LEON PARU died at his home on Tuesday, February 24th at 102 years of age. He was born Leon Porubansky on November 9, 1923 in Vilna Poland, one of the 10 sons and two daughters of Shlomo & Rocha (Torf) Porubansky.
He was a teenager when the Nazi’s came and rounded up his family and brought to one the many concentration and labor camps throughout Europe. One older brother Rabbi Yitzhak Porubansky had already left Poland and was working as a rabbi in Tulsa, OK. Over four years, Leon spent time in various concentration camps and was finally liberated from Buchenwald. Leon came to the United States and was in the southwestern part of the country.
He developed Thyroid Disease which required extensive surgical treatment. With little money, Leon could not afford the surgery, and it was suggested he travel to Boston and have the operation at Beth Israel Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School Teaching and Research Hospital. The surgery was successful and Beth Israel donated the entire cost.
Leon remained in Boston and met Sally Beshansky and they married in 1959. They lived in Dorchester and in 1963 they moved to Randolph. Sally passed away in 2020. Sally & Leon had two children, Bradley and Jeffrey & his wife Janet. Brad has two sons, Joseph & his wife Ashley and Derek. Jeff has one son, Matthew. Leon has one great-grandson, Benjamin. Leon and his brothers Joseph and Rabbi Yitzhak were the only survivors from their family. Their seven brothers, two sisters, along with their parents were among the Six Million European Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Leon’s experience gave him an appreciation for life that very few can understand.
His funeral service will take place at Schlossberg Family’s Chapel on the Hill, 824 Washington Street, Canton, on Thursday, February 26th at 1:00PM. Interment to follow at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to: American Cancer Society, 3 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701. (https://www.cancer.org)
2 Condolences for Leon Paru
Condolences(2)
Carrie Mock says
February 27, 2026 at 1:48 amBrad, I was very sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. Please know I’m thinking of you, Joe, Derek and the rest of your family and sending heartfelt condolences during this difficult time.
Carrie Mock says
February 27, 2026 at 2:00 amBrad I was very sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. Please know I’m thinking of you, Joe, Derek and the rest of your family and sending heartfelt condolences during this difficult time.