Obituary: Leslie Dean Gurvey

Early Monday morning, Feb. 28, Leslie Dean Gurvey, devoted husband, father, stepfather and grandfather passed away at the age of 80.

Les was born on July 6, 1941, in Chicago, Ill., youngest son to Richard S. and Shirley Cooper Gurvey. He was in the ROTC in high school, studied at University of Illinois in Champagne, Ill., was in the Marine Reserves and National Screen Service Manager with his uncle. Family members introduced him to his first wife, Joan Friedman (Gurvey) and they moved to Atlanta in 1970, where they raised their two children, Andrew and Jennifer. Les had several careers and side hustles. He may have installed your home security system, insured your employees or managed your investments as he built a successful career in the insurance and financial planning business until his retirement at 65.

In 1988, Les met Lois, whom he married, and as time went on, they became a blended family. They enjoyed playing golf, traveling the world and socializing with countless friends. They especially loved spending time in Aruba, where they enjoyed the beach while making friends with people from around the world.

Les was a natural salesman, entrepreneur and quintessential handyman, which was apparent since he was a kid; if it was broken, he could fix it — if it needed to be built, he would make it. He was far from materialistic, overly humble and loved volunteering for the Shriners, active with the Atlanta Jewish Community Center, Temple Sinai and Camp Barney Medintz. His passions were endless. He had a knack for remembering names and faces. If you met him once, he considered you his friend and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for you, whether you asked for it or he saw you had the need. He maintained friendships for over 70 years — notably active with childhood friends and their baseball team, The Majestics. He was reserved, sometimes very private, sentimental and loved his grandchildren like no one else. If you knew him, he always had a story or skill you may not have known about — sometimes even surprising. He was known for his curiosity, congenial smile and his kind and compassionate spirit.

Les is survived by his wife, Lois Frank Gurvey, his children, Andrew Gurvey of Atlanta and Jennifer Gurvey of San Francisco and stepchildren Mark (Stacy) Frank and Missy Frank of Atlanta, in addition to four granddaughters, Dalia Gurvey, Hanna Gurvey, Mia Gurvey and Olivia Frank, his brother, Dr. Michael (Marlana) Gurvey of Los Angeles, a niece, nephew, many cousins and hundreds of friends.

Funeral services took place at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs on Wednesday, March 2, with Rabbi Ron Segal officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or the Marcus JCC of Atlanta. Arrangements by Dressler’s Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.