Mr. Abraham Curzer

Abraham Curzer, 103, of Lubbock died on Thursday, February 8, 2018. A funeral service will be held at Congregation Shaareth Israel (6928 83rd Street, Lubbock, TX) at 1:30 pm on Sunday, February 11, 2018 with Rabbi Joshua Stanton officiating. Burial will be in the City of Lubbock Cemetery. The family will receive visitors at their home (1924 31st Street, Lubbock, TX) from 5:30-8:00 p.m., Sunday evening. Abe Curzer was born on August 15, 1914 in Kiev, Ukraine. After the Russian Revolution, he and his family fled the chaos of the Russian Civil War in 1922. His father died on the way out of Russia. The remaining family lived in the city of Danzig between Poland and Germany for 8 years. They escaped the Holocaust by immigrating to America in 1930, arriving in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression. Abe immediately found a job as a grocery store clerk. After working all day, Abe attended night school. Taking two courses at a time, Abe completed high school in 8 years and became a US citizen. In 1939 he began working his way through college, while continuing to provide support for the family. In 1940 Abe scraped together enough money to open his own grocery store. He married Ruth Tracht in 1946. Together, they continued supporting his mother and aunt. Their only child, Howard, was born in 1952. In 1954 Abe opened a variety store, a smaller predecessor to today’s department stores. Over time, Abe and Ruth bought a few small apartment buildings, performing the maintenance themselves. In 1975 they retired, sold the store and their real estate holdings, and moved to Sarasota, Florida. They moved to Lubbock in 1993. Abe was an intellectual. He spoke 6 languages, read widely, and loved well-crafted fiction. He was also a tinkerer. He enjoyed the challenges of fixing things and crafting new objects of utility and beauty from discarded objects and materials. He left a legacy of wisdom and kindness. He was a member of Congregation Shaareth Israel. Abe’s wife, Ruth, died in 1993. His brother, Michael, died in 2001. He is survived by his son Dr. Howard Curzer and daughter-in-law Dr. Anne Epstein of Lubbock, and his granddaughter Mirah Epstein Curzer and her husband Rabbi Joshua Stanton of New York City. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Jewish World Service (ajws.org).

Mr. Abraham Curzer

August 15, 1914 - February 8, 2018