Maynard J. Rosenbloom

Maynard J. Rosenbloom (“MJ”), Prairie Village, Kansas, died peacefully on Monday, January 6, 2020, in his own hometown, Kansas City, Missouri, having spent all of his nearly ninety years in the Kansas City area. Maynard was born on June 16, 1930, the son of Oscar and Susie (Marcuvitz) Rosenbloom, and the brother of Delores (Benjamin) and Gloria (Schlesinger). Maynard and Lois (Kopin) were married on September 2, 1951 until Lois’ untimely death in 2005. Maynard leaves three children, Michael, Jimmy (Sunni) and Lisa Matsil (David), eight grandchildren: Aliya Rosenbloom, Rachel Edgar (Robby), Jared Rosenbloom, Neili Glotter (Michael), Shana Rosenbloom, Adam Matsil (Sarah), Kyra Matsil and Sarina Matsil, and two great-grandchildren, Lyla Jo Glotter and Shai Arthur Glotter. He is survived by his beloved sister-in-law, Anita (Kopin) Daniels. Because of the incredible affinity of those fabulous Kopin sisters and the Kopin family, the Rosenbloom and Daniels families were as one, Anita surely a sister to Maynard.

Maynard was also known as Moe, Uncle Bo and later in life as MJ. He figured he would get on the Michael Jackson/Jordan bandwagon before it was too late. MJ was famous in the Kansas City area as a restaurant equipment salesman, his particular expertise in used equipment, having learned the craft from his father as a young man. Customers came from near and far, for decades (even until weeks prior to his death), to the self-proclaimed “Dr. Used.” Maynard was a friend to all who met him and was empathetic to those less fortunate.

Maynard was a lover of KCUR-National Public Radio, almost all sports, except car racing which he would tell you is not a sport anyway, and, of course, mostly baseball. Maynard graduated from the University of Missouri in 1951 with a degree in Business Administration. His love for his college fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, became a lifelong commitment, having worked tirelessly up until his death, promoting the virtues of a Jewish college fraternity. His love of the AEPi brotherhood was palpable. He served in the United States Airforce as a Lieutenant during the Korean War, stationed in Thule, Greenland.

Maynard was a “shul mensch,” having been born into a Jewish home committed to meaningful Jewish life, synagogue, the greater Jewish community and Israel. He and Lois visited Israel twice in the 1970s. For at least two decades, at Congregation Beth Shalom, Maynard was the first “teacher” of the Hebrew language to Jews-by-choice and others, an inspiration to so many to take on greater Jewish learning. Maynard was a member of Congregation Beth Shalom for most of his life, and Congregation Ohev Sholom. He was particularly inspired by Rabbi Scott White at Ohev Sholom.

Anyone when knew Maynard would have at least one, if not many memories of unforgettable encounter(s) with him. Donations are suggested to Village Shalom or the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies https://arava.org