Abe Goldberg

Abe Goldberg, 78, passed away May 26, 2023. He was born April 10, 1945, in Lukow, Poland. He was married for 56 years to his wonderful wife and amazing mother of his children, Irene. Abe was a long-time resident of Richardson, where he raised his four sons (David, Danny, Jeffrey, Gary).

Abe worked for Texas Instruments/Raytheon for 43 years, retiring in 2013. He was a very proud man, determined and hard-working. Abe arrived in Dallas four days before JFK was shot in 1963. He always said he left one war (the remnants of World War II) and thought he stepped right into World War III. Abe met Irene working at Zales Jewelry in Downtown Dallas. Irene recognized Abe’s brilliance and pushed him to do more. He joined Texas Instruments and put himself through school while working an eight-hour nightshift.

Abe was an avid sports fan; he was a diehard Cowboys, Rangers and Mavericks fan. Abe coached all of his boys in as many sports as they could play, including soccer, baseball and basketball. He had a great love for this country and for the state he claimed as his home.

Abe is survived by his wife, Irene; his four boys, David, Danny, Jeffrey and Gary; and his 12 grandchildren: Alexis, Samantha, Abigail, Caleb, Liora, Benny, Henry, Avery, Dalton, Lilly, Lauren and Dillon.

Abe was a big supporter of the United States and Israeli military. Donations can be made in his memory to the Israel Defense Forces at FIDF.org/donate. There is a line to add his name in honor.

Hilton Israelson

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Hilton Israelson, 73, on May 19, 2023, in Dallas. He will be missed and remembered by his wife, Maureen; their three children, Alana Unterberg, Carla Weinstein (Benjamin) and Justin Israelson; grandsons Oliver, Beckett, Emile Judah, Dillon, Landon and Alexander; his sister, Sharon Cane (Joel); sisters-in-law, Gill Sher (Hylton) and Des Massad (Doron); several nieces and nephews; a large extended family; and many friends. Hilton was predeceased by his parents and an older brother, Monty.

Born on Nov. 5, 1949, in Germiston, South Africa, to Rose and Abraham Israelson, Hilton grew up in Witbank amongst a large, close-knit family (his mother was one of eight!) with whom he remained in regular contact until his death. Apparently, he was the “naughty one” of his 20-plus cousins, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and a smile that kept him from ever staying in trouble too long. He never lost his sense of playfulness and his joie de vivre.

Hilton attended the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he met his wife, Maureen. Their love flourished quickly and, after they were married in 1973, they left South Africa to go first to London and eventually to the United States in 1975. They would never lose ties with their homeland and took their children back to South Africa regularly over the years to connect with family and share in all the delights they loved — mangoes, biltong, the most beautiful beaches and safaris.

Hilton and Maureen built a life together that centered around their family and a community of friends that continued to grow as they made roots. Hilton thought Dallas was the best city in the world and, until a month before his passing, was doing all the things he loved and that kept him busy: working three days a week at the office, lifting weights with his longtime trainer, driving carpools for his grandsons, playing bridge every Friday, consulting about business investments, keeping up with the regular sports programming for all of his teams and still finding time to socialize, counsel and travel. An avid runner, he ran a half marathon to celebrate his 70th birthday just a few years back.

Hilton followed his brother Monty into dentistry and had a passion for periodontics. He contributed incredibly to his field and was a sought-out practitioner, teacher and advocate. His professional practice was built on his meticulous work, his incredible empathy and the support of a staff he held in the highest of regard and who respected him back.

Hilton was active at all levels of organized dentistry and worked tirelessly for the Dallas County Dental Society (DCDS), the Texas Dental Association (TDA) and the American Dental Association (ADA). He was chairman of the 1998 Dallas Midwinter Dental Conference (now known as the Southwest Dental Conference) and became president of the DCDS in 1999. He was TDA president from 2008 to 2009 and was also a finalist in the election bid for president of the ADA.

Recognized by several organizations for accomplishments in clinical and academic dentistry, Hilton earned the DCDS Dentist of the Year Award in 2006 and was a two-time recipient of the TDA President’s Award (2006 and 2011). He earned the Texas Society of Periodontology President’s Award in 2008, was awarded an ADA Presidential Citation in 2014 and received the DCDS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. He was also a recipient of TDA’s prestigious Gold Medal Award, the highest achievement the association gives to its members.

Even with this curtailed list of accolades, Hilton was humble. He didn’t take success for granted and knew a hard day’s work. He joked that there’d be time to rest when he was six feet under. A man of routine, he always rose early to start his day with a workout and this supported a keen focus and determination that were contagious. He lifted those around him; he truly found glory in building community together.

Hilton was in fact quite a shy person, gentle and sensitive, but his quiet confidence and warmth drew people in. He had the gift of being an incredible listener and many came to him for advice. He led quietly and by example, modeling modesty, loyalty and generosity. Whether amongst family and friends, in the world of dentistry or in the Jewish community (where he was a huge supporter of many Jewish organizations over the years), as a friend recently said: “He touched and improved the lives of many over many decades.”

To know him was to be impacted by him, and one of the most heartwarming experiences in the aftermath of his untimely death is to hear all the stories being shared not just about how people felt about him but about how he made people feel.

Hilton adored his family and friends and his wife, children and grandchildren. He loved being a “Papa!” In the hearts of his family and those close, a huge void will sit for some time, to eventually be filled with the incredible memories he left. He will be sorely missed and eternally lauded.

Donations in honor of Hilton may be made through the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation at: https://www.djcf.org/donate. Please click the drop-down menu and select the “Hilton Israelson Memorial Fund.” Thank you for helping to honor his memory.

Louis P. Kaiser

Louis “Lou” Kaiser, age 80, passed away on May 25, 2023, in Plano.

Lou was born on March 8, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York, to Lydia and Leo Kaiser. In 1960, Lou graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. In 1964, he received his B.S. in chemical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, which is now part of NYU Tandem School, and moved to Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1971, he received his MBA from the University of Hartford. He was an avid Brooklyn Dodgers fan, that is until their move!

On Labor Day weekend in 1972, Lou met Jill Adler at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills in New York. They were married on June 24, 1973. They lived in Hamden and Orange, Connecticut, and then in 1994 moved to Plano, where he immediately became active at Congregation Beth Torah.

Lou served on national and regional boards of United Synagogue. He was past president of both Congregation Beth Torah in Richardson and Congregation Or Shalom in Orange, Connecticut. He also served in many other positions at Congregation Beth Torah.

Lou worked for Uniroyal after college graduation until 1980. He then worked for GTE/Verizon in Connecticut and moved to Texas with them. He retired in February 2007 as director-sourcing for Verizon. He then worked at Telmar until August 2009.

Lou is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Jill; son, Scott Kaiser (Whitney); daughter, Lauren Kaplan (Jacob); and grandchildren, Henry Kaiser, Ari Kaplan and Shana Kaplan. He will be sincerely missed by his loving family and devoted friends and colleagues.

A graveside service was held on May 28 at Restland Cemetery.

Memorial donations can be made to Congregation Beth Torah and Congregation Or Shalom.

Renee Stanley

Renee Litchman Stanley, Ph.D., passed away May 25, 2023, at age 94. Renee was born on Feb. 13, 1929, in London, England, to Louis Litchman (an immigrant from Ukraine) and Rose Schwartzman (an immigrant from Poland). Having been evacuated from London during World War II, she graduated from the Thomas Rhodes Secondary School 45 in Oxford at age 16. In Oxford, Renee was head of her Cub Scout Troop and a nursing cadet and officer in the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade (Women’s Division).

In 1949, Renee traveled on the original Queen Elizabeth to the United States to assist her sister, Trudy (a war bride), with her pregnancy. While in the U.S., she met Paul Stanley at a Jewish singles dance at the Avenue R Temple in Brooklyn and they married in 1950. Rick and David were soon born thereafter in New York. Then a business opportunity took the family to Dallas and Marc and Roger were added to the family. The business started off rocky, but Renee and Paul built Dallas Surgical Supply Company into the largest independent medical supply company in the Southwest (at the time it was sold in 1972).

Having never been to college, Renee started Eastfield College in 1970, received an associate degree in communications in 1972 and then transferred to SMU. She received a bachelor’s degree from SMU in 1975 in communications disorders. She followed that with a master’s in 1977 from SMU in education and communications disorders and a Ph.D. from Texas Woman’s University in 1987 in psychology and marriage and family therapy. She was a family therapist in private practice for many decades.

In addition to her professional life, Renee was dedicated to her community. She was one of the first female board members of the Julius Schepps Jewish Community Center and was its 1963 Woman of the Year. She also served as a leader or director of the National Council of Jewish Women, Jewish Family Service, American Jewish Congress, Dallas Opera, Foundation for Jewish Culture, Golden Acres and Friends of Golden Acres. She was always a strong supporter of all things Israel and all things Jewish culture. She even created her own endowment at the Dallas Jewish Historical Society to celebrate and nurture Jewish Culture.

Renee was predeceased by her husband, Paul, in 1989 and sons, Rick (2003) and Roger (2016) (Andres Finkielstein). She is survived by two sons: David (Nancy) and Marc (Wendy); seven grandkids: Brett, Megan (Jeremy Levitt), Dustin, Daryl (Marshall Sosland), Paul (Nikki), Mikey (Jessie) and Asher; four great-grandkids: Elam, Noa, Evie and Jed; and her brother, Martin (Joyce) Litchman.

Following private burial, services were held on May 31 in the Stern Chapel of Temple Emanu-El. Please consider donations to Dallas Jewish Historical Society or a charity of your choice.