J. Burnell Webman

J. Burnell "Bernie" Webman, 82, of Worcester, Mass, died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2004, at his home.

He was born Nov. 2, 1922, in Fremont to Isaac and Brina Gittel (Stein) Webman. His mother's store was located at Ninth and Irving streets until the early years of World War II. He was president and master councilor of DeMolay. He was yearbook editor, a columnist for the high school paper and was one of that school's leading tennis players, along with Babe Petrow. He graduated in 1940. After serving in the U.S. Army in Europe, he graduated from the University of Nebraska and moved to Worcester in 1947. He worked for Abbott Laboratories for 26 years.

He was one of the founders of the Holden Towers Tennis Club, was president of the Greendale YMCA Tennis Club and built the Holden Paxton Tennis Club and the Paxton Swim and Tennis Club. He was a member of Congregation Beth Israel and the Jewish Health Care Center.

Survivors include: his wife, Sylvia (Garber) Webman; his children, Donna Webman of Jerusalem, Israel, Wendy (Webman) and Joe Lonsdale of Fremont, Calif., Robert and Juana Webman of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., and Susan Webman and Larry Gottesman of Potomac, Md.; and eight grandchildren.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Peter Levine Cancer Clinic at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St., Boston, MA for pancreatic cancer research, or to Yad Sarah, 450 Park Ave., Suite 3201, New York, NY 10022.