Norman Aaron Horowitz

Norman Aaron Horowitz (Hebrew: Naftali Aharon HaLevy) died July 11, 2024 in Miami. Father to Jeanne, Nanuet, NY; Shel (Dina Friedman) Hadley, MA; and Helen (Joe Clayman) Jerusalem, Israel; grandfather to Alana, Naomi, Rafael, Miriam, Heidi, and Pearl; and great-grandfather of four (one of whom was just born on 5 Tammuz, the day he died, according to the Hebrew calendar), he is also survived by his youngest brother Shalom (Zelda), of Hebron, Israel.

Born December 23, 1930 in the Bronx, NY and raised in a religious Jewish Home, second of four brothers, Norman married at 20 and became a father at 22. He struggled financially in his early adult life, despite his many career paths and small-scale entrepreneurial ventures. He had a full-time job teaching biology at Christopher Columbus High School in The Bronx as well as a part-time chiropractic practice, a reservation booking service, and several short-term side ventures such as selling World Book encyclopedias door-to-door and being the sole staffer of a Bar Mitzvah tutorial service called the Hebrew Home Institute. But it was his investing—a passion he maintained until his nineties—that finally landed him on his feet financially.

He divorced after 16 years of marriage, left the Orthodox world, embraced his life as a happy single man, and even wrote a book (unpublished) on liberated single relationships. He became involved in organizing singles’ and dance weekends in the Catskills, where he booked attenders, led discussion sessions, and learned ballroom dancing, which became his passion.

Norman spent almost every Sunday with Helen and Shel until they left for college. Frugal to the very end, he was an expert in having fun for little or no money, bringing them to an endless string of classical and folk (and once in a while, jazz) concerts, theater, museums, and uncategorizable experiences ranging from a hippie "bread happening" at NYU (even though he was not at all a hippie) to a massive celebration with more than 100,000 people in Central Park.

Norman also keenly followed national politics, the stock market, and sports, all of which he was happy to debate and discuss. He was a critical thinker who respected all opinions and liked to probe the nuances of an issue–and he was remarkably non-defensive and open to challenge.

Once he discovered ballroom dancing, he would immerse himself practicing steps and notating routines for hours every day. For several decades, he went dancing almost every evening, dancing for six hours. He often gave the introductory lesson and served as a host, making sure that all attendees would have a dance partner. For additional recreation, he played tennis and swam.

Though he’d lived in Miami Beach for decades after retiring from his teaching career and chiropractic practice in the Bronx, Norman maintained a summer bungalow in the Catskills, driving solo between Florida and New York twice a year, stopping to visit his many friends along the way. He was 88 the last time he made that 1200-mile trek. Although Norman retired as a chiropractor decades ago, he brought those skills to family and friends wherever he went even into his 90s, freely offering adjustments and successfully relieving their aches and pains.

Norman remained fiercely independent despite his increasing struggles with dementia. While Helen, Joe, Shel, and Dina worked collaboratively to manage Norman’s care, his neighbors and close friends, David Harwell and Jorge Jerez became a key part of his care team, as did his aide Vera Pereira. Their care and attention allowed Norman to remain living in his own apartment for many extra years, until moving to a memory care unit just a few weeks after his 93rd birthday. Tragically, he fell and broke his hip, which accelerated his mental and physical decline.

Norman was devoted and generous to his family and always thrilled when any family member came to visit. He kept in regular phone contact with his brother Shalom in Israel. Norman and his brother Yosi (who predeceased him) developed an especially close relationship for most of their adult lives and enjoyed living only two hours’ drive apart for many years.

Donations in Norman’s name can be made to the Alleviating Hunger in Our Community program of Jewish Community Services South Florida (which also runs the senior center across the street from his apartment where he went daily for lunch).