HOROWITZ, Ralph
Ralph Horowitz, 80, of Wethersfield, loving husband of Maureen (Armillei) Horowitz for 34 years, passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 with his wife and daughter Hannah by his side. Ralph was born in Ellenville, NY on January 9, 1941, the son of the late Irving and Tillie (Revzen) Horowitz. He grew up in Niagara Falls, NY and graduated from Niagara Falls High School, Class of 1958. Ralph was a proud veteran of the United States Navy, enlisting in 1958 and serving on Fletcher class destroyers (USS Cony, USS Lawrence and USS Tidewater) during the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis. As a Tin Can Sailor, Ralph loved to regale all with his stories aboard ship and his role maintaining the gyrocompass and showing reel-toreel movies to his shipmates as an Interior Communications Electrician.
The Navy prepared Ralph for a lifelong career in the security and lighting controls industry, beginning as an alarm installer for ADT to Northeast Regional Manager for Hubbell Building Automation, from where he retired in 2010 after 20 years.
Ralph was very proud of his Russian-Jewish heritage and being a first generation American, and was an active member of the Temple Beth Torah congregation in Wethersfield. Ralph was also a proud Master Mason, belonging to the East Fork Masonic Lodge 650, Wylie, TX where he received his degrees.
Ralph enjoyed the many vacations we took throughout the years, especially to Goose Rocks Beach, Maine, Texas and Kansas City and our travels after retirement to Italy, Romania, Amsterdam, Hawaii and Seattle. His work took him all over the United States, including Georgia and the Southeast, Florida, and St. Croix, but he was a Texan at heart. Also known as the Kosher Cowboy, country music was in his soul. Cowboy boots were standard footwear, many that came with stories. Ralph made lasting friendships throughout his life. He was a dear and faithful friend to many. When speaking with Ralph you knew he was truly interested in you and what you had to say at that moment. He made a lasting impression on everyone he met, even if only once. Ralph was a legend amongst friends of his daughter Hannah and the Harvard University Band. Together with his family, Ralph became an avid reader, often with a kitty on his lap, and kept track of the many books he read each year. Ralph's love of golf began as a caddy at the age of 14 and continued through his retirement as a member of the Wethersfield Senior Golf League. Ralph will be deeply missed by his loving wife, Maureen; his son Glen Horowitz (Jennifer) of Whitesboro, TX; daughters Sheri Bell (Brian) of Kansas City, MO and Hannah Horowitz (Cristian Proistosescu) of Urbana, IL; his six grandchildren who were the lights of his life, all of whom he was so very proud: Jacob, Natalie and Madeline Bell, Preston and Landen Horowitz and most recently, Diana Maria Proistosescu whom he met for the first time before his passing. He leaves behind his brother Sidney Horowitz of Niagara Falls, brother-in-law Wayne Armillei (Lucy) of West Hartford, sister-in-law Karen Armillei of Wethersfield, nephews Tyler Armillei, Christian and Ryan Prado and niece Maria Armillei.
Ralph's family would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Nirvana Sankaranarayan for his 15 years of care and friendship and to Diane Rosborough, RN with Davita for her care and compassion this past year.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m. in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Rabbi Seth Riemer of Temple Beth Torah officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 13 for a “walk through” visitation at the D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607, the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, 2222 Welburn Street, Dallas, TX 75219, or the U.S. Holocaust Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenburg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.