David Bram Obituary

David Bram, 88, of Colorado Springs, Colorado died of natural causes February 20, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.

Bram was born in Rusiec, Poland. He was the eldest of six children born to Mendel and Leah Bram and was the only member of his extended family to survive the Nazi Holocaust.

Beginning in 1939, Bram was forced to work in German labor camps in Poznan, Breslau, and Gross-Rosen. In 1942, he was sent to the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. From there, he was imprisoned at a sub-camp of Mauthausen in Ebensee, Austria. The Germans abandoned the camp in the middle of the night on May 3, 1945, and the U.S. Army opened the camp gates just two days later on May 5.

With the help of the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society, Bram immigrated to New York City on December 25, 1947 in the midst of the biggest snowstorm to hit the city since record-keeping began in 1869 - 26.4 inches in 24 hours. (That record was broken by a half-inch in 2006).

Anxious to leave the big city, Bram moved to Omaha, Nebraska where met his future wife, Zita. Drawn by the beauty of the Colorado Rockies, they moved their family in 1954 to Colorado Springs, Colorado. They raised four children, and had seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Bram and his wife developed a number of successful businesses -- from shopping centers and furniture stores to campgrounds, hotels, and motels. He was a commercial real estate developer in both Woodland Park and Colorado Springs and continued that work until the time of his death. He helped to build his community's synagogue, Temple Shalom, and volunteered many hours to provide Holocaust education to children. He also worked to support the State of Israel and other Jewish causes through organizations such as the United Jewish Appeal, American Jewish World Service, The Jewish National Fund, Hillel, The Mikveh of East Denver, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and many more.

He quietly helped many people who needed a second chance in life - providing employment and opportunity; he built houses of worship for people from many denominations, and exhibited the epitome of grit, resilience, hope, and an unending love of life.

Bram is preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, and his brothers, Baruch, Ytizhak, Moishe, and Moredechai, and his sister Figa; also by Zita, his wife of nearly 60 years, and by his two sons, Murray and Michael. He is survived by his daughters Linda Bram and Renee Bram Rockford (Marvin), his grandchildren Sara Bram (Chris Swenson), Dr. Avram Bram Mostyn, Shoshana Ringel (Tim), Elana Hoodenpyle (Matt), Sarah Rockford, Rachel Rockford, and Jonathan Rockford, and great grandchildren Pearl Hoodenpyle and Eli Ringel.

Memorial services were held Monday, February 22, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom, 1523 East Monument in Colorado Springs followed by interment at Sons of Israel Cemetery, at Pikes Peak and Hancock streets.

Memorial donations may be sent to the Jewish charity of your choice, or to one of the following organizations in his blessed memory:

The Yad Vashem World Holocaust Research Center in Israel, Hadassah Women's Organization, Jewish National Fund, The Yiddish Book Center, the Hebrew Aid Immigration Society, or the United Jewish Appeal.