Mordehai “Mota” Gur, an Israeli-American businessman, philanthropist and co-owner of the former Camden Body & Fender in Northwest Baltimore, passed away on Wednesday, Mar. 26. The Pikesville resident was 77.
A tank commander during 1967’s Six Day War in the Rafah/El Arish sector, Gur relocated to Baltimore in the early 1970s and was active in supporting local Jewish organizations, including The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, Friends of the IDF (of which he was a co-founder) and the Jewish National Fund. He worked in the car repair industry for more than four decades and was well-known and trusted by his clientele.
“We were very saddened to learn of Mota’s passing,” wrote retired local real estate developer and lawyer Nissim Dahan on the website of Sol Levinson & Bros. “He was a very kind and generous man. We are happy to have known him, and will continue to remember the good times we spent together. He will be dearly missed.”
In his eulogy, Rabbi Menachem Goldberger of Tiferes Yisroel Synagogue praised Gur’s “accomplished life of contributions to people and to the state of Israel and the Jewish people, and most of all to his beautiful family.
“People meant so much to him,” Rabbi Goldberger said. “He was a proud Jew.”
Born in Romania, Gur came to Israel in 1950 as a child and initially lived with his family in tents in refugee absorption camps. The family suffered economic hardships during those years, and Gur grew up in the Israeli city of Yavne.
During his younger years, he was a star player for the Hapoel Ashdod F.C. soccer team, and he kept in touch with some of his former teammates on social media.
With his brother-in-law Jay Weinberg, he co-owned and operated Camden Body & Fender for 47 years.
“My dad had an amazing ability to make a connection with everyone he met,” said his daughter, Sara Gur Villalona. “He was a mentor, guide, north star and rock for so many people. If you knew my dad, you know never he never took the easy road or the popular way. He tackled every challenge in life with the same sense of aggression and purpose. He was truly legendary, one in a million. … Dad and Uncle Jay built a family empire and took great care of their families. Their partnership was built on trust and a shared vision.”
Most of all, she said her father was a devoted husband and family man, and in her mind’s eye she said she could see him enjoying falafel and shawarma in heaven with his beloved parents (as well as enjoying a cigar with old friends).
“As tough and determined as he was, my dad had the biggest heart,” said Villalona. “”His greatest joy was his family. Being a saba [grandfather] was his favorite title, and he made every moment [with his grandchildren] special. He loved them so much and was beyond proud of them. … He was our hero everyday. We will miss him every single day, but our family will carry him with us in everything we do.”
Gur’s son, Jacob, noted that his father often quietly performed acts of kindness — financial and otherwise — to support those in need, in his professional and personal lives.
“We all were greatly affected by my father,” he said. “So many people were touched by my father. Customers and people who worked with him still remember his kindness. It’s a testament to my father’s character and integrity. He loved people and they loved him.”
Mota Gur is survived by his wife of 53 years, Amy Gur (nee Weinberg); his children, Sara Gur Villalona (Dr. Juan Villalona), and Jacob (Ester) Gur; his sisters, Sofi Spira, and Bracha (Yosi) Kimchi; his brother-in-law, Jay (Louise) Weinberg; and his grandchildren, Noah Villalona, Caleb Villalona, Lucas Villalona, Yosef Gur, Sarah Rivka Gur, Yehuda Gur, Yeshaya Gur, and Binyamin Shalom Gur.
He was predeceased by his parents, Asher and Etal Harabagiu; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Regina and David Weinberg; and his brother-in-law, Aharon Spira.
Services for Gur were held on Friday afternoon, Mar. 28, at Sol Levinson’s Chapel in Pikesville. Interment at Beth Jacob Cemetery in Finksburg.
Contributions in his memory may be sent to the Jewish National Fund (jnf.org), Friends of the IDF (support.fidf.org), or the Baltimore Humane Society (bmorehumane.org).
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