Birgit BLUMENTHAL

7 APR 1931 - 8 MAY 2017

• BIRTH: 7 APR 1931, Hochstetten, Germany
• DEATH: 8 MAY 2017, South Bend, St Joseph, IN

• MARRIAGE: 26 SEP 1981, South Bend, St Joseph, IN

INDEX

[N32891] Birgit Blumenthal Metzger
April 7, 1931 - May 8, 2017

SOUTH BEND - Mrs. Birgit (Blumenthal) Metzger, 86, of South Bend, passed away Monday where she spent winters in Tempe, AZ. She was born in Hochstetten, Germany, to the late Oscar and Antonie (Wolf) Blumenthal on April 7, 1931. As a Holocaust survivor, she was a speaker at local schools about her experiences. She arrived in the U.S. with her parents, grandparents and sister in March 1940 and settled in Wabash, IN. She was proud to have celebrated her 9th birthday in the U.S. The family moved to Chicago where she went to high school and then attended the Chicago Art Institute. She was a fashion ad illustrator for Marshall Field & Co. until she married Harold Zubkoff of South Bend on March 5, 1950, through his death in Aug. 1977. She was a longtime member of Sinai Synagogue where she belonged to the Sinai Sisterhood. As an active member of the South Bend Jewish Community, she was co-chair of the Jewish Federation's Super Sunday annual fundraiser, served many years as an advisor to the local B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, and a member of the B'nai B'rith Women and Hadassah organizations. She retired from an inside sales position at Simon Brothers, a local food service provider. Birgit is survived by her husband, Hugh L. Metzger, whom she married on September 26, 1981, in South Bend. They met at the Sinai Synagogue annual spaghetti dinner and celebrated their 35th anniversary this past Sept. with family and friends at Sinai Synagogue. Along with her husband, Hugh, she is survived by her children, Karen Zubkoff Perna of Chandler, AZ; Ian Zubkoff (Oh) of Scottsdale, AZ, Brian Zubkoff (Mayerlin) of South Bend, and her sister, Inge Blumenthal Bailin of Tempe, AZ. She is also survived by her stepchildren, Jeffrey Metzger of East Hampton, NY, Gary Metzger (Yvette) of Boca Raton, FL, and Karen Metzger Leuther (Michael) of Fishers, IN. Also left to cherish their memories of ‘Nana' are her grandchildren: Julie Perna Beauregard (Michael), Aaron Perna, Kelsey Zubkoff, Adam Zubkoff, Brittany Metzger Nierste (Vincent), Joel Metzger, Stephen Kabaker Metzger, Jessica Leuther, Sarah Leuther and David Leuther, plus two great-grandchildren, Cooper and Brooklyn Beauregard. Funeral services will be held on Friday at 2 pm at Sinai Synagogue at the corner of LaSalle Ave. and Eddy St., South Bend, Rabbi Michael Friedland officiating. Burial will follow at the Hebrew Orthodox Cemetery, Mishawaka. Confirmation of this will be in Friday's paper. The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, those wishing to donate in Mrs. Metzger's memory consider Sinai Synagogue or the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. To send condolences to the family, log on to: www.McGannHay.com.

Published by South Bend Tribune on May 11, 2017.