Karyl Cohn (née Stein), age 95, passed away peacefully on July 21 in Tucson, Ariz. Born in 1929, in Dayton, Karyl’s life was a testament to her passion for music and her enduring love for her family. Karyl’s musical journey began at the tender age of 8 with piano lessons, which blossomed into a lifelong career. She was a prodigious talent, performing as a soloist with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at just 15. Karyl’s education was equally impressive, attending the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Juilliard in New York City, and the Mannes School of Music, NYC. She further honed her skills under Madame Olga Conus at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Throughout her life, Karyl graced many stages in Ohio, Colorado, California, and Arizona with her performances and contributed to the musical community by teaching piano and judging young adult piano competitions. She was also a proud lifetime member of the Delta Omicron Music Fraternity. Karyl’s love extended beyond music to her family and community. She married Edward (Eddie) Cohn, with whom she shared 60 years of marriage and three children. The couple enjoyed summers waterskiing in Indiana and later, the serene beauty of the Colorado Rockies after moving to Boulder in 1975. In 2000, they settled in Tucson, continuing their active involvement in the local music scene. Karyl also taught Hebrew school in her younger years and was a member of Temple Israel in Dayton. Her personal life was filled with joy from her extensive family and friends. Karyl is survived by her son, Roger Cohn (Aileen), her daughters, Kathy; and Betsy Cohn White (John). She was a cherished grandmother to Stephanie, Eric Guido (Sylvia), Jacob (Jake) Cohn, Kirsten Hutton (Josh), Maggie DeLaCruz (Steve), Cassandra D’Acunto (Dominic), Leslie Mochtarian (Aric), Samantha and John (Bok) Cohn. She is remembered lovingly by her great-grandchildren, Nayah, Jaden, Judah, and Liam Hutton; Vaughn and Jones Mochtarian; and Isabella and Camila Guido; brother Bob (Helen) and many nieces, nephews, sister-in-law and friends that loved her dearly. Karyl was preceded in death by her parents, Louise and Jacob Stein; brother, Fred Stein (Sharon) and of course as mentioned earlier, her wonderful husband Eddie. Karyl’s life was a beautiful blend of music, family, and community. While no memorial service is currently planned, a celebration of her life may be held in the future. While it is not expected, donations in memory of Karyl can be made to SaveTheMusic.org, MTNAfoundation.org, or Lupus.org. Her legacy of music and love will resonate for generations.

Joseph Litvin, a licensed professional engineer, a licensed professional surveyor, an attorney at law, and a private pilot, passed away July 22 at Miami Valley Hospital. He was born in Detroit, Feb. 23, 1935 and was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Devora Litvin. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Elaine (Sis) Litvin and his two daughters, Sharon Beth Schramm (Marc) of Columbus and Ruthie Goodboe (Michael) of Presto, Pa. Joe is survived by his brothers, Daniel (Tikva) of Wyomissing, Pa. and David (Rebecca) of Englewood, N.J.; nephews, Michael Litvin and Steve Litvin; and his niece, Rose Litvin of San Jose, Calif. He is also survived by grandchildren Chaim (Lisa), Yedidah (Joe), Zev (Michele), Channa (Jacob), and seven great-grandchildren: David, Amira, Caleb, Yaffa, Miriam, Zeke, and Julia. Interment was at the Jewish Cemetery of the Virginia Peninsula in Hampton, Va. Joe was a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science Degree in engineering, and the University of Cincinnati with a Master of Science degree. He received his law degree from The Ohio State University in 1973. The family moved to Dayton in 1963 when Joe worked for Union Carbide to supervise the building of homes in Red Coach Farms in Kettering. When Union Carbide left Dayton, Joe went to work for Arthur Beerman Construction Company (ABCO). He left ABCO to attend law school and practiced as a construction attorney for 15 years. He was tapped by the Democratic Party in 1995 to be the Montgomery County Engineer, a post he was reelected to four times before retiring in 2011, just short of 16 years in the position. During his tenure he oversaw rebuilds of the $6 million Rip Rap Road Bridge and the $5.6 million Siebenthaler Avenue Bridge, which took four years to complete. He was a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, a past president of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers, a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a past president of the Dayton Section of ASCE. He was a dedicated member of the Engineers Club of Dayton where he enjoyed the weekly Barn Gang luncheon presentations, was a devoted member of Beth Jacob Congregation in Dayton, where he served for one year as president, and was a longtime member of the Retired Old Men Eating Out (ROMEO) group that met for lunch every Friday at the Legacy Pancake House. He especially loved traveling to visit his extended family for their special occasions and his many trips to Costa Rica with Sis for Passover. He also relished telling stories, especially about his father. On Sunday, Sept. 1, there will be a special memorial service to talk and share stories about Joe. It will be held at Beth Jacob Congregation at 1 p.m. Donations may be made to Ohio Society of Professional Engineers Scholarship Fund, the Navy Seal Foundation, Beth Jacob Congregation, Dayton Chapter of Hadassah, or the charity of your choice.

Harvey Ronald Tuck, age 96, of Dayton, passed away peacefully in his sleep after a brief illness on July 15. Harvey was born May 30, 1928 in Boston and grew up in Chelsea, Mass. A brilliant student, Harvey taught himself to repair radios in his father’s appliance shop at the age of 14. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he completed a combined Bachelor and Master of Science Degree program in mechanical engineering, with a concentration in thermodynamics. He then entered the Air Force and was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, where he conducted research on advanced propulsion technologies. He met his wife, Sonna Cohen Tuck, while he was a lieutenant there and they were married June 14, 1953, enjoying 64 years of marriage until Sonna’s passing in 2017. After the Air Force, he worked as an industrial engineer at Frigidaire, developing improved technologies for refrigeration. Recognizing the importance of computers, he then took a position at IBM as a systems engineer and helped install and develop software for mainframe computer systems until his retirement in 1991. He was active as a volunteer tutor for math in the public schools in Montgomery County, helped establish a computer science curriculum at Sinclair College, and was a member of the Engineers Club of Dayton. A great lover of travel, Harvey and Sonna visited many places in the U.S. and across the world, including Israel, Japan, Europe, Russia, and the Caribbean. He especially loved St. Maarten and visited there regularly in his retirement. Until his most recent illness, Harvey remained active and independent, living in the home he loved. Harvey was widely beloved and admired. He enjoyed meeting new people and learning about their lives. He was as kind and loving of a soul as you could ever hope to meet. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Harvey was preceded in death by his loving wife, Sonna, and her brother, Carl Cohen. He is survived by his sister, Audrey; daughters, Cindy Pulliam (Ron) and Victoria Buford (John), and their sons, his grandchildren Ryan Pulliam (Crystin Stoll), Daniel Buford (Sarah), Sam Buford (Ashley Van Doren), and Carl Buford; sister-in-law, Judy Cohen (Clay Blackwell); and nieces, Debbie Roberston (Tim) and Robin Shaw; and grand-nephews, Andrew DiSalvo (Liz), Adam DiSalvo, Zachary Shaw (Anna), and Jeremy Shaw. Donations may be made in Harvey’s memory to Camp Sunshine (campsunshine.org) in Maine.

Shirley R. Wahrman, age 84, of Milwaukee, formerly of Dayton, passed away July 26 at Ovation Jewish Home. Shirley was born and raised in Dayton to the late Joseph and Charlotte Zusman. She was a member of Beth Abraham Synagogue in Dayton and Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid in Milwaukee. Shirley was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Wolf, in 1997. She is survived by her three children, Lorene Wahrman, Aaron Wahrman, and Harlan (Joan) Wahrman; her two beloved grandchildren, Connor Wahrman and Zachary Wahrman; and her brother Howard (Lynn) Zusman. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Donations in memory of Shirley Wahrman can be made to Ovation Jewish Home, ovation.org/foundation/donate.

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