Harold Grossman

Hal Grossman, 84, died peacefully in his sleep on December 21, 2011, of heart and kidney failure. Hal was born on May 10, 1927 and raised in the New York City area, where his parents ran a luncheonette in the garment district. As a kid the World’s Fair captured his imagination. During his youth he spent several summers in upstate New York, where he worked at resorts in the Catskills and later as a farmhand due to the war-time mobilization of young men. He graduated from Newtown High School in Elmhurst, New York (1945) and then completed a degree in the graphic arts at the Cooper Union for Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan (1948). He later met Ena Black, from Leeds, England, whom he married in December 1954. The young couple moved to Denver, Colorado in 1956, and raised two sons, Aaron and Waren. They divorced in 1961. Hal later married Jeannette Muskat in 1962 and they raised a son, Michael. Years later (1992) they too divorced. During these years Hal’s working life revolved around the world of advertising and commercial graphics.

Hal pursued many passions in his life—through nature, photography, travel and Jewish social causes—oftentimes they overlapped. He enjoyed hiking the Rocky Mountains, exploring their old mining and ghost towns, and rafting along the rivers of the West. He was particularly enamored by the beauty and spirit of the ancient bristlecone pine trees. From an early age and throughout his adulthood, he traveled extensively—to Central America, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia and Europe--and came home with rich stories and splendid photographs of the places and people he encountered. He was interested in people from all walks of life, and fascinated by different cultures. His last adventure abroad was to Argentina (2007), where he experienced the wonders of Buenos Aires and Patagonia.

Closer to home, he was a founding member of Havurah ‘D’ in the Colorado Reconstructionist Federation, and for several years edited the CRF newsletter. In the 1980s he was active in the movement to rescue Ethiopian Jews and personally travelled to Ethiopia to meet them and donate clothes and other household items. For many years, he volunteered at the Museum of Natural History and the Mizel Museum, both in Denver. As a proud supporter of the preservation of Yiddish books, he was thrilled to visit the new campus of the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA.

In the last decade of his life he exhibited his photographs at local venues around Denver. A series of his pictures of VE Day (1945) in New York City were also published by the Rocky Mountain News. He gave animated talks about his visits to places like China, India and Ethiopia, in public libraries and in institutions serving seniors, during which he integrated personal stories, cultural knowledge and select photos. His interest in the spiritual side of Judaism eventually led him to participate in Jewish Renewal activities.

Hal’s memory will be cherished by his three sons, Aaron Benavot, Waren Grossman and Michael Grossman; their life partners, Ruhama, Ray and Maggie, respectively; his two granddaughters, Moriya and Helah Benavot; and many others who were touched by his abiding curiosity and enthusiasm for life.

A memorial gathering and service for Hal took place on Friday, December 23, 2011 through the generosity of Max and Jeannette Furer, 2873 South Uinta Street, Denver, (303) 337-3111. The family will also be sitting ‘shiva’ (a traditional mourning period) at the above residence on Monday and Tuesday afternoons at 3pm.

Intermountain Jewish News also published an obituary about my Harold Grossman, cut and paste this link to your browser: http://www.ijn.com/obits/125-obits/2886-hal-grossman