Julian Hirsch Hyman wanted to change the world. And in his own way, he did.
A Lutherville resident and longtime Beth Tfiloh congregant, Hyman died on Sept. 15. He was 101.
A Baltimore native who grew up during the Great Depression in the Reservoir Hill, Forest Park and Ashburton neighborhoods, Hyman graduated from Baltimore City College in 1938 and the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Economics in 1942.
During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in New Guinea and the Philippines. He was honorably discharged as a captain in June of 1946.
Following his military service, Hyman returned to Baltimore to take over his family’s business, National Fashions Corp., an importer of women’s fashion accessories. For his job, he traveled internationally more than 40 times over a 36-year period, visiting such countries as India, Israel, China, Brazil and many others.
“Certain principles came into my mind,” Hyman told WJZ-TV’s Ron Matz in 2015. “People all over the world are the same. There’s good and bad in every race and every nation, but we are all the same.”
At the age of 70, Hyman founded in 1990 his second business, Global Messenger & Logistics, a Baltimore-based shipping/delivery company, with his wife, Paulyne, and their son, Steven.
After a quarter-century of building up that business, Hyman retired at the age of 95 to work on a legacy project, “U Can Save Our World” (Odyssey Publishing), a book advocating his vision of compassion, coexistence, the dismantling of military forces and the creation of a united global governing body.
“If we get to know each other and become friends, we’re not going to go out killing each other,” Hyman told WJZ when asked about his book’s overall message. “We’re going to say, ‘What can we do together that we can help each other?'”
For his 100th birthday, Hyman created a political-social club at Blakehurst Senior Living community, where he lived, called Seniors for a Better Tomorrow.
“Life is a journey, and everyone has a story to tell,” Hyman told Owings Mills Times Magazine in 2018. “My travels allowed me to interact with people from all walks of life, cultures, and religions. I found a common denominator in that people want the best for their family and future generations. …
“People from around the world must learn to check their egos and put aside their differences to make the world a better place for their children and future generations,” he said. “The Earth is the home we live in, and all life, as well as this planet, must be respected if the human civilization is going to continue!”
When asked about his own longevity, Hyman said, simply and humbly, “I’ve been blessed.”
Hyman is survived by his wife of 69 years, Paulyne Ruttenberg Hyman; his two children, Elisa (Dr. Michael) Schwartz and Steven (Leslie Schleider) Hyman; and three grandchildren, Ryan Schwartz, Evan Schwartz and Liana (Billy) Vadala. He was predeceased by his parents, Solomon and Hannah Hyman; and sisters, Thelma Plaine, Naoma Miller and Marilyn Marcus.
The funeral service for Hyman was held at at Beth Tfiloh Cemetery, 5800 Windsor Mill Rd., on Sunday morning, Sept. 19. Donations in his memory may be sent to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-Maryland Chapter, 10626 York Rd., Suite A, Cockeysville, Md. 21030.
For information about Hyman’s book, visit ucansaveourworld.blogspot.com/
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