In Memoriam
Josef Feuer, 1925-2002
It is with great sorrow that we note the passing of Josef Feuer, the last surviving pre-World War II Jew living in Stryy.
Josef was born in Stryy in 1925. His father, Israel Feuer, was chief accountant at the "Sabor" sawmill in Stryy. In June 1941, Josef escaped Stryy on one of the last trains before the German occupation of the town. During the German occupation, both of his parents and his sister were killed.
Josef served in the Soviet army and returned to Stryy in 1948. In 1954 he graduated from Lviv University and served as a law adviser until 1967. After that time, he was manager of an agency for the sale of newspapers and magazines, retiring in 1991. He is survived by a daughter living in Odessa, Ukraine.
Josef's apartment was a regular stop for Jews from around the world making visits to Stryy, and he served as a gracious tour guide for many of us. In his later years, realizing that he was the only remaining pre-war Jew in Stryy, he frequently referred to himself as "the Last of the Mohicans". Those of us who had the good fortune to visit him will always remember his friendliness, enthusiasm, humor, and interest in our genealogical and historical studies of Stryy.
Josef Feuer will be deeply missed, both by those who were fortunate enough to meet him, and by those who indirectly benefited from the knowledge and stories he passed on.