Recent Obituaries

Herbert Morris Sinakin, MD, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026. Dr Sinakin was born in Jersey City to the late Richard and Florence Sinakin. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1952 and received his medical degree in 1956 from SUNY Medical College, Brooklyn.

After completing his internship at Newark Beth Israel Hospital, in 1957. Dr Sinakin was resident in dermatology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center with affiliation at the Roosevelt Hospital in New York City 1957 to 1960. He was affiliated with the outpatient departments of dermatology at Christ Hospital in Jersey City and the Roosevelt Hospital in New York City.

In 1969, he married Dr. Inga Silberberg. In 1970, their son William Elias was born. He practiced dermatology in Jersey City until 1975 at which time he moved to Vineland, NJ and together with his wife Dr Inga Silberberg Sinakin he practiced dermatology until his retirement in 1997. Dr Sinakin was a lieutenant in the US Navy medical corps from 1957 to 1968.

He is survived by his wife, Inga Sinakin; his son, William E Sinakin; three nephews, Gary, Robert and Eliot. Along with his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Sylvia.

A Funeral service will be held Wednesday, May 13 at 2:00 pm from Rone Funeral Service, 1110 East Chestnut Avenue, Vineland. Interment will follow in Alliance Cemetery, Norma.

Ella Kremnitzer Kanner, of Palm Beach, Florida, the last of her family’s generation of Holocaust survivors, died peacefully at home on May 9, 2026. She was 95 years old.

Mrs. Kanner was born on November 7, 1930, in Zlochov, Poland, the daughter of Anshul and Anna Kremnitzer. Her father and his brothers were leaders of the local Jewish community. She was a young child when Germany invaded Poland and the Jews of her town were herded into a camp for deportation to the concentration camps. Her uncles were murdered immediately. Her father then set the camp on fire so that Ella, her mother, and her sisters, Berta and Dora, could escape. The family was hidden in the Polish countryside by the Vovkotrub family, Ukrainian neighbors later honored by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. As the front shifted, Ella’s father made the impossible decision to lead the family across Russian and German lines in hopes of being captured by the Americans. Ella spent the remainder of the war hiding in sewers, going days without food, water, or sunlight. When American soldiers finally took the family in, they feared the little girl would not survive. She did. From that moment on, she fought for life – and for joy.

She was sent to Föhrenwald, a displaced persons camp in Germany, where she met a young man from the Polish forests named Mayer Kanner. Family lore holds that he taught her to ride a bicycle there. They reunited in New York after both families emigrated to America – hers arriving by boat through New Orleans, then Omaha, before her father, speaking no English, decided to bring them east. Ella and Mayer were married on December 22, 1951, in Norma, New Jersey.

The young couple began their American life on a chicken farm in Dorothy, New Jersey, where Meyer also sold shoes at the local market to make ends meet. They later moved to Vineland, where Mayer and his brother Isaac founded Kanner Brothers Pillows. Ella raised their three children in Vineland, lit Shabbat candles every Friday night, hosted the family Passover seders and the Yom Kippur break-fast, and made her home the place where every cousin, aunt, and uncle was welcome.

Mrs. Kanner believed that after everything she had survived, her purpose was to be happy and to raise children who felt loved. She raised each of her three children to honor their distinct gifts, telling them to use their talents “for God and humanity.” In her later years she volunteered to teach students about the Holocaust, determined that what she had lived through would not be forgotten and would never be repeated.

She and Mayer eventually retired to Palm Beach, Florida, where her sense of humor about the long arc of her life never failed her. Asked once how she liked her new home, she answered, “We used to be greenies – now we are emeralds.” Asked during the Covid lockdown whether the isolation was difficult, she replied, “No. Compared to Hitler, Covid was a walk in the park.”

Ella was predeceased by her beloved husband, Mayer Kanner, in 2018; her parents, Anshul and Anna Kremnitzer; and her sisters, Berta and Dora. She is survived by her three children, Linda Kanner and her husband Richard Pine of Yardley, Pennsylvania, Steve Kanner and his wife Anne of West Palm Beach, Florida, and Allan Kanner of Telluride, Colorado; her seven grandchildren, Ally Levy Ulrich (and her husband Sam), Mia Levy Liebowitz (and her husband Gavi), Ben Levy, Ellen Kanner Loss (and her husband Dan), Andrea Kanner Ruby (and her husband Mike), Max Kanner, and Eli Kanner; her nine great-grandchildren, Ezra, Hila, and Leo Ulrich, Arianna and Joelle Liebowitz, Jacob and Aaron Loss, and Gabby and David Ruby; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Rone Funeral Service in Vineland, New Jersey, followed by burial at Alliance Cemetery. Shiva will be observed following the burial at 566 Heritage Oak Drive, Yardley, Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Ella’s memory may be made to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org).

May her memory be a blessing.

Donald E. Niles, Jr.—known to most as Sonny, to his friends as Sunshine, and to his beloved wife as Sunbun—lived a life that was anything but ordinary.

Born in the small town of Norma, New Jersey, on July 3, 1942, and passed away on April 7, 2026, after enduring years of complex medical challenges. Don packed more grit, heart, and personality into his years than most could manage in a century.

He is survived by his devoted wife of over 61 years, Jacqueline Niles (née Litwack), who somehow managed to both love him deeply and keep him (mostly) in line; his daughters, Kristine and Melissa Niles; and his cherished grandchildren, Dana Rosado, Gabrielle Niles and McKenna, Sean, and Bridget Vining, who knew him as a larger-than-life presence and a steady source of stories, laughter, and likely a few questionable life lessons. He is also survived by his sister, Janet White, along with many nieces and nephews who proudly and affectionately called him “Uncle Sonny.”

At just 20 years old, Don survived a devastating electrocution while serving in the United States Army—an event that would have ended most stories but, in true Sonny fashion, only became the beginning of a long, resilient, and stubbornly determined life. Though he carried serious injuries from that day forward, he also carried an unshakable spirit that refused to quit.

Over the years, Don “had his hands in a little bit of everything”—and not just figuratively. From running a pre-owned car business, to real estate, hauling gravel and asphalt, and even bartending, he approached every venture with hustle, humor, and a knack for making connections. Eventually recognized as a proud 100% service-connected disabled Army veteran, he wore that honor quietly but deeply.

He was a lifelong friend to many, the kind of man whose friendships spanned decades and whose presence could fill a room—sometimes with laughter, sometimes with strong opinions, often both. He was an active member of the American Legion, the Elks, the Moose, The Italian American Political Club (I.T.A.C.) and the Vineland Recreation Club, where he no doubt left a lasting impression (and probably a few legendary stories).

Sonny was a character in the truest sense—set in his ways, generous to a fault (often much to Jacque’s dismay), and never one to ask for anything in return. He loved his country, he loved his friends, but above all else, he loved his family. That love showed up in big ways, small gestures, and the occasional stubborn insistence that he knew best.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the Wilmington VA Outpatient Hospital wound care team and volunteers, who provided Don with decades of exceptional care, treating him with dignity, respect, and compassion until the very end.

In true Sonny fashion, he would not want a quiet goodbye but rather a gathering filled with stories, laughter, and maybe a little friendly debate. Please join us to celebrate his life and share your favorite memories with family and friends—because if there’s one thing Don E. Niles, Jr. made sure of, it’s that there are plenty of stories to tell.

Relatives and friends will be received on Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Pancoast Funeral Home, 676 S. Main Rd., Vineland, NJ, 08360. His graveside service will begin at 12:30 p.m. at Alliance Cemetery, Norma, NJ. To email condolences please visit www.pancoastfuneralhome.com.

The family suggests in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Don’s memory to Support DAV Today! – Donate Today – Disabled American Veterans (DAV).