Upcoming Services
| Joan Behrmann | Pending | |
| Marge Samson |
Sun May 5th at 1:30 IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL | |
| Louise Glattstein Oram |
Sun Apr 28th at 1:30 IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL | |
| Doralee LeVine |
Sun Apr 28th at 12:00 CHAPEL AT CLOVER HILL | |
| William Sandy |
Sun Apr 28th at 11:30 IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL | |
| Florence Lovinger Ostrow |
FUNERAL DETAILS
Audrey Grossman
Audrey Grossman of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, died on 01 December 2016. The Funeral was held at Birmingham Temple on Sunday, 04 December 2016 at 11:00 AM . Click  to watch a video of the recorded service.The family of Audrey Grossman will be gathering through the evening of Sunday, December 04 at the residence, 612 Bennington , Bloomfield Hills MI 48304. The phone number is 248-642-4657. The family will be gathering on Saturday from 2-4PM and on Sunday immediately following the service through the evening. Audrey Grossman (nee Buckner) born May 13, 1922 in Pontiac Michigan to Norman and Augusta Buckner, was the middle daughter between two beloved brothers, Noel and Herbie. She died of natural causes on December 1, 2016 at her home in Bloomfield Hills surrounded by friends and family. She had a long life that she was not done living. Audrey learned from everyone she met including people at Olivet College, at the American Friends Service Committee in New York City, and those she met while raising a large family, and her teachers. Audrey married Don Gelbard in 1948 and was widowed eight years later. She married Leonard Grossman in 1957 (d 2011) and together they raised six children and pursued a life devoted to the protection of civil liberties, public education and economic and racial justice. Audrey was an artist whose career in watercolor began in 1980 when she began her studies in Chinese Brush Painting with Edythe Newbourne and Master Chinese painter I-Hsiung who lived and taught in Virginia. Her work spans 36 years, and she continued to learn from teachers at the Birmingham Art Association where she and her beloved niece painted until weeks before her death. The natural world was her subject matter: flowers, fish, birds, trees and landscapes; she tried to capture their essence in the bareness and simplicity of a brush stroke. Early in her career, she wrote: "Underlying the apparent simplicity of Chinese painting lies a unifying philosophy. It is a belief that the two opposite forces in the universe are held equally up-down, day-night, mountain-plain, liquid-solid, all giving way to each other." To those who knew her, we see how this was not only a question in her art, but also in her life. Chinese brush painting requires repetition and in defense of that she wrote: "The Chinese take pleasure in viewing paintings of the great masters much as we take pleasure in hearing our artists play the great concertos of Bach. Rarely do we ask of Van Cliburn 'play something original.' " Among those who appreciate Chinese paintings there is a saying that a strong painting makes room for the dragon which means it has enough white space which is to say that a composition should not be so full there is no room for the one who looks. That may be how her family remembers her best, as one who could empty herself enough to make room for whomever she was talking to. Audrey sold her paintings from her home-studio and at shows to raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union. Her work can be found in homes through out the Detroit area and through out the country. Her work has been shown at the Birmingham Art Association, at the Janice Charach Gallery at the Jewish Community Center and other places. Audrey is survived by five of her six children and their families: Amy Dene Grossman d. 1971, Luanne Grossman of Boston MA (spouse, Barbara Clivio) Richard Gelbard of Freemont, California (spouse, Debra Witter), Catherine Grossman of W. Lafayette, Indiana (spouse Stan Alexander), Abbe Marchionda of Farmington Hills, Michigan (spouse, Guy Marchionda), Meg Grossman of Granville Ohio and eleven grandchildren: Hannah Rose Johnson, Joshua Gelbard, Spencer and Dylan Grossman, Anna and Maya Alexander, Jacob and Julian Marchionda, and Rebecca and Zachary Richeimer. It is suggested that those who wish to further honor the memory of Audrey Grossman may do so by making a contribution to: American Civil Liberties UnionClick to Visit Charity Website or Sugar Law CenterClick to Visit Charity Website or Plant Based Nutrition Support GroupClick to Visit Charity Website |