Maurice Kataszek

Maurice Kataszek, 72, of Denver, CO, passed away on July 22nd.

Born in Poland, Maurice’s family emigrated to the US when he was 7, where he grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Summers were spent with family and friends on the famous Coney Island beach. His father was a furrier in Manhattan, whose friends, holocaust survivors, would join them on the beach. His mother, a pastry chef, influenced Maurice’s love of cooking.  

After high school, Maurice courageously took his oath to serve the United States Air Force, where he served on flight deck while also putting himself through college. While not a pilot, he loved to fly and was drawn to watch planes take on.  A highly intelligent man, he earned degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration, Paralegal certification, and MBA in Accounting.  He had also been accepted to medical school. Maurice’s love of learning and reading never tired, most recently he was teaching himself how to play the guitar and one day hoped to open a music school in Poland.  

Fiercely independent, Maurice lived in Arizona, California, Florida, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Bogota Columbia, and Colorado. He loved to travel and generously shared his experiences with his friends.  

Maurice’s career began at Campbells Soup as a mechanical engineer, then later he went into the mortgage business. He completed home appraisals, mortgage underwriting, mortgage servicing, and investor purchasing. Maurice’s real estate knowledge lead him to rehabilitation of many foreclosed properties, long before there was a show with the “how to” on HGTV. He also worked for Wells Fargo, at the FDIC, and lastly at HUD where he served as an Underwriter, and as a Sr Single Family Housing Specialist.  Maurice volunteered with his HUD friends on many service projects that included painting homes, installing fences or siding, and placing wreaths at Ft Logan National Cemetery.  

Maurice had a big heart, was kind in spirit, and admirably dedicated to his cats, Ivan who he called “Baby” and Moewski.

Maurice is survived by his best friend of 40 years, Jane Gaskill of New Jersey. A genuine and true friend, his Colorado friends will miss meeting him for coffee and his Friday texts “Happy Friday, Good day.”  

A graveside service will be held on Friday, August 8th at 12:30 pm at Ft. Logan National Cemetery (staging area "B").

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