Maxine Grossman, 100, of Overland Park, Kansas, died on Aug. 2 at her home at Village Shalom.
Funeral services were held on Aug. 6 at Congregation Beth Shalom, with burial following at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Village Shalom, the Gale and Maxine Grossman Religious School Endowment Fund at Beth Shalom, Children’s Mercy Hospital or another worthy charity of your choice.
Maxine was born on Oct. 23, 1925, and was a lifelong resident of the Kansas City area. She graduated from Central High School in 1942, where she was a member of the Minerva Literary Society.
In 1942, Maxine married Gale Grossman, and they remained married for more than 63 years until Gale’s death in November 2009. Although she started her working life as a stenographer, bookkeeper and legal secretary, she flourished working alongside her husband in the ownership and operation of Gale Grossman Jewelry on the Country Club Plaza. At a time when it was less common to see women in the workforce, Maxine was integrally involved with Gale in every aspect of the business, including sales. It was nearly impossible for customers not to respond positively to her considerable level of knowledge, impeccable taste and genuinely sweet, caring nature.
While essentially working a full schedule at the jewelry store, she still somehow managed to find time to successfully raise three children, serving along the way as PTA president of Santa Fe Trail Elementary School, a consistent Room Mother and a Cub Scout Den Mother and fundraiser. She did this all while providing assistance with homework assignments and rarely missing a child’s baseball game, football game, basketball game, swim meet, dance recital, cheerleading performance, school play or music concert. That practice later extended to her grandchildren.
Maxine was a lifelong member of Beth Shalom, where she at one time served as a board member, an officer and lifetime board member of its Sisterhood, and a founder and original co-chair of the congregation’s Chesed Committee. She was also a lifetime member of Hadassah and a member of the National Council of Jewish Women and Menorah Auxiliary. In her later years, she worked as a volunteer bedside reader and teacher at Children’s Mercy Hospital, a volunteer teacher’s aid at Leawood Elementary and a volunteer in the Beth Shalom Gift Shop.
Maxine was beautiful, kind and caring and was adored by her three children and their spouses: Patty and Harvey Grossman, Bette and Bob Grossman and Lynne and David Bock, all of whom reside in the Kansas City area. She is also the beloved “Mema” of grandchildren Andrew Grossman (Juliette Feld), Jon Grossman, Sarah Sherman (Jeremy), Brian Grossman (Caroline), Abbey Rosen (Rudy), Carrie Ingber (Jay), Hannah Lewis (Josh), Charlie Bock (Jenna) Janie Rolsky (Josh), Bob Zender (Adriane), Matthew Zender (Kristin) and Andrew Zender (Kelly), and she leaves 24 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband, Gale, she was preceded in death by her parents, Ida and Charlie Bass; her beloved brother, Marty Bass; her sister and brother in law, Sandra and Bernard Newberg; Gale’s parents, Anna and Louis Grossman; Gale’s sister- and brother-in-law, Charlene and Norman Meltzer, and daughter-in-law, Alice Grossman
The family wishes to thank Drs. Alexander Davis and Joshua Ezell for their dedication and individualized attention in providing superlative medical care and direction. They would also like to thank the outstanding staff at Village Shalom, where Maxine enjoyed three wonderful years making new friends, playing bridge and mahjongg and watching her Royals and Chiefs through good times and bad. Finally, the family would like to express its profound gratitude to Triple Oak Care and Ascend Hospice for the extraordinary care provided and compassion demonstrated by their staff members during Maxine’s final weeks.
Online condolences may be left for the family at louismemorialchapel.com.
