Wally Lazarus April 25, 1930 - January 28, 2022

Miami, Florida - Wally Lazarus, son of the late Daniel and Sally Lazarus, passed away on January 28, 2022. He was born in Bklyn, NY, April 25, 1930 to deaf parents. He also lived with and assisted his grandmother, whose sons were off in Europe fighting Nazis. His parents communicated with him in sign language and his grandmother spoke Yiddish. He said it was a miracle that he learned to speak English. He attended Stuyvesant H.S., a prestigious science H.S.and obtained a B.A. in Business Administration from L.I.U. He lived near Ebbets Field, the home of the Bklyn Dodgers. He and his dad, huge fans, attended games, telling tales of those days and the iconic players. He joined the US Naval Reserve at 17 and was called to active duty when the Korean War began. He was proud of his service and often donated to veteran’s causes. In 1956 he met Pearl, the love of his life. It was meant to be. He drove with a friend from Bklyn to upstate NY to a Pete Seeger concert. When their car broke down and could not be repaired until the next day, they decided to stay the night at a hotel. Wally went to the hotel bar and saw Pearl, walking in from horseback riding. With her beautiful red hair and riding gear, it was love at first sight. They wed 5 months later and moved to Westchester, Miami. They were married for 63 years, before Pearl passed away. When she became disabled in her last few years he would lift and carry her from bed to her wheelchair and to the car though he was a man in his 80s. He read the newspaper to her each day and talked to her not knowing whether she could hear or understand him. He loved her so much. He spent most of his life in real estate. He and Pearl were among the founders of Temple Or Olam. He was involved in the Miami-Dade County Chamber of Commerce and devoted his time by helping the homeless and supporting Camillus House. One of his other cherished causes resulted from an incident when he was in the Navy and credited a Native American Naval Officer with saving his life. He never forgot it and throughout his life contributed to Native American causes. He did much in an unassuming way. He liked virtually everybody he met, chatting up strangers making them laugh at his corny jokes. He boxed up fruit from his mango tree every year and sent them to family and friends all over the country. His keys to a successful life were being a decent person, helping others, taking a sincere interest in the welfare of his fellow human beings and being happy and joyful. He and Pearl had a full and wonderful life together travelling the world and enjoying the arts. They were huge Frank Sinatra fans and his music often played in the house. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends. Wally was survived by his children David M. Lazarus (Randi), Carol Freundlich (Freddie), grandchildren, Ilana Olman (Doug) and Sarah Rachel Lazarus and great-granddaughter Stella Rose Olman. A funeral was held at Mt. Nebo cemetery. In his memory, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.