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Davis c. 1945 JIM DAVIS, 94, of Novi, died July 1, 2016. He is survived his beloved wife, Lola Davis; son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Edie Davis; daughters and sons-in-law, Bella and Larry Clamage, Bonnie and Michael Greenblatt; grand- children, Mara (Glenn) Zaiderman, Aaron (Bettina) Clamage, Joshua Davis, Jenna Davis, Danielle Greenblatt; great-grandchildren, Sammy, Lily, Benjamin, and Talia; many other lov- ing family members and friends. Interment took place at the Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to Beaumont Hospice Fund or to Temple Israel. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. RAYMOND DUBRINSKY, 83, of Farmington Hills, died July 1, 2016. He is survived by his nieces and nephews, Mark Dubrinsky and his fiancee, Barbara Maxwell, Susan and Timothy McAllister, Shari and Larry Friedman; sister-in-law, Judith Dubrinksy; cousins, Anita Garfield and Barbara Dubrinky; other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends; his companion, Kim Jarvis. Mr. Dubrinsky was the beloved husband of the late Emily Dubrinsky; loving brother of the late Kenneth Dubrinsky. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Temple Shir Shalom, 3999 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, www.shirshalom.org; or Alzheimer's Association-Greater Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033, www.alz.org/gmc. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. BLANCHE ENGELMAN, 91, of West Bloomfield, died June 26, 2016. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Bennett (Sylvia) Engelman, Mark and Cheryl Engelman, Max Engelman, Jason Engelman and Gary Klun; son-in- law, Ralph Mills; sister, Shirley Weiss; grandchildren, Carie (John) Faul, Adam, Zach, Alex, Michael, and Mandy Engelman; great-grandchil- dren, Mack and Mo; cousin, Evva (Michael) Hepner; many other loving family members and friends. obituaries » Obituaries from page 45 46 July 7 • 2016 Obituaries Fitness Pioneer Ronelle Grier | Contributing Writer S ylvia Zukin was ahead of her time. She was a forerunner in the health and wellness field, and a fitness mentor to thousands of people. Sylvia, a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grand- mother who lived in West Bloomfield, died on June 27, 2016, at age 94. As director of the women's health club and fitness programs at the Jewish Community Center for more than 30 years, Sylvia taught classes and intro- duced new modalities that helped her students achieve new levels of health through improved strength and mobil- ity. She was the first to bring the practice of yoga to the JCC and launched Body Awareness, an inventive technique for reducing pain and increasing flexibility. Called "Dr. Muscles" by her students and the Detroit Free Press, she introduced Hydro-Tone exercise and taught Latin dancing classes long before Zumba came into vogue. Known for her easy laugh, kind words and irrepressible sense of humor, Sylvia was in constant demand as a teacher and fitness coach and was a popular guest at social occasions. She was recognized by friends and students wherever she went and always took the time to speak to each person who approached her, regardless of how well she knew them. "Bubbie was magnetic, effervescent in a crowd or at a party," said her grandson Ian, who spoke at the funeral service. "She was memorable to everyone who met her ... and she made everyone feel good." Sylvia was born in Detroit in 1922 to immigrant parents, and she and her three brothers grew up in a Yiddish-speaking home where love was more plentiful than money. As a young teen, she became acquainted with her neighbor Walter, and the two were married in 1942, after Sylvia graduated from Northern High School. They were married for 50 years, starting their family while Walter was still in the service. They later bought Zukin's ice cream parlor in Detroit, a popular local destination for sweet treats. She enjoyed modern dancing until her late 30s, when she was stricken with polio. After spending a year in an iron lung, she was told she would never walk again. Unwilling to accept the dire prognosis, she began a relentless quest to change her situation. She devoured everything she could learn about exer- cise and nutrition and began to put it into practice — at first to regain her own mobility, and later, to help others improve and maintain their health. HEALTH EXPERT While managing a bus- tling household with three children, assorted pets and frequent guests, she continued to expand her breadth of knowledge in the health and wellness field. She became a consultant for numerous organiza- tions that included the Arthritis Foundation, the Heart Foundation and the Asthmatic and Emphysema Association. She was a trainer for the members of the Detroit Pistons basketball team and served on the board of governors for the Women's Health Club of the JCC. She was a popular lecturer at the former Sinai Hospital in Detroit and Grossinger's Catskill Resort in New York. She appeared on Channel 4 television in the 1960s and wrote articles for the Detroit News and Free Press. She was honored by Wayne State University for her work there as a teacher and fitness consultant. She created a library of exercise tapes, first at the for- mer JCC facility in Detroit and later in West Bloomfield. Throughout her busy career, Sylvia's family was the highlight of her life, and she was the nucleus, the bright sun everyone orbited around. She was an immutable presence at every holiday and family event, dancing the hora with gusto at every celebration. She managed to make time for her children's recitals and school activities and, while she encour- aged her offspring to develop their inde- pendence, she was there at a moment's notice whenever she was needed. She loved to laugh; she enjoyed music, dancing, flowers, traveling and being near the water. Finding a good deal brought her immense pleasure. "Bubbie loved life; she clung to it, and she lived it with gusto," said her grand- daughter Rebecca "Becky" Reed who spoke at the funeral service. She loved being a bubbie and a "super bubbie," as she referred to being a great- grandmother. She kept a file on each of their accomplishments and served as a friend, inspiration and role model, always willing to listen and lend support and encouragement. "She was selfless, always there," said granddaughter Alexandra Burkow, speaking at the funeral service. "She taught me to be a fighter, to not let things get me down; she encouraged me to go after what I want and what I deserved." RESILIENCE AND GRACE According to Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, who officiated the service, when Sylvia was asked what made her suc- cessful, she had a two-word answer: loving people. "She was a role model for resilience and how to age with grace," said the rabbi. "She never realized how many lives she touched." Sylvia loved family dinners, writing, sewing, photography, botany, nutrition and the color yellow. She excelled at sto- rytelling. "She was dedicated to healthy living before anyone understood what that meant," said her daughter Lori, who worked alongside her mother as a fit- ness instructor and trainer. "She was my teacher, mentor and mom." Sylvia Zukin is survived by her children, Stanley (Jane) Zukin, Nancy (Jerry) Reed and Lori (Doug Heikkinen) Burkow- Heikkinen; grandchildren, David Zukin, Eric (Em) Zukin, Renee Zukin, Rebecca (Barry Pollack) Reed, Shoshana (Jose) Biton, Alana (Jonathan) Katz, Ian Burkow, Loni Burkow and Alexandra Burkow; great-grandchildren, Laurel, Esther, Chloe, Shelby, Evan and Lilly Zukin, Erin Pollack, Benjamin Walter Reed Pollack, Sofia, Jaime and Daniel Biton, Samantha Katz and Hannah Katz. She is also survived by many other loving relatives and cherished friends and students. She was the beloved wife of the late Walter Zukin; cherished sister of the late Philip (Paula) Bolton, the late Bernard (late Esther) Bolton and the late Irving (the late Ruth) Bolton. Interment was at Hebrew Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, (248) 592-2687, www.jewishhospice.com; Hospice of Michigan, 400 Mack Ave., Detroit, MI 48201, (888) 247-5701, www. hom.org; or a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. * Sylvia Zukin, c. 1970