Morris Price of Culver City Dies

Morris (Morrie) Price of Culver City, CA, passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 97, surrounded by family and friends, on September 13, after a long battle with dementia.

Morris was born on April 1, 1927, in Wolbrom, Poland. He was the youngest of six children. His life was brutally disrupted following the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. Morris was sent to a forced labor camp at the age of 12, later to Auschwitz, and finally to Dachau, where he was ultimately liberated by American soldiers. Morris narrowly escaped death at several times, due to his situational awareness and quick thinking. Both of his parents and a brother and sister were murdered by the Nazi regime.

After the war, Morris and his surviving brother and two sisters settled briefly in Munich, Germany before emigrating to the United States. He was drafted into the US army in 1950, and was sent to Germany with the American occupation forces until 1952. He settled in Culver City, CA in 1955. Morris worked as a jeweler. He met his wife Shirley Levine in 1960. They were married in 1961, and raised three children. He opened his own jewelry store in 1981, and retired in 1999.

For 14 years Morris served as a volunteer speaker at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, recounting the story of his life and experience during World War II to countless spectators. He also spoke at schools and social and law enforcement organizations, and he recorded his testimony for the Shoah Foundation.

Morris was a kind, intelligent, and generous man with a natural charisma, who truly cared for others. He was dedicated to his family and always strived to do his best for his wife and children. He was loved by many. Morris suffered the tragic loss of his son David to a prolonged illness in 2001. He was preceded in death by his parents Manela and Itka Prajs, brothers Machel and David, and sisters Sabina (Leon) Opperman, and Helen (Leon) Rubin. He is survived by his wife Shirley, son Michael (Michelle), daughter Debra, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial service will be held at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, at 12:00 noon on September 18. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Morris Price may be made to Temple Akiba of Culver City, or to the Museum of Tolerance, Simon Wiesenthal Center, The Shoah Foundation, United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, or any similar organization.

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