WCPN: Virtual Funerals Featured at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Funeral Home

By offering webcasts of funeral services, out-of-town mourners who can't make it to the services can participate, reported the local NPR affiliate.

Cleveland Heights funeral home Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz was featured last weekend on WCPN and nationally on NPR for its introduction of streaming webcasts of funeral services for mourners. The new concept was introduced through the help of the company National Webcast, which is bringing the technology to funeral homes across the country at an increasing rate.  Also featured in the story was Daniel Berry of Berry & Martens Funeral Home in Westlake, who said his funeral home offers the same service, but it isn't used often because, he said, that in-person funeral services and calling hours are still important to mourners. 

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Family, Friends Remember Brian Horwich

More than 30 people have signed an online guest book created in his memory.

More than 30 people have signed an online guest book on Legacy.com created in the honor and memory of Brian Horwich, 25, who died in a car crash Nov. 15 in Shaker Heights. Many reflected on how his life ended much too soon. People said they loved him for his passion for life, sense of humor and kindness toward others. "Brian was truly a wonderful person, never without that signature smile and vibrant passion for life. He will be missed by all," wrote Paul Cobb. Earlier: Shaker Heights Man Killed in Crash More: Shaker Heights Police Release More Details From Fatal Crash Family and friends gathered to remember Horwich, a Shaker Heights High School graduate, on Sunday afternoon at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, according to an …

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Lindsay Children Recount Life, Love of Parents Elise and Gregory

The 62-year-old high-school sweethearts died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Lindsay children say "neither of them would have wanted to survive the other."

Elise and Gregory Lindsay’s three children say their parent’s happiest moments were spent together, sharing a glass of wine, watching the sunset over Lake Chautauqua. On Saturday nights, back when they had a house full of teenagers, they escaped into the living room with pizza, wine and a movie. Gillian Whittlesey, 30, said when she’d go and check in on her parents, her dad would simply say, “We’re on a date.” “They always made it work. They put each other first, like any good couple should, and they were always there for us as a team,” Gillian said. When they were found in their Cleveland Heights home Thursday afternoon, they were in their kitchen. Greg had cooked dinner for his high-school sweetheart the night before. There were wine …

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News Channel 5: Hundreds Remember Chef Sergio Abramof at Memorial Service

The Cleveland Heights High School alum's memorial service was Monday morning at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz.

Seth Rosen, 55, Remembered As Great Musician, Union Leader

The Westlake resident and Gene's Jazz Hot band member died Friday, July 20 while on vacation in North Carolina.

Family, friends, coworkers and union members are mourning the loss of Seth Rosen, 55, of Westlake, who drowned Friday, July 20 while vacationing in North Carolina. Rosen was vice president of Communications Workers of America District 4, representing 50,000 members in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to a statement about Rosen on the CWA website. Loved ones have posted condolences to the family, memories and other messages on a Facebook page dedicated to his life. The Barking Spider in Cleveland hosted a "musicians' memorial" in his honor Tuesday night. Rosen played guitar and mandolin with Gene's Jazz Hot, which performed regularly at Loganberry Books in Shaker Heights and other places around town. He was also in…

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Neighbors, Fans Remember Howie Chizek

WNIR talk show host Howie Chizek, a Twinsburg resident and Heights High grad, died of a heart attack over the weekend. His neighbors remembered him fondly as a "friendly guy."

Akron radio personality Howie Chizek lived just across the street from Richard and Lisa Wamsley. While neither of them knew Chizek well, they thought the world of the Parmalee Drive resident. “He seemed like an awfully nice guy,” Richard said. Chizek, 65, of Twinsburg, died of a heart attack on Saturday, June 18, while taking underpriveleged children on a trip to Disney World. Chizek, a 1965 Cleveland Heights High School grad and member of the Heights High Alumni Hall of Fame, was a long-time talk show host for WNIR and was often called the "voice of common sense." While Richard Wamsley only listened to Chizek on the radio periodically, he enjoyed his personality. “He was nice to people,” Richard said. “He would let them say what they …

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Brian McIntyre, 42, Former News Channel 5 Reporter

The former news anchor who lived in Cleveland Heights died at age 42 after battling cancer.

Scene: Paul Gurgol, 55, Co-Founder of Kalliope Stage

The Cleveland theater director was getting ready to direct "Avenue Q" at Cain Park this summer

Scene Magazine reported Wednesday that Cleveland theater director Paul Gurgol passed away Saturday. Gurgol co-founded Kalliope Stage in Cleveland Heights, and was getting ready to direct Avenue Q this summer at Cain Park, according to the article. He also directed Sweeney Todd at the park in 2010. A mass for Gurgol, 55, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John’s Cathedral downtown, 1007 Superior Ave. To read the full article, click here.

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Cleveland Heights Police Department Mourns Loss of First Woman Officer

Susan Jane Calihan was the first woman officer when she joined the force in 1975

There are now 10 women out of 108 officers on the Cleveland Heights Police Department. But back in 1975, there was just one. Susan Jane Calihan, who died of pneumonia in early March, joined the force after graduating from John Carroll University. Being a police officer was originally just going to be a job, a way to earn money for law school. “You think about a 22-year-old female coming into a police department, where at the time in 1975, was staffed by a lot of veteran policeman, older guys … anybody coming onto a police department, you’re going to be a little bit intimidated,” said Police Chief Jeffrey Robertson, who met her on his first day in 1978. “I just can’t imagine what she felt like coming on the job as the first female.” But she…

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Herbert Schlosser, 85, Retired CSU Professor

Services for the Cleveland Heights man will be at the Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel