Marvin Cooper
Denver native and US Navy veteran Marvin Cooper died on February 26, 2023. He was 92. A service was held March 1 at Rose Hill Cemetery, officiated by Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky, Rabbi Yaakov Meyer and Cantor Martin Goldstein. Feldman Mortuary handled the arrangements.
Mr. Cooper was a bar owner in his family’s business, and was a men’s clothing salesman. He also managed a drug store and in retirement was a tour driver for Gray Line Tours.
“He got to share stories and Denver history with all kinds of people who were visiting Denver,” Mr. Cooper’s family said.
Born on January 9, 1931, Mr. Cooper grew up on the West Side and attended Cheltenham Elementary, Lake Junior High School, West High School and HEA. He also attended DU.
Mr. Cooper served in the US Navy from 1951 to 1955. One year later he and Jackie Rabicoff were married in Kilgore, Texas, and they remained a couple until Mr. Cooper’s passing.
“Family was everything to our father,” the family said. “It didn’t matter what we did or where we were it was about being together. Sons-in-law were truly sons to him as well as the additional grandchildren he gained when the kids got married.”
Survivors include Mr. Cooper’s wife Jackie; children Marci (Bart) Rivkin, Vicki (Craig) Eskanos and Jodi Cooper; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Mandy and Natalie Rabicoff; and grandchildren Jason Rivkin and Alison Walker, Josh Rivkin, Jacob and Randi Eskanos and Hannah and Benjamin Green.
Contributions may be made to BMH-BJ or The Denver Hospice.
Tracy Lechner
Tracy Lechner died on March 30, 2023. She was 42. A service was held April 2 at Mount Nebo Cemetery, officiated by Rabbi Yaakov Meyer. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
Mrs. Lechner was the victim of domestic violence and died of gunshot wounds in front of her home near the Cherry Creek Reservoir in Arapahoe County. She and her husband, David Samuel Lechner, 45, have been undergoing divorce proceedings since 2020; Mr. Lechner has been charged with first-degree murder and is in custody at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility in Centennial.
Rabbi Meyer said at Mrs. Lechner’s funeral: “I only have my love, my friendship to speak to you who are in such pain and shock, and to a community of friends that’s reeling and shaken up in ways that we could not have imagined.
“We can’t bring Tracy back to life, but we have to walk away saying even the slightest violence, even the slightest not niceness, even the slightest yelling has no place in the home.”
At the funeral, Mrs. Lechner’s father, Dr. Clifford Bloch, spoke as if his daughter could hear him:
“I stand here in shock and disbelief that you’ve been cut down in the prime of life. Leaving your children Leora and Ezra without a mom, you’ve been everything to them. You’ve raised them to be loving and kind to one another and to others. We have watched in awe as you made unbelievable sacrifices to take care of every one of their needs and ensure that they always felt safe and secure.
“Your legacy will serve as an inspiration to your children and everybody whose lives you have touched. Your children will be safe and secure. I promise you. And I hope they will grow and they will overcome the pain which they’ll have with them forever. You will never be forgotten.”
Mrs. Lechner’s mother, Mrs. Natalie Bloch, said, “She was making plans for Liora’s Bat Mitzvah three years away and I was looking forward to her being released from the shackles of the life of the past three-and-a-half years.
“It was a darkness which she tried to push aside while conducting her normal activities.”
Word of Mrs. Lechner’s death spread quickly through the Denver Jewish community. Aish of the Rockies referred to Mrs. Lechner as a friend and member of the synagogue.
Rabbi Rachel Kobrin alerted Rodef Shalom of the news. “The Lechners were past members of Rodef Shalom and many in our community have been friends with one or both of them for years.”
HEA noted that Mr. and Mrs. Lechner’s children, Leora and Ezra, attended the HEA Preschool.
A Denver native, Mrs. Lechner attended Cherry Creek High School and CU Boulder. She received her law degree in 2006 from the Yeshiva University Cardozo School of Law and early in her career was a staff attorney in the Office of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Mrs. Lechner was an adjunct professor at the CU School of Law and specialized in media, technology, privacy and information security law.
She was an attorney at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck from 2017 to 2018, and subsequently opened her own law practice in Greenwood Village.
Survivors are children Leora and Ezra Lechner; brother Benjamin (Rachel) Bloch and parents Dr. Clifford and Natalie Bloch.
She was predeceased by her sister Jennifer Bloch who passed away earlier this year.
Contributions may be made to Aish of the Rockies, Leket Israel or the Jewish Outreach Initiative (JOI) Denver.
Craig Morrison
Denver native Craig Morrison died on October 26, 2022, two days after his 69th birthday. A service was held October 28, 2022, at HEA, with interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, officiated by Rabbi Bruce Dollin and Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
Originally in real estate sales, Mr. Morrison owned several bars and restaurants in the Denver area, and was an advocate of youth sports in the area.
Born on October 24, 1953, Mr. Morrison grew up in Hilltop and was an athlete in several sports at George Washington High School. He then played football at Pomona College in California and later transferred to the University of Northern Colorado, where he studied business.
Mr. Morrison coached youth sports in football, baseball, soccer, softball and basketball. Cherry Creek High School inducted Mr. Morrison into its Hall of Fame for his continued support of youth sports.
In August, 2020, Mr. Morrison and Janet Corniel were married.
“It was a celebration of a wonderful relationship that began with friendship,” said Mrs. Corniel-Morrison.
“He was a humble man who was understated but quietly effective. Craig was generous with those he loved and his community.
“Craig battled cancer for years with strength and grace. He gave hope to those facing a dire diagnosis.”
Survivors are Mr. Morrison’s wife Janet; children Adam Morrison, Lindsey (Colin) Clancy, William Brown, Benjamin Brown and Nathaniel Brown; and grandchildren Ophelia, Emerson and Layne Clancy, Kaylee (Jack) Leonard and Chloe Pershin.
Contributions may be made to HEA, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center.
Jeffrey Tatelman
Boulder resident Jeffrey Tatelman passed away on March 25, 2023. He was 67. A service was held on March 28 at Congregation Har HaShem with interment at Mountain View Memorial Park, officiated by Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb. Greenwood and Myers Mortuary made the arrangements.
A native of New York, Mr. Tatelman and his late wife Beth moved to Louisville in 1997, where Mr. Tatelman continued his career in the tech industry as a QA analyst and manager. Mrs. Tatelman passed away in July, 2017.
Mr. Tatelman was an avid hiker, bicyclist and camper. He met his partner Karen Lebovitz in 2019 and together they became devoted skiers.
In retirement Mr. Tatelman was a frequent traveler, visiting Vietnam, Jordan, Egypt and Costa Rica. Prior to his passing he was preparing for a trip to Thailand.
In 2012 Mr. Tatelman attended the Institute for Jewish Spirituality in New York; then he taught students and shared his experiences with meditation, introspection and individual growth. He also worked with Colorado Jewish Climate Action.
“This brought together two very meaningful parts of his storied life, a love of the outdoors and a strong connection to his faith,” his family said.
Mr. Tatelman was a member of Congregation Har HaShem since 1997.
Survivors are Mr. Tatelman’s daughter Leann Podzinski and grandsons Henri Podzinski and Bennett Podzinski. Mr. Tatelman is also mourned by Karen Lebovitz.
Contributions may be made to Colorado Jewish Climate Action in honor of The Jeff Tatelman CJCA Memorial Fund at Rodef Shalom or to the Boulder JCC.
Copyright © 2023 by the Intermountain Jewish News
