Julius Elowitch

Julius "Yudy" Elowitch
     PORTLAND-Julius "Yudy" Elowitch was born on Dec. 8, 1913, the fourth of six children of Lillian and Samuel Elowitch. He graduated from Portland High School in 1931 where he was an honor student, president of his class, and co-captain of the baseball and football teams.
     He married Frances Posternak on Dec. 28, 1934.
     Yudy spent a few months at the University of Florida on an athletic scholarship. When his father died, he came home to help raise the younger children.
     Together with his brothers Maurice and Abraham, he started Yudy's Tire Company. The company grew to include 12 gas stations and car repair shops. After many years of trial and error attempts, he successfully developed a formula for an industrial tire made of solid rubber on steel rims, and later a synthetic industrial tire which was called Permathane.
     Marketed world-wide under the name Maine Rubber International with headquarters in Westbrook, the company was widely recognized for the superb quality of its product and the outstanding service and integrity that stood behind it.
     Recognizing a strong need to give back to the community which had given him so much, he was an active volunteer serving as President of the Jewish Community Center and as Chairman of the United Jewish Appeal annual federated campaign. He was a member of the board of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. One of his positions with the Symphony was to create the community orchestra, which he did with great gusto and success.
     He was also a member of the Committee of 100 at the Portland Museum of Art. A talented tenor, he sang for many years with the Temple Beth El Choir and the Portland Men's Chorus. He performed for many years with the Little Theater Group at the Jewish Community Center.
     After his family, his first love clearly was sports. He excelled at many including tennis, boxing, wrestling, swimming and track. For many years he played second base and was the lead off batter for the Yudy's baseball team which played in the Portland Twi Light League at Deering Oaks.
    In the early 50s, when the baseball season only had 154 games and the World Series, many major league players traveled the country as an all star team that played against local all star teams. For many years that team, managed by Pete Pompeo, was captained by Yudy. One of his fondest sports memories was playing in one of those games, the first ever in Portland under the lights. He got two hits off major league pitchers.
     In 1983, he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. He was a champion golfer who won tournaments at Riverside Golf Course, the Portland Country Club, and the Boca Teeca Presidential Country Clubs in Florida. Football was always an important part of his life, as was his friend, Jimmy Fitzpatrick.
    Julius Yudy
    Elowitch
    Jones, Rich & Hutchins
    Funeral Home & Cremation Service
    775-3763
     In 1971, wanting to pay tribute to Jimmy and the important role he had played in Yudy's life, and also wanting to enrich the local high school football environment, he created the Fitzpatrick Award for the outstanding High School Football player in the State of Maine. Often called the High School Heisman, it sets the standard for excellence, not only in football, but in life, in giving back, and in recognizing a responsibility to the community which nurtured him. He was honored with induction into the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame as a distinguished American.
     Yudy was predeceased by his wife Frances, his parents, his brother Maurice, his sisters Rose and her husband Albert Joachim, Bertha and her husband Josh Murinson, his sister-in-law Rose Modes Elowitch, and his beloved son-in-law, Joel Abromson.
     He is survived by his brother, Abraham and his wife Sylvia Elowitch of West Palm Beach, Fla.; his sister Dorothy and her husband, Yoland Potter of Miami Beach, Fla., and his sister-in-law; Sylvia Elowitch of Portland as well as many loved nieces and nephews.
     With all of his remarkable accomplishments, Yudy was probably most proud of his children and their achievements.
     He leaves his daughter, Linda, his son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Annette Elowitch, all of Portland.He had five grandchildren whom he adored - Lori and her husband Moshe Yohann of Osprey, Fla., Leslie and her husband, Alan Sherman of Lexington, Mass., Eric Abromson and his wife, Falamak of Los Angeles, Calif., Jennifer Elowitch and her husband, Douglas Chene of Portland and Sam Elowitch and his wife Leah Binder of Farmington; eight great-grandchildren, Tali, Daniel and Sivan Yohann, Nathaniel Ward-Chene, Henry Elowitch, Zachary and Joshua Sherman and Kayla Abromson.
     He lived for two years at Falmouth by the Sea. The family will always be grateful for the care and attention, as well as the love that they so generously showered on him.
     Funeral services will be held Sunday at 1 p.m., from Temple Beth El, 400 Deering Ave., Portland. Burial will follow in Temple Beth Memorial Park. A period of mourning will be observed at the home of Rob and Annette Elowitch, 87 Carroll St., Portland, Sunday and Monday.
     Arrangements are by Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home.
    
     Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to:
    Julius Yudy Elowitch
    Scholarship Fund
    Portland High School
    284 Cumberland Ave.
    Portland, Maine 04101
    
    Frances and Yudy Elowitch
    Jewish Video Collection
    Jewish Community Alliance
    57 Ashmont St.
    Portland, Maine 04103