Maynard Goldstein (1913-2011)
Maynard Goldstein speaking at "Songs for the Cause," on October 16th, 2010. Photo Len Tsou
Maynard Goldstein, the last Spanish Civil War veteran residing in New York City, died on January 12.
Just three months earlier, Goldstein—the last surviving veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade who fought at Jarama (February 1937)—spoke at a benefit event for ALBA. He spoke passionately, bringing to life the streets of New York in the 1930’s, the streets out of which he came and out of which came the seven other New Yorkers who crossed the Pyrenees with him, putting their lives on the line as they and 3,000 other Americans tried to stop the spread of fascism. He spoke without hesitation. He spoke about the continued need to confront the forces of reaction. He spoke without notes. And he held the audience spellbound.
Shortly afterward, he celebrated his 97th birthday. Happily? Not quite. Sadly? Not really. But he wasn’t pleased with his increasing frailty and he missed Kate, his wife of 68 years, no less an activist than he, who had died three years earlier. Having loving and appreciating friends and family did little to make up for her loss. And so did he go into and through his 10th decade, with all the losses inseparable from a long life, but pleased that his activism didn’t stop with Spain. After all, his was the only unionized advertising agency in the City, something he insisted upon, something he brought to pass. His mind never faltered. No surprise then that he played bridge up to the last week of his life.
Wow I had the honer if meeting me Goldstein st a time when I was a home nurse and I learned alot from his storys…I can understand how the crowd felt when he spoke…a very good man i’m glad to have met him….and yes he loved to play bridge wit his friends from the senior center