Obituaries

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The Kowalskys' Legacy:
Family, Travel, Judaism

The Shapiros Shared
Enthusiasm For Life

Mr. Kowalsky, 74, fled from
opera and= doting on their family,
DAVID SACHS
Lithuania in 1936 with his mother
especially their patents, Joseph and
Editorial Assistant
to live with family members in
Blanche Shapiro and Frances
Detroit, leaving his father and
arry and Edith Kowalsky
Bonner, who are all in their 90s.
oan and Norman Shapiro,
youngest sister behind. They died in
loved the sense of adven-
They visited their parents nearly
married 43 years, shared
the Holocaust. As an 11-year-old
ture they
every day, often
every-
boy, he
got from
driving them to
thing
adjusted to
traveling to far-
the lake, Belle
with each
life in a new
away places. After
Isle or to show
other: their
country.
Mr. Kowalsky
them the old
love of life,
After grad-
retired 12 years
neighborhood.
their closely
uating from
ago as a pharma-
The Shapiros,
knit family and
Cass
cist and drugstore
of Bloomfield
their longtime
Technical
owner, he was free
Township, did
friends.
High School
to explore the
have their differ-
And ulti-
in Detroit, he
world with his
ences. Joan, 64,
mately, they
was drafted
wife, and to shoot
was a published
shared their
into the navy
countless rolls of
romance novelist,
fate.
during World
film to show their
whose characters
"They were
War II and
adventures to the
ultimately found
a 'we' and not
sent to
rest of the family.
happiness and
an 'I,'" said
Hawaii. He
One could only
true love.
Joan's sister,
returned to
imagine what
Norman was a
Ruth Lax.
Detroit after
kind of pho-
longtime Detroit
"They were
the war and
tographs he
Lions football fan
a real team,"
would have
— for the most
Joan and Norman Shapiro
Larry and Edith Kowalsky at Tiger Stadium. graduated as a said Rabbi
pharmacist
brought home
part, a sufferer of
Aaron
from Wayne
from Kenya.
heartbreak.
Bergman, who
University.
They took joy in traveling, and
At age 70, Norman Shapiro was
officiated, along with Cantor Ben-
He met Edith Stein at a wedding,
my father wanted to make sure that
still working one day a week.
Zion Lanxner, at a memorial service
then married her in 1951. Soon
his children and grandchildren could
He once owned Kenwood Drugs
Nov. 3 at Ira Kaufman Chapel.
after, he opened Allen Park Drug.
share in their adventures," said Dr.
in Detroit and was a partner with
"They were very giving and very
Edith Kowalsky, 68, a native
Steven Kowalsky, the eldest of four
fellow pharmacists and brothers
warm," he said. "They both had a
Detroiter, attended Central High
sons. They would go to a new place
Sheldon and Seymour Bross in
tremendous enthusiasm for life and
School and studied education at
to see the sights, but also to interact
Heyden Drugs and Lindsay Drugs,
learning and growing. At a time
Wayne University, but took on a role
with people from different cultures.
also along Seven Mile Road in
when most people were thinking
as homemaker.
"They would sit down and talk
northwest Detroit. More recently,
about slowing down, they were still
with anybody."
they owned Devon Drugs on
looking at new things to do."
KOWALSKY on page 151
Still reeling from the shock of the
Telegraph and Long Lake roads in
They enjoyed travel, theater,
EgyptAir Flight
Bloomfield
990 crash and the
Township.
sudden loss of
"We were part-
their parents,
ners and friends for
memorial service because there are
Although the plane's so-called
memories poured
It would have been the first trip to
over 51 years," said
no caskets, but otherwise it is
"black boxes," which may hold vital
out as Steven and
Africa for four longtime friends.
Sheldon Bross of
much like a funeral. They are
clues to the cause of the crash, have
his three brothers
Larry and Edith Kowalsky and
Bloomfield Hills.
going to have a full seven-day
been pinpointed, bad weather and
gathered to
Norman and Joan Shapito were
"We were more like
shiva now."
difficult diving conditions have
remember their
looking forward to spending time
brothers."
Rabbi Bergman said it was his
forced a delay in recovery until
parents' love of
together in an exotic place. The hus-
Devon Drugs
understanding that if remains are
Saturday, officials said.
travel and for
bands, both retired pharmacists, met
was sold to Arbor
recovered, they would be buried at a
Both couples were memorial-
their close-knit
at a pharmacy association meeting
Drugs in 1992, but
ceremony where the memorial
ized at separate services earlier this
family.
and developed a nearly 50-year
Mr. Shapiro contin-
prayer and Kaddish would be said,
week. Burial arrangements are
It was my
friendship.
ued to work there.
followed by one day of shiva.
pending as recovery teams search
dad's humble
En route to Kenya for a photo-
"They loved hav-
"You don't want to put the family
for passenger remains.
beginnings that
graphic safari, all four were passengers
ing him," said Mr.
through a second funeral," he said.
Rabbi Aaron Bergman, who
led to his love for
on EgyptAir Flight 990, which
Shapiro's brother,
"You want to do it quickly."
officiated at a memorial service for
travel," said
crashed off Nantucket Sound in the
dentist Bernie
the Shapiros at Ira Kaufman
Steven, a West
Shapiro. "He loved
Atlantic Ocean the morning of Oct.
— Harry Kirsbaum and David Sachs
Chapel, said Tuesday, "It's called a
Bloomfield resi-
31, killing all 217 passengers and crew.
SHAPIRO on page 151
dent.

HARRY KIRS BAUM
Staff Writer

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UT

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Local Couples Among Crash Victims

11/5
1999

Detroit Jewish News

149