisted in the Army Air Forces. He flew many missions in the European theater during World War II. After the end of the war, Mr. Katz returned to Ohio State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business and was a member of the Jewish fraternity Zeta Beta Tau. While at Ohio State, he met fellow student Miriam “Mimi” Deneroff. They married  on Aug. 15, 1948, in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, which was her hometown.

After graduation, the Katzes moved to Buffalo. Mr. Katz went into the family businesses, the  residential real estate company Don Katz Realtors, and the commercial real estate investment, development and management firm Katz & Rosing Inc. in Kenmore, Tonawanda, Buffalo and Hamburg. The Katzes had wintered in Delray Beach, Fla., for many years, and moved there full-time around 2010, his family said.

Mr. Katz was a lifelong member of Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo. He was a serious saltwater and freshwater fisherman, his family said, fishing on the American and Canadian sides of Lake Erie, as well as at a remote Northern Ontario lake. He was a Bimini Fishing Tournament winner for many years. In his younger days, Mr. Katz played squash at lunch, as well as golf and tennis, and poker at least once a week for more than 60 years. He played bridge three times a week up to the end of his life. In Buffalo, his long-running bridge partners were Richard Lipsitz, Dick Melzer and Ira Melzer.

After 68 years of marriage, Mrs. Katz died in 2017. Mr. Katz is survived by two daughters, Jody Katz Chassin and Wendy J. Katz, DDS and four grandchildren.

Irving “Sonny” Shlesinger, Alpha Epsilon (Washington and Lee University) 1951
With sadness, the family of Irving “Sonny” Shlesinger announces his passing on Thursday, the 22nd of November 2018, having lived a full life of 89 years. Born in Cleveland, OH, raised as a teenager in Washington, DC, a 1951 graduate of Washington & Lee University, he received a post-graduate degree with the US Army during the Korean War. He began his career as a stockbroker in Washington before moving to Atlanta to work for Dittler Brothers, later becoming a senior executive and eventually co-owner of the company. After retirement, Sonny became President of the Standard Club where he negotiated the sale of the Buckhead facility and subsequent relocation to Duluth, Georgia. He was a phenomenal athlete. He played varsity tennis in college, and it was a lifelong passion. On a lark, he and his doubles partner from college entered the men’s over 60 national tournament and reached the quarter-finals. A self-taught golfer with a swing that would make every golf professional cover their eyes, Sonny would routinely shoot in the 70’s and once went two years without losing a ball. He founded and ran a golf tournament benefitting Aid Atlanta for ten years. He was loved by all and universally known for stating his honest opinion – whether good or bad.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Sylvia and Milton, his beloved son Jay, and his stepson Daniel Zacks. He is survived by his loving wife Joyce who never left his side during his struggles over the past year, his son John and wife Sara, grandchildren Abby and Michael, all of Atlanta. Additionally, he is survived by his stepchildren Andrew Zacks (Denise Leadbetter) of Oakland, CA, Tammy Zacks of Atlanta and Debbie Robbins (Cliff) of Greenwich, CT, as well as their children Aaron (Britany), Adam and Joseph Zacks, Michael and Mark Keller, Madelaine, Olivia and Simon Zacks; and Dylan, David and Reid Robbins. A special thank you goes out to the Weinstein Hospice and his beloved caregivers Tammeshia Christie, Pauleen Simon, Judie Lea, and Vince Anderson.