Editor’s Note: Following is a eulogy of Stanley Korn delivered by his son, Dr. Jeffrey Korn, on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at Greenwood Cemetery in San Diego.
By Jeffrey Korn
Our dad passed away Saturday afternoon, May 21st. It has been a blessing for me to know him and enjoy him for 67 years.
Dad was an only child, born to Esther and Moshe Korn, January 4, 1923. His parents divorced while dad was very young. He lived his early years in Warsaw, Poland. Dad’s mom owned a retail store selling purses and shoes and leather goods. She was successful and they had a good life in Poland. He was active, playing soccer as his favorite sport.
Life was good in Poland, but family in the United States kept warning my grandmother about the impending horrors of the approaching 3rd Reich. She took these warnings seriously, closed her business and came to America by ship in July 1938 with her sister, my favorite aunt Eva and my Dad. They did not come over in steerage like so many immigrants. They had a normal berth for their passage. He arrived for July 4th celebrations and was greeted by family. He moved in with my mom’s family. My two grandmothers conspired to give them time to be together so that love could flourish.
He joined a young Zionist movement and he remained a Zionist his entire life. He was a religious man, going to Shabbat services every week. He could not do this while he was young due to his work schedule but once retired, he enjoyed his time at the synagogue.
Mom and Dad dated until World War II when Dad was drafted into the Navy. He often led Shabbat services on his ship. When they looked for a volunteer to become a Radar Tech, Dad realized that would be better than scrubbing decks so he took the tests required and beat out other candidates. That gave him a much nicer environment, and safer place to work. .
Dad injured himself while in the Navy. He fell into the hold of his ship due to a mean practical joke. He broke his fall by grabbing a ladder. He said Mom was there as his angel and helped him reach that ladder. This led to a life with chronic hip pain and shoulder pain. Although he could have been discharged due to the injuries, he snuck back onto his ship using crutches and the help of 2 friends.
Dad and Mom enjoyed going to clubs in the 40’s waiting on lines that went around the block to see acts such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Martin and their contemporaries as well as dancing to the big bands such as Benny Goodman and Tony Dorsey. They enjoyed the theater, introducing me to Broadway, an appreciation I still have.
Mom and Dad married January 5, 1947 and were very happily married 65 years before Mom died, 4 years ago. Mom and Dad truly loved each other and taught us how to have a long and loving marriage. They continued to hold hands and kiss and show wonderful love for each other throughout those 65 years
They lived most of those years in the Bronx.
Dad worked as a tool and dye maker in my grandfather’s watch case company. He made watch cases for companies such as Bulova watches. But when Grandpa decided to close the business, Dad was out of work. There were some tough times for awhile. I remember him looking into buying a bowling alley and a liquor store. But he ended up working as a salesman for the rest of his career. He must have been getting desperate since he even he tried selling vacuum cleaners door to door. He was pretty good. He sold a machine to someone who had no carpeting. It was the only vacuum he sold and he quit right afterwards. Finally, he applied for a temporary job at Macy’s during their Christmas season and stayed for the rest of his career. He ended up selling shirts and ties to many famous actors. Dad was perfect for selling shirts and ties as he was always well dressed. Right up to the end he came to synagogue every Shabbat looking as dapper as can be with suit and tie and his cap.
When he started working full time, he realized his job would always be at risk since he had no seniority. He was smart enough to become the union shop steward since they never got laid off. It was a job nobody else wanted. He held that position until he retired. And he was a good shop steward, fighting for the rights of his department.
Dad took me to Yankees games when I was young, where we sat in the bleachers (bench seats with no backs), although his favorite game to watch or play has always been soccer. We did the normal Father/son stuff: he taught me to ride a bike, running alongside until I figured it out. We would go to the park to throw around a baseball. He helped me with homework and was instrumental in my learning and enjoying math.
Dad could fix anything…or at least try. We had an old, large Dumont TV. It ran on tubes and a rabbit ear antenna. When things went bad on that TV, he would start taking out tubes and resistors. He taught me how to solder and do these replacements myself. What he actually taught me was that I could fix anything if I tried.
And then he would also tinker with the car. He always changed his own oil and filters and would have me help him make minor repairs. One of his great joys was when he and I changed the brake pump. He was so proud of me that he never did stop talking about it, even recently.
Perhaps due to his old tool and dye days, he was a perfectionist when it came to fixing things. It had to be right or he would keep working at it. If he put up a shelf, you know you could place a marble on it and it would not roll. He taught me that, too.
But he never wanted to replace something that could be fixed. Just a couple years ago I came into his condo to see his vacuum up on a table so he could replace the rubber belt that had broken. Until the end we would bring jewelry or other items needing repair to him. He would take out his jeweler tools and his loop for his eye and get to work. He loved it.
I appreciated him a lot during his San Diego years. We included him in many of the things we did. He was a guest every Friday evening when he would have a Cosmo.
Dad was loved by all our friends. He was a welcome addition to our parties, and was often invited to our friends’ homes when we were invited. Randy Philips has visited Dad at his home without me, bringing a couple bottles of Scotch to taste. Anne and Dan Tomsky would pay him an occasional visit and David Ogul dropped by often. Dad was a welcomed extra member of our chavarah.
He flirted with all the women at the synagogue and they loved him. He flirted with the nurses at his doctors’ offices and at the hospitals he had to visit in recent years and they all loved him. He loved the attention. If he went to the bimah for a simple aliyah, he would shake everyone’s hand as he returned to his seat as if he was the Bar Mitzvah boy.
He loved life. He loved his friends and most of all he loved his family. His face would light up when any of us entered the room, even if he just saw us the day before. He had a special relationship with all of us, especially his daughters-in-law, his grandchildren and their spouses. His nephews and nieces were heart broken when I told them he passed away. To the end he was sending them cards on their anniversaries. Many of them kept in touch throughout all these years.
I received a lot of emails after friends and family leaned Dad had passed away. Here are some of the comments:
“Stanley is a charming man with a smile that lit up the room.”
“Stanley has such a bright spot in my heart. I will always treasure the time I got to spend with him.
“He had a twinkle in his eye.”
“He was a warm, kind, caring, loving human being.”
“A true gentleman.”
“Charming, caring , warm, funny, resilient and loving.”
“A special person.”
“Such a sweet man.”
“He was an amazing man.”
“Never thought of him as being 93 years old”
Dad, I love you and will miss you always. I wish I could sit with you once again, and just talk.
*
Comments and eulogies intended for publication in the space below should be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)