Norman Fields
Norman Fields, of Potomac, died on Dec. 23. A World War II Army veteran, Norman moved to the D.C. metro area and established Embassy Opticians, with locations in Washington and Annapolis.
He was the beloved husband of 67 years to Nanette Fields (nee Latt). He is survived by his three adoring children, David Fields, Deborah Fields Vieder (Tom) and Michael Fields (Stacey); his cherished granddaughter, Rachael Vieder Linowes (Brett); and his precious great-granddaughter, Iris Gillian Linowes. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Alzheimer’s Association.
Shamai Kanter
Rabbi Shamai Kanter, 88, of Phoenix, Ariz., and formerly of North Bethesda, died on Dec. 27.
Shamai was born in Allston, Mass., on March 27, 1930, to David Kanter and Celia Wexler Kanter, who died giving birth to him. He was first raised by his grandparents and Celia’s devoted sisters, Sandra and Molly, and then by David’s seven brothers and sisters (“the folks“), before David’s marriage to Doris Cohen and the expansion of their immediate family with two more children.
Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, and following a United States Air Force chaplaincy, Shamai Kanter was a lifelong congregational rabbi, holding pulpits in Toronto; Sharon, Mass., and Rochester, N.Y., where he retired.
During his rabbinical career, he also obtained a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at Brown University in 1974. He published his doctoral research in 1981, “Rabban Gamaliel II: The Legal Traditions.”
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jeannette; their three children, Raphael (Cindy), Elana (Michael) and Ethan (Sue); and their grandchildren, Rebecca, Eli, Micah, Hannah, Gabi, Jonathan, Ben, Charlie and Trevor. He was the brother of William Kanter and the late Barbara Fink. Donations may be made to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Hearing Loss Association of America or The Women’s Jewish Learning Center.
