Maurice "Ricy" Fialkoff

Maurice Fialkoff was born on January 18, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Maxwell and Ida Fialkoff.  He was the youngest sibling with older sister Natalie (Livingston) and older brother Joe Jack Fialkoff.

He was raised in Chicago, but moved to New York City for some time, and eventually the family settled down in Los Angeles, California in 1946. He attended Fairfax high school in LA and graduated in 1948.  He received an associate degree in electrical engineering from LA City College and went on to pursue a career in aerospace.

Maurice joined the United States Army in 1949 and served in the motor pool as a mechanic before being sent overseas to Germany, where he would meet his soon to be wife, Else Marie. He married Else in 1954 and she and their daughter Barbara Nanon moved to the United States and settled down in Buena Park, California in 1956.  Always very proud of his military service, he made sure to receive an honor guard ceremony at his funeral.

He enjoyed a long career as an electrical engineer, employed 32 years with the Garrett aerospace company (later Allied-Signal) in Torrance, California, where he worked doing research, design and implementation of various projects for the US government and civilian matters. 

Photography and carpentry were just some of the many hobbies that consumed his free time, as he designing a darkroom in the spare bathroom of his house, as well as many cabinets and pieces of furniture that are still enjoyed and in-use today.  Ricy was known for his adventurous whimsy, traveling to exotic locations in the US, Asia and Oceania, taking many pictures of those experiences and developing and printing some of his favorite images, as well as framing them for others to enjoy.

For 95 years, this planet was his home, and sadly he leaves behind 3 grandchildren, Thomas, David, and Kelly, as well as nieces and nephews.  He is preceded in death by his wife Else and daughter Barbara Nanon.  He passed away with dignity and love on December 26, 2025 in Buena Park, California.

There was a solemn ceremony held for his funeral at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Hollywood, California on January 5th, 2026.