Morris Goldstein

November 26, 1908 - Aug 5, 2012

Centenarian Morris Goldstein was the son of Russian born parents Benjamin

and Leah, who migrated from a village near Kiev to Ontario, Canada shortly

after the turn of the 20th century. Morris came from a large family

consisting of 4 brothers -Maxwell, the late Wilfred, Samuel, and Isaac, and

2 sisters -Goldie, and the late Jean.

Morris was born in Acton, Ontario. The family moved to Hamilton, Ontario,

where Morris spent his formative years. As a young boy, coming from very

humble roots, Morris knew early on that he would have to do well in school

in order to secure a good future for himself. He would also have to work

hard at odd jobs after school in order to move toward the high goals he

established for his future. After finishing high school, Morris secured

full-time employment alongside his brother-in-law Fred Lapofsky at the local

Creamery, where workers participated in the production of dairy products

which were later hand-delivered to customers by horse drawn wagons. Morris’

efforts at the Creamery paid for his college and later, his attendance at

the University of Toronto, where he obtained his medical degree.

In 1933, Morris migrated to Chicago, Illinois, where he started his medical

career at Lakeview Hospital, and later joined the staff at Illinois Masonic

Medical Center. He had a multi-generational family practice -grandparents,

parents, children, and grandchildren alike continued on with him as their

family physician.

Morris practiced medicine for 66 years, from 1933 through 1999, and spanned

the areas of surgery, obstetrics and general practice. Near the time of his

retirement, he was recognized and honored as the oldest living resident

physician at Illinois Masonic. Medicine was Morris’ calling and his

greatness. He dedicated his whole life to caring for his patients. He was

the first General Practitioner elected as President of the Staff at Illinois

Masonic Medical Center, and was re-elected a second time. He was very active

in the Chicago Medical Society and was featured in JAMA.

Morris met has wife, Helen Miller Snyder, at Lakeview Hospital in Chicago,

where she worked as an RN. Together, they had four children -Diane Goldstein

Jean Ashley, and fraternal twins, Elizabeth Kay Craig and Thomas W.

Goldstein. Morris and Helen also had two granddaughters -Joy Ellen McManus

and Cassandra Diane Wicker, and one Great Grandson -Glyndon Lee McManus.

In 1938, Morris and Helen built one of the first homes in the community of

Wildwood on the far, Northwest side of Chicago. They lived in that

neighborhood for 61 years. In 1999, several years after the passing of his

wife, Helen, Morris moved to his daughter Jean's home and stayed with her

until July 2011. Due to declining health, he then moved to Wauconda

Healthcare & Rehabilitation Centre. He was also under the care of Advocate

Hospice.

Morris was always well known for his trademark, colorful bow ties –all of

which he masterfully hand tied himself -no clip-ons for him! He was also

known for his fashionable hats -Bowlers, which were in fashion when he moved

to the US from Canada, quickly gave way to Chicago style Fedora’s and later,

Trilby’s which he donned daily throughout the entirety of his life. On

seasonal weekends and in later years, Morris chose from a seemingly endless

collection of Baseball Caps and the occasional Panama hat. It was rare to

see him without a hat of some kind!

Morris always loved music. He loved to sing, could play piano by ear and

also played a mean harmonica. He also enjoyed telling historically annotated

stories about his youth as well as a variety of sometimes poignant and

occasionally comical accounts of his early years in practice as a physician

serving a broad community of citizens from all walks of life. One of Morris’

favorite sayings was that it takes all kinds of people to make the world go

round –that each of us is significant in our own way. One of the nuggets of

advice he had been known to give was to turn away from a thirst for revenge

–that holding on to anger served no purpose, as eventually, time would have

a way of working things out, bringing back peace, balance, and understanding

Morris's children would like to thank all of the Staff members at Wauconda, his Advocate Hospice team members, volunteers and friends for all the kindness and loving care they showed our Father.