Mary Rose Surasky

On Saturday, August 31, 2002, MARY ROSE SURASKY (nee Greenburg) passed away peacefully at University Community Hospital-Carrollwood on Saturday, August 31, 2002. She was a 24 year resident of Tampa. Before her illness, she was a resident at Weinberg Village, Assisted Living Senior Residences. Mary is survived by her two sons: Charles Surasky of Reisterstown, MD and Miron Mercury of Oakland, CA, and her daughter: Abby Surasky of Brooklyn, NY. Her daughter, Rabbi Chana (Surasky) Timoner, a chaplin and captain in the US Army, died in 1998 following a tour of duty in South Korea. Marys five grandchildren include Aviva (Timoner) Bellego, Samon Timoner, Sarah Rose Sawilowsky, Avram Jack Sawilosky and Sarah Anne Surasky. Mary was born to Abraham and Sara Greenberg on January 17, 1923 in New Haven, Conn. She graduated from New Haven Commercial High School in 1941 and joined the Womens Army Corps in 1943. She was stationed in Camp Robinson, outside Little Rock, Ark., a key military training installation, where, in addition to being in charge of the Camp Information Bureau, she helped teach new recruits and Nazi POWs to read English. Later she was assigned to the Military Police at Fort Smith, Ark., where she was the only woman in her office. Honorably discharged in 1946 at Fort Sheridan, Ill., as Private First Calls, she was awarded the Army Victory Medal, the American Theater Ribbon, the WAC Service Ribbon and the Good Conduct Medal. She married Abraham J. Al Surasky of New Haven on October 26, 1947. They resided there until his retirement from his railroad career in 1978. He preceded her in dath on February 19, 1997. Mary was an active member and the first woman Commander (1981-84) of Florida Jewish War Veterans Albert S. Aronovitz Post 373, Florida Gulf Coast District, and a long-term volunteer at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa. Graveside Services will be held at 2 P.M. on Tuesday, September 3, at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Marys memory may be directed to: Hillel School of Tampa, 2020 W. Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL 33612 {FL} BETH DAVID FUNERAL CHAPEL-TAMPA {CN} (813) 874-3330 {EP}.