Irvin Jack Warshaw

Irvin Jack Warshaw, 95, of Savannah, Georgia, and widower of Joy Adel Bradley Warshaw, passed away in his home on Tuesday evening, March 28, 2023. Irvin Warshaw was born on September 22, 1927. He was the son of the late Bennie Warshaw and Yetta Levine Warshaw. Irvin, also known to many as “ Bennie”, was a friend to many.

He was born here in Savannah, where he lived for his entire life. He was not born in a hospital, but in his grandmother’s house. He was close to his grandmother growing up, and learned to speak Yiddish, since she could not speak English. As a child, he helped his parents run a grocery store in Savannah, a store that he would eventually take over and shepherd through many changes. That grocery store would change to a hardware and grocery store, and then again to a plumbing and hardware store.

He loved his family, was the successful owner of Warshaw’s Kitchen & Plumbing hardware store, and proudly served in the Navy. Irvin believed in the value of hard work, and was also a very creative man and wrote songs, played piano (even though he never learned to read music).

For a short time as a young boy, his father moved the grocery store and hardware store to Richmond Hill. Irvin had the pleasure of meeting Henry Ford and on a few occasions sat at his table and had lunch with him. In later years after Mr Ford bought his fathers store he moved back to Savannah to attend Benedictine Military School.

He met Johnny Mercer through his friend Ken Palmer. Ken helped Irvin compose many of his songs for many instruments. The Savannah Symphony played some of his selections like, “River Street Rags” which was one of his most played songs, along with “ I’m So Lonely”. He even wrote a song for his dear wife Joy called “ Dance My Sweet Gypsy Lover”. She was part Hungarian and Irvin would like to poke fun of her being his Gypsy lady and she loved to dance to his songs. He enjoyed drawing and would create Disney characters from plywood cutouts and make catchy sayings under them to make customers smile. He was, like many of us, many different things to many people.

He lived a full life and will be missed by many.

Survivors include his children, Michael Artie Warshaw (Kathleen), Stephen Warshaw (Carol), Benjamin Warshaw (Deborah), and Arlene Gould (Jay); five grandchildren.

The funeral service was held on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at Bonaventure Cemetery, conducted by Rabbi Samuel Gelman.

Donations in his memory can be sent to the Congregation Agudath Achim Synagogue, 9 Lee Boulevard, Savannah, GA 31405.