Herman Grunstein's Obituary
GRUNSTEIN, Herman 1922 - 2016 Our darling Herman passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at Peppi's House Hospice, in Tucson, AZ, at the age of 93, following a long and challenging struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He fought bravely to the end. Herman Grunstein was born to Yetta and Isadore Grunstein, on October 22, 1922 in Paterson, New Jersey. One of seven children, he is survived by two sisters, Evelyn Cherkasky (New Jersey) and Dorie Orbach (New Jersey), his loving wife of 61 years, Claire, and their two sons, Gary and Robert. Herman served honorably in the Air Force during World War II in the medical Corp from 1942-1945, and frequently reminisced about dancing at the cantinas' with the movie stars, which included a dance with Maureen O'Hara! Following the war, Herman opened a fabric store in Paterson, NJ with his father, Isadore Gunstein. Paterson, at the time, was the silk capital of the U.S. with numerous fabric mills located in that area. Herman frequently joked about how he had silk "in this blood". Shortly after establishing his fabric business, Herman met the love of his life, Claire Weiss, and married September 19, 1954. They were constant companions ever since-true life partners in every sense, working side by side in the fabric business, at stores located in Pompton Lakes and Bloomindale, NJ, then, moving to Tucson, AZ in 1978 to retire. Their retirement, however, didn't' last long. They missed the fabric business and opened the iconic "Fabric's That Go", landmark fabric store in Tucson. Claire and Herman worked tirelessly together, with their son, Robert to make this local business a huge success and a favorite destination for all things creative and design related, which included listening to Herman's numerous quick-witted jokes, and musings. Herman was the main event when you entered the store. He had a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and was always smiling. He was the original stand up comedian…trying out new jokes on his customers while they browsed fabric samples. Not surprising, Herman was also an artist for most of his life, drawing comical characters with witty captions and sharing them with family and friends. Herman will be lovingly remembered for his kindness to everyone he met, especially children. His humor, discerning eye, his passion for life, and his life long love for Claire and their sons. Words cannot convey how special and how loved Herman was in his community and among his family members. We will miss you, sweet Herman. We will never be the same without your presence. If we are very good and very lucky, one day we may have the pleasure of another one of your jokes. Services will be held Friday, April 1, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at EVERGREEN MORTUARY in the Chapel.
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