Ilene (Cooky) F. Fink Alpern June 27, 1929 - May 15, 2018 PALM HARBOR, FL. - Ilene “Cooky” Alpern, 88, died May 15, 2018 at Suncoast Hospice Care Center in Palm Harbor, FL. She was born on June 27, 1929 in South Bend, IN, to Eli and Hannah Fink. She married her husband of 57 years, Herbert “Bud” Alpern, on March 18, 1951. Mrs. Alpern is survived by her son, William Mark Alpern of Lahaina, HI; A daughter and son-in-law, Jane and Craig Powers of Palm Harbor, FL; a granddaughter, Nancy Lynn Powers of Gainesville, FL; a grandson, Michael Hill Powers of Palm harbor, FL; a sister, Alice Levkoff of Charleston, SC; and a sister and brother-in-law, Roberta and Mike Jacobson of Grand Rapids, MI. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Nancy Sue Alpern in 1963; and by her husband, Herbert “Bud” Alpern in 2008. Mrs. Alpern graduated from Central High School in South Bend and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After spending four years in Mount Clemons, MI, she and her husband moved to South Bend where they settled and raised their family. In 2011, Mrs. Alpern moved to Palm Harbor, FL to be close to her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren, but she always insisted that South Bend was her home. She was a lifelong, active member of Temple Beth-El in South Bend where she volunteered on many committees; she taught a Jewish cooking class for Sunday school students and earned the Sisterhood's honor of Woman of the Year in 1974. In addition to her involvement with Temple Beth-El, she also volunteered her time to many organizations within the community, including serving 25 years with Children's Dispensary and 15 years as a docent at the South Bend Regional Art Center and Snite Museum on the campus of Notre Dame. She was a patron of the arts and enjoyed swimming, tennis, cooking, sailing, gardening, reading, and time spent at Diamond Lake, Lake Michigan, and the beaches of Florida. She cherished her family and nothing brought her more pleasure than spending time with her close friends and family. Her kindness, generosity, and devotion to others will always be remembered. An online obituary and guest book can be viewed at www.AndersonMcQueen.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Nancy Sue Alpern Memorial Fund for Pediatric Cardiology at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; The Temple Beth-El Food Pantry; the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, Attn: Sean Kassen, 215 Jordan Hall of Science, Notre Dame IN, 46556; the Suncoast Hospice Foundation, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33760; or to the charity of one's choice. A Memorial Service for Mrs. Alpern will be held on August 12, 2018 at 11:00 AM at Temple Beth-El, 305 West Madison Street, South Bend, IN 46601, with Rabbi Karen Companez officiating.
05/27/2018 JFC
