Obituary of Maria Kaslow

Maria Wizmur Kaslow passed away on January 9, 2019 at the age of 94. She was a Holocaust survivor.

Born and raised in Stanislovov, Poland where she spent a happy childhood, she lost her entire immediate family to the Holocaust.  Left totally alone at an early age, through an incredible series of “miracles”, her own personal strength, courage, resources and beauty, Maria was able to survive.

After the loss of her family and escaping from her home in Stanislavov, Maria was befriended by a Ukranian officer who provided her with Christian papers which allowed her to hide her Jewish identity, find employment, and ultimately make her way to Budapest, Hungary.  Shortly after her arrival, Maria reconnected with Edward Insler Wizmur, her teenage love, who had also escaped and survived Stanislavov with the benefit of Christian identity papers.  Together, they worked with the Jewish underground and Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat, who saved countless numbers of Jews from extermination.  After the war, Maria married Edward, had a son, Leonard, lived first in Vienna, Austria then Munich, Germany and ultimately emigrated to the United States in 1952.

In the United States, Maria flourished.  Her love of art, music and beauty, and her innate sense of  creativity, led her to become an interior designer.  She later opened her own art and antique gallery in Syosset, Long Island, Les Fleurs Gallery.  Her exquisite collections of art and antiques were often featured in local publications.  Her creativity led her to write manuscripts, create an incredible book of poetry, and produce some artwork of her own.

Following the death of her first husband Edward, Maria married Ned Kaslow.  They were together for nearly 30 happy years, living in Englewood, New Jersey.Maria’s extraordinary beauty and her incredible charm attracted all who met her.  She was widely admired for her sense of style, her sharp intellect, and her ability to connect with people.  Her positivity, even after the horrendous tragedies she endured in her younger years, shown through in her book of poems entitled “Poppies in the Snow”.  Her irrepressible spirit was able to find beauty and purpose, even in the midst of horror and despair.

Maria is survived by her children, Leonard Wizmur, Dan Kaslow and Laurie Kaslow, her grandchildren, Dina, Matthew, Stephanie and Chuck, and her great grandchildren, Maya, Charles, Joseph, Natalie and Ilana.

Shiva will be observed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 1-3pm.  Service 7pm each night at  the Wizmur residence, 17 Bretton Way, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.

May her memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved her