Funeral services were held Jan. 28 for former Milwaukee Public Schools science teacher Bernard Israel Raskin. He died Jan. 23 at age 78.
A Chicago native, he served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as a radio instructor. After the war, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Roosevelt University and came to Milwaukee in 1951. He taught primarily at the Morse Junior High School and Vincent High School.
He earned a master’s degree in geology and education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the 1960s and also received two National Science Foundation grants in field geology. He also was a member of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association.
He was a member of Temple Menorah and served on its executive board as chair of Israel Bonds for two years. He was active in B’nai B’rith, serving a president of the Gilead Memorial Lodge and a member of the B’nai B’rith Council.
His special interests included travel and camping, and “he loved crossword puzzles,” according to his wife, Ann Rae Raskin (nee Starr). As a hobby, he made jewelry and stained glass works, one of which was a stained glass window for Temple Menorah’s library, his wife said. He also served as a docent at the Milwaukee Public Museum for nearly 20 years.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Dr. Paula (James) Lukas of Oconomowoc and Mari-Claire Heifetz-Gallo of Ottowa, Wis., and four grandchildren.
Rabbi Isaac Lerer officiated at the funeral on Jan. 28. Burial was in Spring Hill Cemetery.
The family would appreciate memorial contributions to the Milwaukee Public Museum.
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