Alfredo Korzenik was born October 23, 1933, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, to parents who had
emigrated from Poland. They operated a successful shoe business in Cuernavaca.
Alfredo married Maria whom he knew in Cuernavaca, and they moved to New York so
he could go to college. He was very affected by the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963
and decided to join the Air Force where he trained as a specialist in electronic instruments.
During the Viet Nam War, Alfredo Korzenik worked at repairing electronic instruments
that were damaged or were malfunctioning. His efforts were important to the Air Force being
able to keep bombers and fighters in the air over Viet Nam. Alfredo was later transferred to a
base in Michigan. Maria joined him there.
Alfredo and Maria had three sons who are all successful. Alfredo, Jr. is a marathon
runner and was at the Boston Marathon during the bomb attack. He had passed the bomb
location before the bomb exploded and went back to help those injured.
Maria described her husband as very smart with the ability to speak eight languages.
Alfredo and Maria came to Brownsville to be near Mexico and enjoy the climate. He started a
TV repair business. Unfortunately, at the age of 39, on August 23, 1972, Alfredo Korzenik died
of a massive heart attack and was buried with full military honors in the Hebrew Cemetery.
