Obituaries | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Obituaries

Margaret Blacher 

Margaret Blacher (nee Radoff) died July 8, 2025, at the age of 98. Beloved wife of the late David Blacher. Cherished mother of Stuart (Diane) Blacher and the late Brian Blacher. Loving grandmother of Jason, Lindsey, Mitchell, Jonathan, and Justin Blacher. Further survived by other loving relatives and dear friends. 

Services were held at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery. Rabbi Abby Phelps officiated.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family.  Memorial contributions made to Congregation Shalom, Jewish Home and Care Center or the charity of your choice appreciated. 

Daniel Carriger 

Daniel Carriger died June 23, 2025 at the age of 65. Beloved father of Malka Esther (Yisrael) Shifer, Meyer Carriger, Yaakov Yitzchok Carriger and the late Rivka Carriger. Dear brother of Adrienne Harrison. Further survived by grandchildren, other relatives and friends. Graveside funeral service held June 24, 2025 at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery, Milwaukee. Rabbi Wes Kalmar officiated. Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions to Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah appreciated. 

Keith “Ron” Corlyn 

Keith Ronald “Ron” Corlyn died peacefully on June 21, 2025, at the age of 92. He is lovingly survived by his devoted wife, Karen; stepdaughter, Aimee Kahn; son-in-law, Robert Slaughter; and his cherished “snuggle puppy,” Mitzvah.  

Ron was a man of wit, warmth, and immense generosity. He had a remarkable sense of humor that could light up a room and a deep commitment to giving—both financially and through volunteering his time. His life was a vibrant blend of creativity, curiosity, and compassion.  

A gifted artist and poet, Ron’s work was featured in the Cedarburg Art Museum and the Cedarburg Cultural Center. His artwork was also sold at numerous art shows throughout Wisconsin, and his poetic voice lives on in several published volumes, available at the Golda Meir Library.  

In retirement, Ron pursued a keen interest in archaeology, continuing his lifelong passion for learning. Together with Karen, he delighted in traveling across the United States and Canada, always eager for new experiences and shared moments. Ron spent his final years receiving compassionate and dedicated care at Azura Fox Point.  

Ron’s life was defined by a generous spirit and a creative heart, and he leaves behind a legacy of kindness, laughter, and beauty.  

He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered. 

Funeral services held June 27 at Congregation Shalom, Fox Point. Interment followed Second Home Cemetery, Milwaukee. Rabbi Noah Chertkoff officiated.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Shalom, the Alzheimer’s Association, or Pets Helping People.   

Roberta “Bobbi” Dinkin  

Roberta “Bobbi” Lynn Dinkin died peacefully in her home on June 15, 2025. Bobbi was born on Dec. 14, 1937, to Albert and Ann Deshur in Milwaukee.  

As the oldest child of four, Bobbi was a guiding light for her younger siblings, setting the path forward for them to follow. She attended Steuben Junior High on the West Side of Milwaukee before attending Whitefish Bay High School where she graduated in 1955. In 1958, she found her love and married Perry Dinkin. They were married for 35 years and built their home in Glendale. Bobbi was a wife, mother of three and cherished grandmother. Wherever Bobbi went, she left behind a legacy of charitable giving and kindness.  

She generously donated to the Ann and Albert Deshur JCC Day Camp as well as supported all of her grandchildren through college and graduate school. For Bobbi, education was paramount. Throughout her life, Bobbi touched many people. She will be remembered by her family, her many friends, and those throughout the community. One of her favorite restaurants, Cafe 1505 memorialized her passing with a special teapot displayed in their front window.  

Bobbi will be dearly missed by one and all. She is survived by her siblings, Jim (Penny) Deshur, Hedy (Alan) Daniel, and Bill (the late Debra) Deshur, her children Debra (Gene) Feldman and Steve (Tara) Dinkin, her daughter-in-law Marci Dinkin, and her grandchildren, Andie (Ari), Robin, Leslie, and Aaron; Jeremy (Brooke), Simon, and Gabi; Jay (Savannah) and Mindy. She was predeceased by her son, Jeffrey Dinkin. Services were held on June 19, 2025 at Congregation Shalom with the burial at the Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Ann and Albert Deshur JCC Day Camp or a charity of your choice. Rabbi Andy Bachman and Blane Goodman Funeral Service assisted the family. 

Leonard J. Goldstein 

Leonard J. Goldstein died peacefully July 1, 2025 at age 98 years.  

Dearest husband of Diana (Deedee) Goldstein (nee Grotta). Lovingly survived by children, Laura Goldstein (Carl Landgren), Nancy Sussman (Ira Sussman), Susan Goldstein (Jon Curtis). Proud grandfather of Joe Sussman, Jane Sussman, the late Charlie Sussman, Sarah Jursik, Julie Jursik (Noah Delin), and great-grandfather of Owen Arthur Delin. Leonard was the son of Arthur and Sara Goldstein and brother of Gladys Lekarew.   

Leonard served in the US Army in World War II overseas in the Pacific Ocean and attended Princeton University and New York University. He spent 43 years in the beer business, starting as a salesman and rose to president and chairman of the Board of the Miller Brewing Company. After retirement, he became a leader and mentor for 25 years at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Lubar School of Business. He served on boards and executive boards for Piney Woods School (Jackson, Mississippi), Blood Research Center, Ten Chimneys Foundation, Froedtert Hospital Foundation, The Greater Milwaukee Committee, The 1st Wisconsin Bank and Ovation Communities/Jewish Home & Care Center.  

Leonard was born in Yonkers, New York then moved to Fox Point in 1972, to University Club Towers, and then to Saint John’s on the Lake for his final five years. 

A life well lived with his love for others, kindness, personal integrity, wisdom, wit, generosity, winning personality, he was dedicated to the personal welfare of others. He truly loved family, friends and employees. To quote Albert Einstein, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. Important: not to stop questioning.” 

The Goldstein Family would like to express its warm appreciation to the caring staff at Saint John’s on the Lake. Memorial contributions to St. John’s on the Lake-Employee Fund or the National Alliance on Mental Illness appreciated.   Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family.         

Dr. Roman Gorodetsky 

Dr. Roman Gorodetsky died on June 30, 2025, at the age of 68.   

Beloved husband of Victoria. Cherished father of Lion, David and Paulina.  Further survived by other loving relatives and dear friends. 

Funeral services held July 3 at the Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home. Burial followed at Mound Zion Cemetery, Brookfield. Rabbi Yaakov Elman officiated. 

Roslyn (Roz) Weber Halpern 

Roslyn (Roz) Weber Halpern, 82, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, died peacefully on July 7, 2025, at Elizabeth Residence Bayside. A celebration of life service will take place at Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel in Orlando, Florida on Aug. 17 at 11 a.m.  

Born on October 8, 1942, she was raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Temple University with a degree in education. After graduation, she was married to Rabbi Larry J. Halpern, with whom she was to have two children, Susan and Ari. They moved to Orlando, Florida in 1970 where Roz was an active member of the community starting the Jewish Community Center’s summer camp program, serving as chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando fundraising drive, hosting countless committee meetings and guest speakers at her home, leading a Brownie troop, and teaching in the Orange County School System. She was active in the National Organization for Women, the National Council of Jewish Women, and the Sisterhood of Congregation of Liberal Judaism. She was a firm believer in actively working for the causes in which she believed. She later worked for Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, the State of Israel Bonds Organization, Palm Beaches Jewish Federation, Hadassah, and was a synagogue administrator. In more recent years, she has lived with her daughter, Susan, and was a loving grandparent to Adina and Joseph Cosden and Scott and Chloe Halpern. Roz had a large network of friends wherever she lived.  

Roz was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Mickey; and her aunts, Claire Weber and Marge Gross. She is survived by her sister, Joan (Kris) Knerr; her children, Susan Halpern Cosden and Ari Halpern; her four grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Roz will be remembered for her dry sense of humor, her love of animals, her passion for reading and travel, her fortitude, and for her commitment to liberal causes.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Best Friends Animal Society. Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. 

Anna Kontorovski 

Anna Kontorovski died July 19, 2025 at the age of 92. Beloved wife of the late Boris Mudrets. Cherished mother of Mikhail (Irina) Mudrets and Larisa (Jon) Stein.  Loving grandmother of 5 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Further survived by other dear relatives and dear friends. 

Private funeral services were held at Second Home Cemetery on July 21, 2025.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions made to the charity of your choice appreciated. 

Anne Koplin 

Anne Koplin died on June 13 at her home in Tel Aviv, surrounded by family, unburdened by regret, full of love for her three children, her two grandchildren, her one Jeff, an international army of adoring relatives and far too many friends to ballpark. She was 68. 

Where to begin with Anne? She would say the kibbutz, at age 15 — before she was religious, before she even understood the premise, but where her propulsive wanderlust (“a recurring theme in my life,” she once wrote) first carried her. That instinct would guide her from Bar Ilan University to a travel-agent gig in Seattle to some pre-med courses in New York City — where she met the guy who would become The Guy — to all manner of adventures in love and medicine (chronicled for posterity at loveandmedicine.com) across several continents. 

Through it all, she held many titles that mattered to her — psychiatrist, writer, globetrotter, sexpert, Cheesehead, gardener, Polar Plunger, hula-hooper, leopard-print-wearer, wind-chime enthusiast — and a few that mattered most: mother, sister, daughter, wife, friend of all friends, savta of all savtas. 

For someone whose professional life trafficked so deeply in the personal, it made some sense that her work and her family could often feel so entwined. She graduated from Tel Aviv University School of Medicine in 1988, 10 days after giving birth to Ayla, her first child. (Matan and Lia would arrive in due time, rounding out the most formidable five-member Wisconsinite-Israeli/Israeli-Wisconsinite roadshow on record.) She could absorb more about tenacity and decency and the indomitable human mind from her father Louis than she could ever hope to find in a book. She believed in the promise of medical research and clinical trials, and she believed, with equivalent fervor, that she could absolutely predict the gender of an unborn grandchild using a ball on a string. 
 
Like any interesting thinker, Anne embraced contradiction without concern. She lived for the unknowable present while rooting herself in unbending traditions. She lived on her terms and thought little of lives lived according to overly prescriptive terms. She lived and died for the Packers each Sunday — “Your birth day was the best day up to that date,” she once told Ayla, “but it’s hard because then there was the Super Bowl” — but was skeptical of Aaron Rodgers long before this was fashionable. (He could never be Brett Favre.) 

Jeff observed that Anne’s two most permanent homes, Milwaukee and Tel Aviv, could delight and dismay her in equal measure. She prized the peace and tranquility of the first but often wander-lusted after the pulsing vitality of the second. She cherished all that Israel gave her — the swaggering resilience, the grounding weight of history; the lighthouse; the greatest cool young neighbors, Lia and Tomie — but found its politics maddening until the end. 

Wherever she was — and she was everywhere: Ireland, Tuscany, Costa Rica, Japan, Brisbane — she seemed to proceed as if strangers were merely friends-in-waiting. Plane seatmates had a habit of sharing their life stories with her. A tow truck driver with Tourette’s became a pal for the day. The other 80,000 freezing lunatics at Lambeau Field were something like family. 

In addition to her husband Jeff, her children Ayla (Sean), Matan and Lia (Tomie) and her grandchildren (the perfect Kai and Louie), she is survived by her devoted siblings, Steve (Amy) and Rita (Josh); her Peruvian family, a boundless gift to all Koplins and Koplin-Greens; many fortunate nieces, nephews and cousins; and friends in virtually every city she ever visited. 

In the days since her passing, some of the bereaved have comforted and amused themselves making lists of all she loved (besides her loved ones) and all she loathed (besides cancer). Both categories were well-populated. 

She loved the lake, lefties, Larry David. She hated couples posting about each other on Instagram. 

She loved Danish noir and bread-and-butter pickles, and she hated comedies and mushrooms (the standard variety). 

She loved skipping rocks, and she hated when people went to the beach but wouldn’t go in the water. 

She loved Shabbat brunches and gambling and the music of Arik Einstein. 

She hated toxic positivity — and the notion that anyone facing down a disease like hers was “fighting,” or somehow to blame for “losing” eventually. 

She loved the last word, so it’s hers: 

“Life goes so slow,” Anne wrote a few years ago. “I don’t understand why people say it goes by fast. My kids should be older than they are by now — their childhoods were long and so was mine. I have lived many lives in this one lifetime.” 

None were boring. None were lonely. May her memory be a blessing. 

Memorial donations may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N Michigan Ave. Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601. Anne dedicated her professional life to the study and treatment of dementia. She is survived by her husband, Jeffrey Green, and many others who loved her. She was born in Wisconsin in 1957, graduated from Nicolet High School in 1975, and later from Bar Ilan University and Tel Aviv University. She graduated from Tel Aviv University in 1988 with a medical degree. Burial at Givat Brenner, Israel was on June 16, 2025 

Scott H. Luber 

Scott H. Luber, Milwaukee, died on July 2, 2025, at the age of 65. 

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Scott was known and will always be remembered for his warm heart, strong will, and deep loyalty to those he loved. 

He is survived by his parents, Charles and Donna Luber, brother Howard (Lisa) Luber, sister-in-law Lisa Coffman, nieces and nephews Rachel (Jeff) O’Desky, Adam (Rebecca) Luber, Daniel (Maya) Luber, Addison Luber, Marly Luber, and Eli Luber. Scott was predeceased by his sister, Marti Sue and his brother, Michael. 

After graduating from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earning his CPA, Scott worked as an accountant before pursuing a career in advocacy for the disabled. His community leadership involvement included board positions at Jewish Family Services and The Ability Center. 

Scott’s family is forever appreciative of Scott’s devoted nursing staff and his long-term caregiver and great friend, Frank. 

Graveside services were July 4, 2025 at Mound Zion Cemetery, Brookfield. Memorials to the Michael Luber Tribute Endowment Fund c/o Jewish Family Services, 1300 N Jackson St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 or The Ability Center 3333 N Mayfair Rd #313, Wauwatosa, WI 53222. 

Also, Jewish Family Services released the following tribute: 

“We are deeply saddened to share that Scott Luber passed away unexpectedly on the morning of July 2, 2025. His loss comes as a profound shock to all of us at JFS and to the broader community he so generously supported. 

“Scott’s connection to JFS was rooted in family. Following the passing of his brother, Dr. Michael Luber, in 2020, who served as a long-time psychologist with JFS, Scott became more deeply engaged in our mission. In the years that followed, he brought insight and leadership to many aspects of our mission. He served on the JFS Board of Directors, the JFS Housing Board, and the JFS Housing Task Force. He also established the Michael Luber Tribute Endowment to honor his brother’s legacy in perpetuity. 

“Scott’s involvement was driven by respect, a deep sense of purpose, and the thoughtful contributions he made to strengthen our organization. His humility and compassion inspired those around him. His presence and impact will be profoundly missed.” 

Betty Jane Luck 

Betty Jane Luck (nee Lewis) Passed away on July 1, 2025 at the age of 97.   

Beloved wife of the late Morton Luck.  Loving mother of Sari Luck (Bob) Schneider, Wendy (Doug Leihbacher) Luck and Margaret (Edward Brzozowski) Luck.  Proud grandmother of Michael (Jungmin O-Schneider) Schneider, Lisa (Greg Shaw) Abramowicz, Elias (fiancée Sydney Wasserman) Baldino, Thomas (Seraphina) Brzozowski, Christopher Brzozowski, and Kathryn Brzozowski and great-grandmother of Lewis Morton O-Schneider, Ivy Subin O-Schneider, Zeke Abramowicz and Ezra Abramowicz.  Further survived by long time companion, Don Siegel, other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by her parents, Edith Ida (nee Kahn) and Samuel Lewis, and her sister, Annette (the late Milton) Dizack. 

Funeral service held July 6 at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun, River Hills.  Interment followed at Greenwood Cemetery, Milwaukee. Rabbi Jessica Barolsky and Cantor David Barash officiated. Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions to Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun appreciated. 

Alan J. Palay 

Alan J. Palay died on July 2, 2025, at age 75.  

Preceded in death by parents Sylvia and Meyer Palay, brother Howard Palay, and dear cousins Gil and Dottie Palay. Beloved husband of 50 years to his high school sweetheart, Lesley (nee Huxley). Dear father of Mikhael (Nettie) Palay, Samara (Ari) Shapiro, and Jared (Melissa) Palay. Adored “Pops” of Peyton, Judah, Elana, Gabriel, Elijah, and Wyatt. Further survived by many loving nieces and nephews. 

Alan was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from Whitefish Bay High School in 1968. After graduating from UW-Oshkosh, he returned to Milwaukee to join his father at “Palay’s”, a men’s clothing store in Fox Point. He then opened his own company, Pal Business Apparel. Finding joy in all conversations, Alan had loved working in the insurance industry for the past 25 years. 

Alan believed the meaning of life was to spend time with family and friends. Always optimistic and upbeat, he lived his personal motto – “Life Is Good”. 

Funeral services held July 6, 2025 at Congregation Shalom, Fox Point. Burial followed at Spring Hill Cemetery, Milwaukee. Rabbi Abby Phelps officiated.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family.  Memorial donations to American Cancer Society or Aurora Cancer Services Fund appreciated. 

John Phillips 

John Phillips, age 72, died peacefully on June 24, 2025, in Whitefish Bay. John led a rich and satisfying life. He was born in Lansing, MI and moved with his parents throughout the Midwest, living in a number of states until he came to rest in Des Moines, Iowa, when his parents retired. He then moved to Whitefish Bay to be close to his brother Jim when John’s parents passed away. John lived independently, with a little help, from his family and friends. John was proudly employed throughout his working years, generally in the food service industry where he could take advantage of his favorite activity, eating.John’s early years came with a few health challenges and that left him in a body cast for a few summer months in St. Louis. He quickly became attached to a six D cell battery transistor radio and developed a lifelong love for listening to baseball on radio, likely in part attributable to the Cardinals winning the World Series twice in the 1960s, and the announcing of Harry Caray. Thereafter John would reliably report on the wins and losses and the stats. Plenty of stats.In his mid-years John’s passion was walking and motoring around town on the city bus system. He knew the bus routes and schedules like the back of his hand, and he loved to take off on a weekend day and explore the neighborhoods and malls across the city. In a different life he probably would have been an architect, or a city planner. As he aged, the trips got shorter, and John’s destinations of choice upon moving to Whitefish Bay were the Whitefish Bay Public Library and the local Starbucks. John developed a great rapport with the library staff, and they were so welcoming that the library became his second home. John loved to read the papers from around the country, and he always found something of interest to pass on to his friends. He developed quite a personal collection of newspapers going back a number of years. John’s greatest asset was his ability to improve the quality of life of those around him. He helped us keep everything in perspective and helped us focus on how fortunate we are in so many ways. John was always in a good mood, and always thankful for the littlest of support. But he was also quick to remind his brother if his brother forgot to stop at Sendik’s and pick up coffee or bananas on his way home from work, or when having John over for dinner his brother forgot dessert. John will be missed by all who were touched by him. The effect of his presence will remain with us for the rest of our lives. John is survived by brother Jim Phillips (Karen Plunkett) of Whitefish Bay, and his niece and nephews Bryan Phillips (Sara Fay Katz) of San Francisco, CA, Caroline Clark of Brookfield, WI (and her two children Logan and Bodhi) and Stephen Phillips (Alejandra Ponciano) of Mexico City, Mexico. He was predeceased by his parents, Warren and Margaret Phillips, his sister-in-law, Lisa Phillips, and niece Lea Mar Phillips.If you are so inclined, a donation to the Whitefish Bay Public Library Foundation would have been John’s wish. If you are not so inclined, please return any overdue books. 

Rabbi Steve Adams and Blane Goodman Funeral Service assisted the family. 

Michael Richlin 

Mike Richlin died in the afternoon of April 18 after a 10-month battle with lung cancer. He was born in Milwaukee to Mauri and Delores Richlin. He attended John Marshall High School and lived in Milwaukee and Madison in his 20s and 30s, then Waukesha, Wauwatosa, and Pewaukee in his second half of life. Mike was a life-long taxi driver with multiple companies including Yellow/Checkered (co-owned with his father in Waukesha), City Veteran, American United, and eventually Uber and Lyft. He had a cast of regular riders he got to know over decades and amassed some legendary stories. Mike was known for his live and let-live attitude, charming off-key singing, modest humor, and in his later years, fabulous hats. Michael is preceded by his mother (1998), father (2002), his adored wife of 27 years, Nancy Lynn Richlin (2020), stepson Adam Covington (2021) and older sister Noreen (1967). He’s survived by his sister Michele Richlin (Toledo, WA), niece Kim, nephew Joe, sons, Jason, Ian, and Greg, daughter Jennifer, and stepdaughters Beth Pinzer and Lauren Zimmermann Onstad; and grandchildren: Ashlynn, Dominic, Alexandria, Kallie, DJ, Malachi, Easton, Jordan, Joey, Jackson, Marty, Jordyn, and Brandi. Mike got by with a little help from his great friends including Kelly Smith, Bob Mansell, and Jeff Friebert. A memorial was be held July 26 at Pike Lake. 

Judith Rae Shapiro 

Judith Rae Shapiro (nee Sweet) died peacefully on July 9, 2025, at the age of 97.  

Beloved wife of the late Dr. Walter Shapiro.  Survived by loving children, Robyn (Charlie Barr), Amy (Ruth Irvings), and Dan (Jill); grandchildren, Tania, Jeremy, Michael, Jonah, Ari, Andrew, and Emily; and great-grandchildren, Benjy, Jesse, Ellie, Lydia, Levi, and Aubrey as well as other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by mother, Alma (nee Frank); father, Joseph Sweet and six siblings.  

Judy had a special relationship with everyone she met because of her ability to make everyone feel special and loved. 

Graveside funeral services held July 13 at Mound Zion Cemetery, Brookfield. Rabbi Abby Phelps officiated. Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay assisted the family. Memorial contributions made to the Milwaukee Art Museum appreciated. 

Lisa Joy Turner 

With deep sorrow and love, we announce the passing of Lisa Joy Turner, who died on July 9, 2025.  

Lisa’s life was a testament to resilience, love, and quiet strength. She brought deep joy and warmth to her family and community through her unique perspective, her loyalty, and her gentle spirit. 

Lisa is survived by her devoted father, Alan Turner, and her loving stepmother, Diana Turner, who supported and cherished her throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her beloved mother, Barbara Sapiro, and her loving stepfather, Gary Sapiro, both of whom held special places in her heart. She was a devoted sister to David (Jenna) Turner; stepsister to Jonathan (Kay) Strauss and Betsy (Rob Newbold) Strauss; treasured aunt to Josh Turner, Jocelyn Kalkman, Samantha, Riley and Alexa Newbold, Raymond and Benjamin Strauss; and a loving and steadfast partner to Mark Wilets, her companion of many years. Lisa is also survived by many cousins and dear friends who were lucky to share in her creativity, big heart, and love of all fun things! 

Graveside funeral service Friday, July 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery, 134 Dana Ct., Milwaukee.  Rabbi Moishe Steigmann officiated.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. 

Memorial donations can be made in Lisa’s name to the Friendship Circle of Wisconsin, 8649 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point, WI 53217, https://www.fcwi.org 

May her memory be for a blessing. 

Brian Levy Wolfe

Brian Levy Wolfe, 34, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2025 in Milwaukee, WI, surrounded by family.   He was the son of Jeffrey Wolfe and the late Amy Levy Wolfe and the beloved brother of Sarah, David and Julie Wolfe. 

Brian was born in Boston and spent his early childhood in Philadelphia and Atlanta before returning to Newton, MA, with his family when he was in fifth grade. Even as a child, his spark was undeniable — he was curious, energetic, and effortlessly charismatic. He attended the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, where he majored in Sport Management and spent a transformative semester studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia. His passion for sports and connection led him to a career with the Cleveland Cavaliers right after graduation in 2013. 

Just a year later, Brian made the move to Milwaukee to work for the Bucks — a decision that would shape the next ten years of his life. Milwaukee quickly became his home. It was there he built a vibrant, joy-filled life, and anyone lucky enough to visit him knew they were in for an unforgettable experience. As a host, tour guide, and orchestrator of fun, Brian had a way of turning everyday moments into lifelong memories.  

Brian was a true sports aficionado — he didn’t just watch the games, he lived them. He traveled far and wide to attend the NBA Finals, World Series games, the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, and countless other events. His life was full of adventures, whether it was a solo trek through the Pacific Northwest or ringing in the new year with friends in Cartagena. He was bold, spontaneous, and always ready to make the most of every opportunity. 

People were drawn to Brian’s gregarious nature, quick wit, and exuberance. His presence was magnetic. He had a rare gift for making others feel like the most important person in the room. He was often called “the connector” — the glue that brought people of all walks of life together. His friends became family, and his family was the cornerstone of his world. He was a fearless role model and loyal protector of his younger siblings, a devoted son, and a constant source of strength and joy to all who knew him. 

Beyond his love for sports, Brian was a passionate traveler, a movie buff, a sneaker enthusiast, and a connoisseur of bobbleheads with a collection as expansive as his sense of humor. While working on the premium sales team with the Milwaukee Bucks, he often pitched that he wasn’t selling tickets or suites — he was selling experiences. That sentiment captured how Brian lived his life: fully, boldly, and always with intention. 

Even in life’s most difficult moments, Brian shined brightly. His ability to uplift others never wavered. He inspired everyone around him to chase their dreams, cherish the people around them, and seize every moment. He often said, “The doors are always open to those who are bold enough to knock.” Brian didn’t just knock — he charged forward with heart and soul, leaving an indelible mark on everyone he met. 

Brian Wolfe was an extraordinary son, brother, and friend. He leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, connection, and unforgettable memories. He was larger than life — and his impact will be felt forever. 

Funeral services held June 23, 2025 at Temple Emanuel, Newton, MA.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family in Milwaukee. 

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