German Parliamentarian Philipp Missfelder
Phillip Missfelder, a German politician and a member of the German Bundestag who advocated for increased ties with Israel and the Jewish community, died on July 13 at the age of 35. The cause of death is believed to be a pulmonary embolism.
A leading member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling Christian Democratic Union, Missfelder was the party’s foreign policy spokesperson since 2009, gaining a reputation for his pro-Israel stance.
“Philipp Missfelder was a dear friend of the U.S., of Israel and of the Jewish people,” said Deidre Berger, director of the AJC Berlin Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations, in a press release. “His untimely death is a great loss for the Christian Democratic Union, for the German Parliament, for the community of democratic values, and for AJC, which had a very close working relationship with him.”
Missfelder addressed the 2014 AJC Global Forum in Washington on Germany’s role on the world stage. He regularly visited AJC Berlin and AJC headquarters in New York, speaking on anti-Semitism, Iran’s nuclear program, terrorism and challenges to democracy.
“Philipp’s engagement was a welcome demonstration of the continuity of German-Jewish relations. May his memory be an inspiration for others in his generation and beyond,” said Berger.
— WJW Staff
Julia Marmorstein
Julia Marmorstein, 73, of Reston passed away on June 20.
Born in New Jersey, she grew up in Cincinnati and trained to be a dental hygienist at Ohio State University. After the birth of her own children, she advocated for breastfeeding mothers, leading a five-state region for Le Leche League. Later, she worked with other educational innovators to found an elementary school focused on individualized instruction and learning by doing. In the 90s, she returned to dental hygiene and ran a small business specializing in wedding invitations and personalized stationary.
During many of her 30 years living in Reston, she was a tireless volunteer at South Lakes High School, starting traditions like the All Night Graduation Party in 1987, and helping found the SLHS PTSA Academic Boosters, which pioneered programs like the B.U.G. (Bringing Up Grades) roll and varsity letters for academic achievement. After a battle with cancer in 2000, she was a regular at Reston’s Relay for Life events.
Marmorstein is survived by her husband Andrew, children Jack and Naomi, brothers August Boss and Richard Boss and grandchildren Pillipa, Sadie and Jonah.
Herman Miller
On July 7, Herman Miller, 94, of Cave Creek, Ariz.
Dr. Miller was an economic statistician who worked for the Bureau of the Census in Suitland from 1946 until approximately 1971. He was chief of the Population Division of the Census Bureau at the time of the 1970 census. After retiring from the federal government, Dr. Miller had a second career as an expert witness in wrongful death and wrongful injury legal cases in the Washington area until 2004 when he retired.
Dr. Miller was a member of the American Statistical Association for 50 years and was a fellow in that organization. He was the author of three books and numerous articles. He was a member of Har Tzeon Synagogue in Wheaton for approximately 50 years.
Dr. Miller was the cherished brother of Murray Miller (Bee), father of June Miller Lipsky (Roy) of New York and Judith Miller Glasser (John Spiegel) of Silver Spring; grandfather of Debbie Lipsky Williams (Ken), Binyamin Lipsky (Robyn), Dan Glasser (Laura) and Becca Glasser; great grandfather of 11 children. Dr. Miller is also survived by his loving partner and devoted caretaker of 10 years, Theresa Nguyen of Phoenix, and her family.
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