Obituary
Gloria Kolker Hack, of Owings Mills, MD, passed away on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at the age of 96.
Gloria Kolker Hack was born on July 31, 1925 in Baltimore, MD at The Hebrew Asylum, now Sinai Hospital, and raised at 821 Lake Drive, facing the Reservoir in Druid Hill Park. she spent her entire life in her beloved Baltimore.
Gloria graduated from Park School in 1942, at the age of 16. She then attended Goucher College, majoring in Art History, graduating in 1946 at the age of 20 years old. She attended Chizuk Amuno Hebrew School where she was Valedictorian and the only female member of her class. How she loved reading and writing in Hebrew. Her love for Judaism lasted her entire life. she attended Johns Hopkins University, taking graduate courses in Psychology under Dr. Leo Kanner.
Gloria was always known as the "Mitzvah Queen," calling family and friends on their special occasion with her famous "I have a singing telegram for you" and then proceeding to sing to them using her lovely voice. She would always say that it is important to do at least one mitzvah (good deed) daily.
Gloria was a 5th generation member of Hadassah. She served as President of many local organizations - Hadassah, PTA, Sisterhod, and served as volunteer for many Jewish causes.
She was an adult education teacher with the Baltimore City Schools for 15 years, teaching GED classes in the Baltimore Inner City Schools. She also taught a 3 credit college course on MPTV, public television in Baltimore.
Gloria was an activist for Freedom for Soviet Jewry and traveled countless times to Russia and Israel, with her beloved brother, Fabian Kolker.
In 1945, she married Morton Hack, a WWII war hero, who was a commander of Landing Ship Tank 502 on the beaches of Normandy on D Day on June 6, 1944. Morton Hack and his family owned the Westminster Shoe Co. Morton Passed away Nov. 20, 1992.
Her second love was James Ross, who received the distinguished Flying Cross in WWII, flying The Hump for 4 years as a pilot for dignitaries and scientists. After the War, he founded the Naron Candy Co. in Baltimore.
Gloria had a profound love for her parents, Miriam and Benjamin Kolker. Her family owned the Maryland Lumber Co. Gloria had 4 siblings: Fabian, Budd, Phyllis and Lane. the lumber and other items from the Baltimore Lumber Co. were used to retrofit the S.S. Warfield ship which became the ship in WWII known as the Exodus.
In Gloria's pursuit of aid to Soviet Jews, she met with so many Prime Ministers of Israel, including visiting their residences. She "kissed" Golda Meir in Brussels, Belgium, had dinner with Simon Weisenthal, helped Anatoly Scharanskiy, the Panous, Russian Ballet Dancers, to name a few.
Gloria is survived by her 3 children, Nancie (Dr. Morley) Grossman, Steve (Sandra) Hack, and Joanne Hack; 2 granddaughters, Lili Miriam Blanche Grossman and Sarah Rachel Hack Luria (Dr. Justin Luria), and 1 great grandson, Levi Luria. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A special thank you to her daughter, Joanne Hack for her constant and devoted love and commitment to our Mom. Also thank you to our wonderful team of Caregivers, led by Veronica Boone.
Gloria will be remembered as a natural beauty, beautiful figure, "up do" hairdo, eloquence, brilliance and wit.
Contributions to honor Gloria Hack's memory may be sent to The Gloria Kolker Hack Fund at Central Scholarship Bureau, 6 Park Center Court, Suite 211, Owings Mills, MD 21117 or Hadassah, P.O. Box 21571, Pikesville, MD 21282
Services at Arlington-Chizuk Amuno Cemetery, 4450 N. Rogers Avenue, Baltiomre, MD 21215 on Friday, September 3, 2021 at 1pm. Please omit flowers. Contributions in her memory may be sent to The Gloria Kolker Hack Fund at Central Scholarship Bureau, 6 Park Center Court, Suite 211, Owings Mills, MD 21117 or Hadassah, P.O. Box 21571, Pikesville, MD 21282. In mourning at 2316 Sugarcone Road, Baltimore, MD 21209.
Arrangements by Sol Levinson. www.sollevinson.com