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Dr. Manuel Sklar



Dr. Manuel Sklar, 95, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, died on 12 June 2020.

The Funeral was A PRIVATE FAMILY GRAVESIDE SERVICE on Monday, 15 June 2020 at 2:30 PM .

Rabbi Joseph Krakoff officiated.

Click to watch a video of the recorded service.

Family members include:
Beloved husband of 65 years of the late Harriet Sklar. Cherished father of Susan (Dr. Martin) Hurwitz, Dr. David (Julie Edgar) Sklar, Melissa Sklar, Joel (Connie Cessante) Sklar, and the late Elizabeth Sklar. Loving Pops of Ariel Hurwitz (Joseph) Greene, Noah (Lizzy) Hurwitz, Judith Hurwitz, Jonah Sklar, Daniel Sklar, and Lev Sklar. Great Grandpops of Nathaniel Greene, Gabriel Greene, Asher Hurwitz, and Hamilton Hurwitz. Adored brother of Diane (Larry) Blau and the late Donald (the late Irene) Sklar. Brother-in-law of Valerie (the late Dr. Samuel) Indenbaum. Also survived by his loving companion Elayne Galin, many loving nieces and nephews, and his friend and helper, Myrt.

The family invites friends to join them for a Zoom Shiva Monday evening beginning at 5:00 p.m.. To join the Shiva Click Here
Or Call (312)626-6799
Meeting ID: 874 9669 6703


Dr. Manuel Sklar passed away on June 12, 2020, shortly after his 95th birthday. He was in good health and spirits almost up until the day he died and lived a life of unparalleled vigor and vitality.

Born on May 3, 1925 to Fannie and Sol Sklar, Manny grew up in Detroit, graduated from Central High School and was drafted into the military in 1943, when he was 18. Serving as a medic in a combat engineer unit because he had been allowed to complete one semester of college and desperately dreamed of becoming a doctor, he vividly described marching through the south of France, up into the Ardennes Forest and facing combat in Germany in 1944. He served out the last phase of his military service with his unit in Nuremberg, following the Nuremberg Trials closely as the horrors of the Holocaust were revealed. He said often that he was the only Jewish member of his unit, but always stressed that he never experienced any Anti-Semitism during his service and that everyone with whom he served was kind to him, as the youngest man in his company.

Coming home in 1946, he earned B.S and M.D. degrees from Wayne State University by 1951 in under 5 years, living in a two flat home with his parents, brother, sister and grandparents and studying in the attic to opera and classical music, which he loved with a passion. He was especially devoted to his maternal grandfather.

In 1949, he married Harriet Latt and they began their family in 1951 right before his medical school graduation, where he earned highest honors.

Dr. Sklar completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Receiving Hospital in Detroit and continued on to the University of Chicago for his fellowship in Gastroenterology, which he actively practiced until age 90. He always said he was fortunate to be able to be at U of C at the time that the new field of endoscopy was being pioneered there. Always at the top of his class in every area, Manny was asked to join his mentor, Dr. Joseph Kirsner, in his department. However, with a wife, two young children and a third on the way, Manny chose to return home to Detroit to be close to his family. He returned to Chicago periodically for continued training in the evolving area of endoscopy, working closely with the Olympus Corporation, the Japanese company who developed these scopes. Manny and Dr. Kirsner maintained a very close relationship as colleagues and friends until Dr. Kirsner died in 2012 at the age of 103.

Upon moving back to Detroit in 1956, Manny Sklar opened a medical practice that thrived. He worked with Olympus on the development of flexible endoscopes for many years and for a time was the only GI specialist in Michigan with this expertise. He was a dedicated and devoted physician who was an outstanding diagnostician. A highly regarded teacher, Dr. Sklar was Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Geriatrics and served as Chief of Gastroenterology at Sinai Hospital. He was an author and co-author of numerous scholarly papers throughout his long career. Beloved by his many patients and highly respected by colleagues of all ages, including the many residents he taught during the latter years of his career, Manny was also known for being available to his patients 24/7 and making house calls long after house calls were considered too time consuming. Medicine was his passion, his joy and his identity, as evidenced by his maintenance of recertification in his three specialties. In order to improve his skills, he would devote a part of each year studying areas of medicine that were not in his specialty areas. He enjoyed learning throughout his entire life, reading the New York Times from cover to cover every day up until last Saturday.

He was a Renaissance man of sorts with a lifelong love of classical music and opera. He and his wife, Harriet, were DSO members for many years and enjoyed those concerts immensely.

He was also beyond devoted to the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions and he never ever missed a home football game from 1956 through just a few years ago. We have no doubt that a Lions' Playoff appearance (let alone a victory) would have kept him going for longer. He also attended numerous Tigers' games throughout his life and their numerous winning seasons gave him tremendous happiness and hope even during the losing ones.

Manny was also a dedicated and longtime member of Congregation Shaarey Zedek and attended Shabbat services every Saturday. He also loved his Torah study group there.

Last but not least, he was a devoted husband, father and great-grandfather to his late wife, Harriet, children Susan Hurwitz (Martin), David Sklar (Julie Edgar), Melissa Sklar, Joel Sklar (Connie Cessante) and the late Elizabeth Sklar; a loving and doting grandfather to Ariel Hurwitz-Greene (Joseph Greene), Noah Hurwitz (Lizzy), Judith Hurwitz, Jonah Sklar, Daniel Sklar, Lev Sklar and great- grandfather to Nathaniel Greene, Gabriel Greene, Asher Hurwitz and Hamilton Hurwitz. Manny is also survived by his sister Diane Blau (Larry), sister-in-law Valerie Indenbaum, devoted companion Elayne Galin, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his loving parents, Sol and Fannie Sklar and wonderful brother Donald Sklar.

When one of us (his children) would consult him about a clearly psychosomatic illness, he would say with his wry smile, "Well, nobody lives forever." Unfortunately for all of us, Manny Sklar, the energetic, brilliant man who was known for taking the stairs at Sinai, no matter how far he had to climb, and who had never been sick in his long life, proved this adage true when he left us on June 12, just a few days after a cancer diagnosis.



It is suggested that those who wish to further honor the memory of Dr. Manuel Sklar may do so by making a contribution to:

Gesher Human Services
Formerly JVS + Kadima
29699 Southfield Road
Southfield, MI 48076
248-559-5000
http://www.kadimacenter.org
Click to Visit Charity Website

or
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
585 Stewart Ave #304
Garden City, NY 11530
800-932-2423
http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/
Click to Visit Charity Website