Carl was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland) in 1917, the youngest of six children of Philip and Johanna Schlesinger. While in high school, Carl was a talented athlete and participated in gymnastics and soccer organizations. In 1938, Carl fled Germany to Belgium to escape Nazi persecution, but was arrested in Belgium and spent more than six years in various prisoner, labor, and concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Warsaw; Carl’s determination, resourcefulness, and athletic background enabled him to survive against all odds, until he was liberated by the US Army in 1945.
After the war, Carl met his late wife Eva in the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp. They married in Belgium in 1948, and came to the United States in 1950, with little more than the clothes on their backs. In the US, Carl and Eva eventually settled in West Roxbury, MA, where they raised two sons, David and Daniel. Carl worked as a cloth cutter in clothing factories, in addition to helping Eva, who worked at home as a dressmaker. Carl and Eva were very active members of Temple Emeth in Chestnut Hill, MA. In 1995, Carl and Eva started spending the winter season in Hallandale Beach, FL. Carl was devoted to his wife and children, and he became Eva’s caretaker as her physical abilities deteriorated due to orthopedic issues. Carl lost Eva in 2008, shortly after their 60th wedding anniversary.
Carl continued to split his time between West Roxbury and Hallandale Beach until 2016, when he became a full-time Florida resident. Despite his age, which was hard to believe due to his much younger appearance and his incredible memory, Carl continued to live independently, with some help from visiting aides and his son David and daughter-in-law Janet, who also live in south Florida. Everyone loved spending time with Carl because of his charm, sense of humor, and positive attitude, and he was very generous to those who needed help.
Carl will be greatly missed by his sons David and Daniel and their wives Janet and Brendalee, his grandsons Scott, Eric, Aaron, and Adam, his great-grandson Max, his nieces Judith and Edna, and the many other family members, friends and neighbors whose lives Carl touched over the years.
The funeral service will be held at Temple Emeth, 194 Grove Street, Chestnut Hill on Monday, October 15, at 2PM. Interment will follow in Temple Emeth Memorial Park, 776 Baker Street in West Roxbury. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Holocaust Fund, c/o Temple Emeth, 194 Grove Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
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