Benjamin Dorfman
Jan. 17, 1921 Jan. 24, 2018
Benjamin Dorfman, 97, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and long time resident of San Francisco, California, died peacefully in the first hour of January 24, 2018, at the Willow Park senior residence in Boise, Idaho, which had been his home for almost seven years. He was appreciated by all who knew him as one of the nicest, kindest men who ever lived with a smile that made a tremendous impact on people.
There will be a memorial service for Ben on Friday, March 9, 2018, at 10 AM at Temple Emanu-el, at Arguello and Lake Streets in San Francisco. Interment of his ashes will be at Home of Peace Cemetery in Colma at 2 PM that day.
Ben was born in Louisville on January 17, 1921, to Mary Rosenberg of Minsk, Russia, and Nathan Dorfman of Disna, Poland. He was the middle child of the five who lived in the back of Nathan’s shoe repair shop.
Ben graduated from Louisville Male High School in 1938, then from the University of Louisville in the Class of 1942 with a Bachelors Degree with Honors in Economics. His major subject was Accounting.
While in college he worked part time, gaining experience in keeping books and office administration.
In early 1943, Ben enlisted in the Navy and received four months training in the V-7 program at the Notre Dame Midshipmen’s School, where one of his fellow students was future actor, Kirk Douglas. He was commissioned as an Ensign in the Naval Reserve and ordered to the Port Director’s Office in San Francisco for duty. He was there for 21 months.
During that time, Ben met a fourth-generation San Franciscan lady named Edith Marian Lilienthal. It was, as the story has been told, “over a game of ping pong.” They married on November 2, 1944, at the home of Edith’s aunt and uncle on Jordan Avenue, and honeymooned in Carmel.
Shortly thereafter, Ben was sent by the Navy to the Philippines. He spent the first three months as the Routing Officer and after that as Port Director of the Port of Iloilo, Panay Island. He separated from Naval Service in the rank of Lieutenant.
Having come back to San Francisco in 1946, Ben began his working career in accounting and office management, first for a small company for two years, then starting in 1948 for Berven Carpets Corporation, where he fashioned a 37-year career. He held the positions of Chief Accounting Officer, Controller, Corporate Secretary, and then Vice President and Assistant to Chairman of the Board.
During that time, and continuing after the company liquidated in 1985, Ben also prepared taxes and did other financial services and consulting for various clients.
In 1957, he joined the San Francisco Chapter of the Administrative Management Society. Ben joined their Audit Committee in 1957 and became Chairman in 1959.
Ben and Edie had two sons, born exactly two years apart. Richard Nathan Dorfman was born on April 2, 1947, and brother Roger on April 2, 1949.
Ben was a wonderful father to his sons. He was a patient man and taught the virtues of work ethic. He took his boys to San Francisco Seals, then San Francisco Giants, baseball games, and professional hockey games at the Cow Palace. This sparked interests each son would have in sportscasting.
During his 65 years in San Francisco, Ben was also active in serving on various boards and committees of homeowner and neighborhood associations and other organizations. Even though he was not a Scout himself, he served on the Troop Committee of Boy Scout Troop 17 in which his sons each attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He was active in the Jewish Community Center.
Ben and Edie were members of Congregation Emanu-el in San Francisco and supported the synagogue and other Jewish causes as part of their philanthropy. They were generous in helping other organizations and various family members through the years.
Their major hobby was travel, and they were fortunate enough to be able to do quite a bit of it. From vacations at Lake Tahoe and trips around the west when Richard and Roger were growing up, to New York, Atlanta, Minnesota, Israel, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, France, Italy, Switzerland, and England, to name some.
Ben’s other major passion was reading the newspaper, which he did routinely after dinner each night. He would retreat to their bedroom and seemingly read the entire San Francisco Chronicle before going to bed.
After a mild stroke in January 2007, Ben’s vascular dementia gradually overtook his mental abilities. He came down with the flu about 10 days before his passing, and some sores which developed on his heels confined him and prevented his ability to use his walker.
The family wishes to thank the great caregivers and staff at Willow Park in Boise, where Ben received great care in the assisted living residence, and, later, the memory care unit.
Ben was predeceased by his parents Nathan and Mary, his beloved wife Edie, his son Roger, sisters Anne Louise (Max) Goldstein, Sylvia (Seymour) Stiller, Eva (Ross) Socolof, and brother Leon (Ethel) Dorfman.
He is survived by son Richard (Sylvia), grandsons Ryan (Lindy), Scott (Leigh Schoettinger), Jeremy, and Bernard, granddaughters Marleigh (Trevor) Steis and Rose, seven greatgrandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
He will be missed and remembered by all as a mild-mannered, eventempered, serious man who never sought the limelight but certainly merited recognition for his stability, wise counsel and generosity to, and love for, his family. He and his wife of more than 64 years established friendships which were cherished by themselves and the friends.
In lieu of flowers, people are asked to consider a memorial contribution to their local Alzheimer’s support group, their local American Diabetes Association, or support of their favorite charity.