NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A family is mourning the loss of a man well-known in his Newport News community, as 88-year-old Gunter Morgenstein died after eating meat that turned out to be part of a massive recall from Boar’s Head.
Initially rushed to the hospital for difficulty breathing, Garshon Morgenstein thought his father would just be in the hospital a short while. He was already showing signs of improvement the day after being admitted.
“He was doing better, eating full meals on his own, on like Tuesday and what have you,” Garshon Morgenstein said. “He was supposed to be discharged Wednesday.”
But Gunter Morgenstein’s wife, Peggy insisted they stay in the hospital, saying her husband just didn’t look right and seemed to be getting weaker. They ran more tests and found listeria, which turned into meningitis. They traced it back to liverwurst Morgenstein had gotten recently at the store. He died 10 days after entering the hospital.
Gunter Morgenstein escaped Germany during the Holocaust, moving to Canada and later Newport News. He studied cosmetology and became a master hair designer, teaching at salons across Canada. He worked with Tom Jones, Johnny Mathis, and even met Muhammad Ali. Naturally, talking to people came like second nature.
“Like, mind-blowing to me that someone can just go up to a stranger, ’cause I am the complete opposite,” Garshon Morgenstein said. “My mom would get mad at him because he would go to the store to go get something and she’d think he’d be back in 30 minutes and he’s gone for an hour-and-a-half, like talking to everybody.”
His gregarious nature is just one aspect of what made him so special to his family.
“His sense of humor, his personality, you know, he was just [such a] very loving person,” Garshon Morgenstein said. “I just really regret that I never got to say goodbye.”
A celebration of life will be held Sept. 8 in Newport News.
Garshon Morgenstein has filed a lawsuit against Boar’s Head with the law firm Ron Simon and Associates. Boar’s Head continues to update the recall. You can read the latest at https://boarshead.com/products-recall-2024.