Steven Kanowitz, a funeral director whose steady guidance, compassion and commitment supported countless families in New York and Florida for nearly six decades, died on Nov. 9. He was 83.
Born in Brooklyn on March 13, 1942, and raised in Syosset, Kanowitz understood early in life that his calling was to help people. After attending funeral directing school, he entered a profession that demands empathy, patience and a deep respect for tradition — qualities that, according to his community, he carried naturally.
Over time, he became known not only for his professionalism, but also for the way he supported people during their most vulnerable moments.
For more than 30 years, Kanowitz served as a partner and vice president of Gutterman’s Funeral Homes, which now has locations in Rockville Centre, Woodbury, Brooklyn and Boca Raton, Florida. He became the face of the business, meeting families and guiding services with a gentle but steady approach.
“His influence will continue to guide the directors and staff he so passionately led,” Gutterman’s officials said in a statement. “The tradition of service and compassion he embodied will live on.”
Those who worked beside Kanowitz admired his comprehensive knowledge of funeral traditions and the dignity he brought to every service. But they admired more the way he treated people. His approach was simple: He loved to help. That love, those who knew him said, shaped every aspect of his work and life.
“He had an ‘old school’ way about him, about the way he treated people with common courtesy and respect,” the executive manager of Gutterman Funeral Homes Christopher Tombline, who worked with Kanowitz for over 24 years, said. “If he heard of an injustice being done to somebody, he would step in even if he didn’t know the person. He was kind of heart, and truly one in a million.”
His children said that growing up with a funeral director as a father was unique.
“Career days in elementary school involved my dad teaching the class how to embalm a body,” his son, Richard, said. But beneath the humor lay what most defined his father — empathy.
“When I think of my dad, I think about how everyone loved him and how much empathy he had for others,” Richard said. “That’s what made him the best to those in times of need.”
Kanowitz’s stepson, Todd Fass, remembered how often people stopped their family in restaurants in Oceanside, Rockville Centre or Baldwin to thank his father.
“There wasn’t a restaurant that we could go to without someone thanking him for helping their family,” Fass recalled. “He was well-known and respected in the community.”
Beyond his work, Kanowitz was a committed philanthropist who was open to causes of all kinds — local organizations, national charities, Jewish and Christian institutions alike.
“It didn’t matter who called or what they needed,” Fass said. “If they asked for help, he said yes. If you needed a Man of the Year, he was your guy.” Over the years, Kanowitz was honored as Man of the Year by Molloy University, in Rockville Centre, and by Temple Avodah, in Oceanside.
His generosity deepened even further after the death of his granddaughter Amanda Kanowitz at age four. In her memory, Steven and his second wife, Bonnie, helped create the Amanda Rose Kanowitz Children’s Library at Temple Avodah. Any time the temple’s PJ Library needed assistance, Steven responded the same way: “Send me the bill.” His friends and fellow congregants described him as a Sadiq, Hebrew for a righteous and giving soul.
Golf was among Kanowitz’s greatest passions. A hole-in-one at a charity event sparked a lifelong involvement in fundraising tournaments, and at one point he played in 40 to 60 events each year in New York and Florida. Through golf he built friendships, raised money for charities and brought people together, something he seemed to do effortlessly in every aspect of his life.
At home, Kanowitz was by all accounts a devoted husband, father and proud grandfather of six. He and Bonnie were together for more than 50 years.
“They were each other’s true loves,” Fass said. “They were inseparable.”
His children remember him as compassionate, humorous and deeply loyal. “Simply put, my dad was something special to all people,” Richard said.
“Dad loved his family,” Fass added. “He had many tough losses in his life … but those of us closest to him saw his softer side. He brought calm to the chaos.”
Kanowitz’s son-in-law, Cliff, described him as the kind of person “who would give you the shirt off his back. When you measure a person’s impact on the world, look at how many lives they’ve touched, and all of ours were changed by him.”
Rabbi Uri Goren, of Temple Avodah, said that Kanowitz served countless families with compassion, dignity and kindness. “His unwavering dedication left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him,” Goren said.
Kanowitz is survived by his wife, Bonnie; his children, Richard (Alissa), Melissa (Cliff) and Fass (Selena); and his grandchildren.
Goren, who officiated Kanowitz’s funeral at Gutterman’s in Woodbury on Nov. 12, offered one final message to the family and to the community.
“I hope you take the very best of him,” Goren said, “and make it part of who you are.”
