In Memory Of My Friend Maurice

The following eulogy was written by Lawrence Dressler and read on Sunday at the funeral of Maurice Gorowsky, a longtime friend of his and a World War II veteran who passed away this weekend at the age of 99. He was buried at the Beth Israel cemetery on Fitch Street between Whalley and Jewell.

Maurice Gorowsky was born on April 20, 1923 in Philadelphia to Russian Jewish immigrants Bella Liebman and Louis Gorowsky.

Maurice and his parents moved to Danbury where Louis worked as a hatter and Maurice attended the Danbury High School. The family then moved to New Haven where his mother’s family was from and they resided together in an apartment building behind the old Young Israel building until Bella and Louis passed away. 

The Gorowsky family were active members of Young Israel of New Haven, Beth Israel Synagogue, and the Mizrachi Women. Louis Gorowsky was the official ​“candy man” at Young Israel.

Maurice and his brother Sherwin were both veterans of World War II. Maurice, a private first class in the Army Air Force, fought in North Africa, the Battle of Monte Cassino, and in Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge. Maurice received considerable respect from other veterans when he mentioned he fought in Bastogne. 

After marching into Germany on Victory in Europe Day Maurice was put on a boat heading to the South Pacific when his boat was turned back after atomic bombs were dropped on Japan ending the War. Maurice received numerous military medals and commendations. When Maurice came home from Europe he worked for many years at Winchester Arms in New Haven, where he worked with chemicals and worked his way up to manager / supervisor. 

Just before Covid, Maurice was honored at the Orchard Street shul in a Jewish veteran’s ceremony and he talked about duty, honor and service to this country. He talked about how his regimen was bombed and his officers were killed in their jeep right in front of him. He said he commanded the entire regimen to turn back. He also talked about how he saved the life of an airman in battle. The airman, in gratitude, flew Maurice over Mount Vesuvius. He also told me a story about how the army rations were meager and they saw a cow wandering around the countryside in France. They killed the cow and had a BBQ. I asked him how he killed the cow, he looked at me incredulously and said they shot it.

I first met Maurice about 13 years ago when he was looking for an apartment. At the time he was totally independent. He was about 86 years old. He spent his days at the Senior Center at Atwater Street in Fair Haven or the VFW Posts in West Haven. My Rides picked him up every morning. He enjoyed bantering with the other veterans who went there and working on jigsaw puzzles at the senior center. 

He loved those puzzles. At times he would work on the puzzles for so many hours I had to tell him to stop and eat. If I didn’t stop him he would work on the puzzle all night. 

Over the years I did more and more things for him as he aged. He lived in one part of my house while another veteran Harvey Schwartz lived in the adjoining room. They frequently watched football games together. Maurice’s favorite team was the NY Jets. I even took him to my parents’ house where he watched the Giants games with my father, who recently passed away at 85. 

Maurice was a bit shy and introverted, but once you got to know him you realized he was full of life. I heard many war stories from Maurice. Despite the death and destruction that he witnessed in Europe he always remained upbeat and positive about life. 

I remember walking him to the Young Israel synagogue and it was very cold and I questioned him about not wearing a heavy jacket. He told me that the cold was nothing compared to Bastogne when he lived in a foxhole in the winter of 1944 without much more than a blanket and no fire as that would reveal his location to the enemy. 

I think of that story today as we stand here shivering at his gravesite. Maurice was a very strong man. I used to take him and my son Jake Dressler to the JCC and put him on the stationary bicycle. In public he referred to me as his son. I had him lift weights at the JCC. Just last week he was still giving rabbinical student Menachem Rosenstein the fist pump when Menachem came to put tefillin on him. 

Maurice had a smile that would light up a room. Maurice didn’t need to talk to let you know how he felt. He could be stubborn at times, but overall he was a warm, kind, respectful person who truly appreciated anything you did for him. He always said thank you for even the littlest thing that you did for him. 

On this past Friday night after I came home from synagogue I went to Maurice and saw that he was not well. He had not eaten much in the past couple of weeks. I tried to give him some water but he was too weak to suck on a straw. His hands were blue and he was breathing heavy. But he was awake and alert with his piercing blue eyes. I called the family down and told everyone that Maurice’s time had come. 

We recited the deathbed prayers, which ironically are the last prayers recited on Yom Kippur, the day of judgment. If anyone is going to skip Gehenna and go straight to Gan Eden it is Maurice. We showed him pictures of his parents. I told my wife to call the nurses. The nurses came over and suggested we give him a very small dose of Ativan. The nurses turned him on his back. I stood over him and said the shma. I watched him take his last breath. 

I will greatly miss Maurice. He was part of my family. There is an emptiness in the house since his passing. I want to thank the bochurim who came to inspire him and support him during his final days. I want to thank Lorraine Zimmerman for all the care she provided him as his nurse. Thank you all for coming.

Memorial contributions and donations can be sent to Yeshivas Bais Dovid Shlomo, PO Box 26005, West Haven CT 06516.