Donald L. Gable, age 93 formerly of Dayton, passed away on June 7. Donald is survived by his beloved wife, Patricia. He was the loving father of Lorie Rosen (Edward) and Shelley Keimach (Gary); cherished grandfather of Eli Keimach (Priscilla), Anabelle Keimach, Rachel DiPietro (Louis) and Stephanie Rosen; adored uncle of Ellen Kelly and Rachel Kelly. Interment was at the South Florida VA National Cemetery, Lake Worth. Those wishing to honor Donald with a memorial contribution are kindly encouraged to consider the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or Trustbridge Hospice.

Joyce Abromowitz Margolis, age 70, of Columbus, passed away on July 4 after a prolonged struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Joyce was born and raised in Dayton. She graduated from Meadowdale High School in 1972. She went to The Ohio State University, graduating in 1976 with a degree in business administration. Joyce met the love of her life, Robert Margolis, at Ohio State, whom she married on Jan. 1, 1977. Joyce worked briefly in the early years of their marriage. She elected to be a stay-at-home mom to raise her three children. She was the ultimate mom. She was very personable and never met a stranger. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Martin Abromowitz and Shirley Davidson Abromowitz (both of blessed memory). She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Robert Margolis; daughters, Michelle Margolis (Ilya Kruglov) and Susan Margolis-Merson (Konstantin Merson); and son, Steven Margolis (Sara Dobkin). She was a beloved grandmother to Sasha Glushkin, Henry and Jacob Merson, and Miriam and Theodore Margolis. She is survived by her brother, Howard Abromowitz (Judy) and her sister, Annie Roth (David). She was a beloved niece, aunt, and cousin to many. Interment was at Beth Jacob Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Beth Jacob Synagogue in Dayton, the Alzheimer’s Association, or the charity of your choice in her name.

Eleanor Hambury Must, a long-time resident of Dayton, died July 2 at the age of 93. She was born in Germany to Fred and Elisabeth (Plaut) Hambury. The young family moved to Italy to escape Nazi race laws. Unfortunately, soon after arriving in Rome, Eleanor’s mother died. When fascism swept through Italy, Fred and Eleanor boarded a ship to immigrate to the United States. Shortly before they were due to arrive, however, quotas were imposed on the number of Jews allowed to enter the country. They spent more than a year in Cuba before gaining entry to the U.S. in 1940. Eleanor lived with her loving aunt and uncle, Erica and Hans Plaut, and cousins, Ruth, Tom, and Frank in Mansfield. She later moved to Cleveland Heights to rejoin her father and stepmother, Lilly (Michael). Eleanor earned her undergraduate degree in occupational therapy at The Ohio State University, where she met her beloved husband, Ray Must. Early in her career she started the O.T. department for United Cerebral Palsy of Kentucky. As a young mother, she began teaching in a cooperative nursery school. She taught early childhood education in Dayton Public Schools and went on to earn a Master of Education Degree from Wright State University. She was active in both the local and National Association for the Education of Young Children and taught early childhood language at WSU. In retirement, Eleanor studied finance and started an investment club for women. She hosted a play-reading group, and also was active in a chavurah and the local arts community. Eleanor had a keen sense of justice and civic duty. She registered hundreds of voters in Dayton over the years and kept current on political news until her final days. Her experience of escaping the Holocaust inspired her to write in her memoir: “I hope that this story engenders in our descendants sympathy toward immigrants who come with less than we had. Their aspirations to live in a free society are as great as ours. We need to pay good fortune forward.” We will miss our mother dearly. We will miss her sharp wit, the sound of her laughter, her great cooking and opinions. Her life force was strong. Eleanor taught, loved, and continued to worry and care for us all of our lives. She and our father had a 68-year-long marriage that was admirable; each of them encouraging the other’s abilities, energy, and humor. Toward the end of her life she said, “My home is wherever Ray is.” She was predeceased by her husband, artist Ray Must. She is survived by Rachel Must-Ettinger (Joel Ettinger), Miriam Must (Gary Johnson), David Must (Meredith Halpern); and grandchildren Gabriella, Griffin, Jae and Sam; along with beloved cousins, niece and nephews and many dear friends. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Please consider donating to the ACLU or a charity of your choice.

To read the complete August 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.