Abraham Gershman

DATELINE: EAST PROVIDENCE

Gershman, Abraham, 92, died Friday, February 17, 2017 at Linn Health Care Center in East Providence.  Son of Isadore and Jennie Gederman Gershman, he was born September 21,1924 and was a longtime resident of Providence.  Abe was a retail display designer for Filene’s in Boston as well as several local department stores and specialty shops in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for 47 years, until he retired in 1994.  He served in WWII in the US Navy serving overseas in Cuba and Stateside.  Abraham was a devoted member of Temple Emanu-El, where he took great delight in helping to arrange and cater various events, as well as assisting at the Temple museum. He was a member of Kulanu. He was honored for his active support of the Rhode Island AIDS Quilt Project. Dear brother of the late Harry, George, Paul, and Edward Gershman, Anna Gerson, Edith Matusow, and Ruth Kimel. Beloved brother-in-law of Ruth Davis Gershman of Warwick. Abraham also had many devoted nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews.  Funeral services will be held SUNDAY at 2:00 p.m. in SHALOM MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 1100 New London Ave., Cranston. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to The Museum Fund, c/o Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906. Shiva will be observed at Tamarisk, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick on Sunday from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. with a minyan at 5:30 p.m.

2 Comments

  1. Deborah Perry
    Feb 18, 2017

    I never met the man in person but spoke to him often on the phone. You see many years ago my Dad met Abe while walking our dog in India Point Park. My father, recently widowed, would sit by the water for hours, and that’s where he and Abe took up conversation, a conversation that lasted for a decade and a half.

    On a few occasions my Dad played cards with Abe and his friends, but mostly Abe would call my Dad EVERYDAY and check in on him.

    Eventually my Dad could no longer walk the dog and he stopped going to the park. But Abe kept calling none the less. Sometimes I would be at Dad’s house and would pick up the phone only to hear Abe say something like “Deborah, how’s your father Dudley, I’m worried about him. He had a cold the last time we spoke.” Abe always express concern for my fathers health and well being.

    Months ago the calls stopped coming. According to my father, Abe’s health was failing in recent years, he had moved to assisted living and then to a nursing home.

    This morning I saw Abe’s obituary in the Providence Journal and read about his life.

    What was not stated in the obituary was that Abe was a kind man who reached out to a stranger, my father, during one of the darkest moments in my Dad’s life. For that I am forever grateful to – Abraham Gershman, a man I never met.

    • Harvey Gershman
      Feb 20, 2017

      Deborah: Thank you so much for posting your memory of Uncle Abe…something none of us knew about. I read them at his funeral yesterday and shared with all.

      I think someone has said that a person can be best judged by what he does when no one is looking.

      God bless you and your father.

      Harvey Gershman, nephew of Uncle Abe.

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