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Farewell Maurice Grossman

by on Jan. 23, 2010, under Arts, Life, Politics
Maurice Grossman

Maurice Grossman

A friend of many of us, Democratic activist Maurice Grossman, age 82, passed away on January 21 following heart valve surgery at TMC Hospital.

Maurice was a retired art professor from the U of A (1955 to 1989), who continued his ceramic art work at his studio at his home in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood. He was dedicated to many social causes, and very active in the Southern Arizona Stonewall Democrats (a GLBT group), Democrats of Greater Tucson, Wingspan, and Sam Hughes Cares for Seniors, a volunteer program providing mostly transit services to fellow neighbors.

Maurice was the Grand Marshall in last October’s Pride Parade in Tucson, and he was always a participant at Tucson’s Aidswalk, also held in October.

I knew Maurice as a friend, neighbor, and fellow activist, and I will miss him, as will many of us in Tucson. Farewell dear friend. He told me he would not live to see gay marriage pass in Arizona, and he was right. We have to carry on for him.

Jan. 25 update: KUAT Channel 6 is airing an art interview with Maurice by Sooyeon Lee tonight at 6:30 p.m. Or watch it online at: http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2010/1/25/kuat-remembering-a-pioneer/

The Celebration of Life of Dr. Maurice Grossman will be held on Sunday, February 7, 5:30 pm at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue, with stories, sharings, and farewells.

My photo gallery on Maurice, click here.

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  • Jim Secan

    Maurice was part of Tucson’s fabric and soul, and a sort of wild-man Jimminy Cricket whispering (or yelling) into our collective ear the things we needed to hear from our conscience.  We left Tucson recently, and a major part of our loss was our friends and acquaintances who we left behind.  I am saddened to hear of Maurice’s passing – Tucson is diminished by the loss.

  • Dale Lupu

    Maurice was an inspiration to me  on seeing and experiencing the joyous pleasures and richness of life, even in the midst of painful times. Over the years, many of his pots and works of his hands found their way into my family’s home. Often, it was because he came to dinner bearing a potluck contribution – in one of his dishes or casseroles. And when we would try to return the dish after dinner was done he would laugh and say “no, you keep it. It’s just mud.” Every time I cook something in one of his casseroles or serve something on one of his plates or put out a bunch of flowers in one of his vases,  that “just mud” gives me a little jolt of joy and love and laughter.
    A toast to mud, to joy, to Maurice.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Yes, Maurice was quite a guy and will be sorely missed here in Tucson. Thanks for your comments and tributes to him.

  • Tim Keene

    Carolyn,
    Thanks for your timely note about Maurice. Wonderful, wonderful person.  Such joy, spark and happiness.  From all appearances, a life well-lived.  I will miss him terribly.

  • erniemccray

    Sounds like someone I would like to have known. It’s sad that he didn’t get to see something he really wanted to see: gay people enjoying the right we heteros enjoy – marriage.
    We had it in California, ever so briefly, but We the People voted it out, making it one of the saddest situations I’ve ever seen developed and carried out.
    It continues to be a slow process but I think we’ll get there. I just hope I’m around to see it although I’ve seen progress in my life that I never dreamed of like the Office of LGBTQ Affairs at my alma mater. I had the honor of keynoting the first ever UA LGBTQ and Allied Graduation Celebration in May of 2008, and that really highlighted, for me, how far we’ve come as a society. But there are so many miles to go before gay people can sing: “Free at Last…”

  • Randy Peterson

    Maurice had many friends at KXCI Community Radio; we will miss his gentle nature and generosity. Thank you for this fitting rememberance.

  • Kurt Tallis

    Ordinary people do what they know how to do. Extraordinary people do what they do not know how to do.
    My friend Maurice was truly extraordinary.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Thanks for commenting all of you about our mutual friend Maurice.  He used to make me laugh with his humorous voice impersonations of Hawaiians, Germans, Japanese, etc.  He had quite a comedic personality as well.  His smiling face is now on the Southwest  Panel 1 of the Tucson Portrait Project under the 4th Avenue Underpass.  Go see it!  I had told Maurice about his tile portrait and I hope he saw it before he passed on.

    • erniemccray

      Can’t wait to drive through or, perhaps, walk through the underpass and check the portrait out when I’m in town in February. And I also can’t wait to see the art work on North Stone Avenue that you wrote about some time ago. Heck, I just plain can’t wait to visit my old hometown.

      • Carolyn Classen

        Ernie, As I said before Maurice’s tile portrait is on the SW Panel 1, about in the middle.  Read my next blog about that Tucson Portrait Project. It was Artistic Tucson who wrote about that colorful mural on E. Speedway & N. Stone.

        • erniemccray

          I’ll be reading.

  • http://www.circleoffood.com/blog Karyn Zoldan

    A few weeks ago I was just arriving at a friend’s house in the Sam Hughes neighborhood and Maurice was there collecting for Terry Goddard’s campaign. He was as lively as ever.

    I remember about 7 years ago, I went to a teapot lecture at TMA which was led by Grossman. He made the simple subject matter sing.

    He was indeed an original.

  • Emily (Crane) Kerrigan

    I was saddened to hear about Maurice’s passing.  I knew Maurice growing up in Tucson.  We lived around the corner on 8th street.  I was really good friends with his daughter Barbara who preceded him in death at age 22.  I always loved going over to the Grossman home.  Both Maurice and Marilyn (who also preceded him in death) were free spirits and knew how to live life to the fullest.  When John and I got married 26 years ago, Maurice gave us a large serving dish that I will cherish forever.  I came back to visit Maurice with a good friend Kiki Lee to discover that Maurice was openly gay.  He was so happy and I was happy for him.  He was still living at the house on Calle Glorieta-it was all so familiar and comforting.  I will miss him.   Regards and sympathies to Laurie and Steve.  Love, Emily

  • joyce smith

    thank you for this beautiful tribute to maurice. i am one of the very, very sad people here in tucson today. my best memory of all the nice ones is the time maurice & i went around the tucson peace fair around 5 years ago diving into trash & recycling bins looking for aluminum cans; they were donated to a no-kill kitty shelter. he was that caring. perhaps in his memory you’ll consider collecting empty cans for casa de lost gatos? http://www.casadelosgatos.org/ and please also consider working with tucson’s stonewall club to make it, and the az dem party, a more progressive, powerful and proactive force in this crazy place, to honor his memory? we know that strengthening the democratic system was very close to his loving heart. the winter sun is a bit paler today with our loss.

  • http://pointmantucson.yuku.com/ mike_brewer

    A man of integrity and grit. God speed Maurice.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Thanks for all your comments and good memories of Maurice.  He knew a lot of people due to his activism and bright spirit.  Here’s a tribute from Wingspan.

  • Nolan Wright

    Sad news. I grew up thinking of Maurice as my godfather and will always remember his warmth and playfulness. The world is a less interesting and vibrant place with his passing.  Thoughts and hugs to both of you Steve and Lauren if you are reading this.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Jan. 25 update: KUAT Channel 6 is airing an art interview with Maurice by Sooyeon Lee tonight at 6:30 p.m. Or watch it online at: http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2010/1/25/kuat-remembering-a-pioneer/

  • Tim Troy

    I knew Maurice only slightly but was always captivated by him.  I only wish I could have known him better.  I am inspired by who he was as an artist and a human being.

  • Dorothy Reich

    Even though I no longer live in Tucson, Maurice was my oldest and dearest friend.  Our children grew up together until we left the community.  He had an optimistic be-happy attitude toward life.  He was the type who, if life handed him a bunch of lemons would find a way to turn them into lemonade.  He was always there for anyone who needed him.  He was a wonderful father, husband, teacher, mentor and certainly a caring human being.  He will be sorely missed by the whole community.

  • Carolyn Classen

    At Himmel Park library today I ran into one of Maurice’s friends MJ, and we both couldn’t believe he is gone.  Then I watched the KUAT show online (listed above) and listened to Maurice talk about how he survived the death of his wife and daughter in the same year.  And on the video he says how he tried to turn that double loss around to make something beautiful in his pottery.  Thank you to all of you who have written in about Maurice, he was such a special guy.  We were all blessed for having known him.  And I will miss not seeing him at the art receptions and political events in town.

  • Martha Angel

    Sadness in Austin TX; sadness in Carbondale, Ill; and tomorrow when I tell my daughter, there’ll be sadness in Nashville, TN. I knew Maurice as a Wright family in-law (see N. Wright entry). My kids and I gained such joy and delight in knowing Maurice. Am stunned and numb now, but plan to let his joie d’ vive shine thro’ me.

  • Jeff Corbett

    My wife and I visited Maurice over Christmas.  I am a ceramics collector, my wife is (among many interests) a chinese medical doctor.  Though our first meeting, Maurice spent several hours with us – telling us stories, showing us treasures and making us feel as though we had been friends for years.  The last thing I said to him was “I’ll be back!” 

    If it’s possible to feel that close after a few hours, I can only guess at the grief of those who knew him well and loved him.

  • Kat Williams

    Maurice was my professor and my friend.  He inspired all of us to be better, laugh and love deeper. The years spent with him, in the alcove at the Ceramics (church of mud) building were priceless-his voice and words of encouragement will always be present in our hearts.  We LOVE you and will always carry you with us.

  • Carolyn Classen

    The Celebration of Life of  Dr. Maurice Grossman will be held on Sunday, February 7, 5:30 pm at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue, with stories, sharings, and farewells. The touching, heartfelt comments about Maurice have been amazing.  He was so beloved and I know that we who knew him miss him very much.
     

  • Dave Hampton

    I can’t believe it! I saw Maurice back in July and had no idea anything was wrong. He had just given me some valuable feedback for a booklet I just finished about the early Arizona Designer Craftsmen – a group he and Berta Wright helped found in 1959 – now he won’t see the finished product… I am so bummed. He was one of my favorite people of all time!! Love you Maurice!

  • Ruth (Langus) Hurguy

    Barbara and I were friends in high school. Maurice loved us kids – our whole group. Barbara got Maurice to take me in for a few months. Thanks Laurie and Steve for putting up with that.So many great memories. When I was 21 my mom died of cancer – Barbara one year later. Ten years later Maurice attended my wedding which meant so much. Thank you Maurice for being so kind, generous and joyful.

  • Casonti Wright – McClure

    Maurice was always open available and giving . My brothers Nolan and David and I grew up playing in Maurice’s clay studio with his children Barbara, Steve and Lauren. I always enjoyed “playing ” there. Maurice was such a large persona and part of my extended family for my entire life. I will always remember and cherish Maurice’s easy kind nature, plentiful smiles and warm embrace

  • jim ciletti

    Dear Maurice, Cleveland man, sailor man, clay man and gay man, most of all, warrior man.  Warrior because you were brave enough to be your true self, and you fought for others to have the same strength and freedom.  Maurice, warrior for human rights, warrior for the arts, beautiful warrior for love. We will miss you, yet always carry you in loving in our hearts.  Jim and Mary Ciletti.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Thanks Jim & Mary and others for your wonderful comments about Maurice. There will be lots more at today’s memorial service at TMA at 5:30 p.m. We missed Maurice last night at the art galleries on N. 6th Avenue and E. 6th Street — he was usually there to chat with us.

  • Richard Holden

    I’ll always remember Maurice staggering into 8AM aerobics class at Mid Valley Athletic Club, late as usual. Also carrying a sign to “Vote” at various events such as Tucson Meet Yourself. I admire his standing up for gay rights at every opportunity. He was a vert colorful character and a friend of everyone. He will be missed and we need more people like him in our community.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Richard — that’s right, Maurice was a member there.  Today’s memorial service should be full of stories of his voter registration passion, and how much of an activist he was for gay rights.  He was indeed colorful as witnessed by the photos sent to my online photo gallery (link is above in the text).
       
       

  • Carolyn Classen

    Wow, what a huge farewell service tonight for Maurice!  Seemed like 1000 people were there at Tucson Museum of Art, with speakers: Robert & Marcy Wrenn, Robert Knight (of TMA), Andrew Rush, David Keyes, Nina Trasoff (former Councilmember), John Burr, and Maurice’s children Stephen and Lauren Grossman.   Particularly funny was the opening statement about chosing to watch a Saint (New Orleans football playing in the Super Bowl) or to attend a memorial service for one.  Farewell Maurice, so many people miss you already. And that was a fabulous party afterwards inside the Museum’s lobby. And I forgot to mention that State House Rep. Matt Heinz and State Senator Paula Aboud presented a framed House Concurrent Resolution in honor of Maurice, passed by both houses. What a tribute.

  • cHARLEY

    Sitting here gazing lovingly at an amber statue of Quan~Yin,thanking her & Amida for the wonderful “spiritual inheritance” Maurice has left us…
    “Namu Amida Butsu,” Hap!
    the sadness of our separation is balanced by the happiness you so selflessly shared!

    • Carolyn Classen

      Yes, Maurice was a spiritual soul & practicing Buddhist (but a different sect than me). Thanks for your comments Charley.

  • Bruecker-Johnson

    With the passing of Maurice, Tucson has lost a great Treasure.  What a wonderful soul Maurice was.  His talents where so multi faceted. His charm and witt such a treat to be exposed to. His art so creative, his passion for the REAL IMPORTANT things in life so endless. Once in a lifetime if you are fortunate you might meet someone like Maurice. I thank the universe for being privy to have crossed paths with this great soul. As the saying goes.” Those we have loved and lost somewhere we will meet again “.  I look forward to that day.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Thanks for your heartfelt comments about Maurice.  I will ask for a moment of silence at our neighborhood board meeting tonight for Maurice, as he was one of the active volunteers (not recipient)  in our elderly transport program.  So many people have written in about Maurice, expressing their sympathy about his sudden passing.

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