Papsimedov, Mordechai

Son of Miriam and Yechezkel, was born on June 22, 1946 in Georgia, Russia. Mordechai completed his studies in an elementary school in his city. In 1959, at the age of 13, he was orphaned from his father. After graduating, Mordechai was forced to go to work to help support his family. In 1974 he married and one year later his eldest son was born. In March 1978, Mordechai immigrated to Israel, settled with his family in Or Yehuda and began working in an industrial factory. When the Peace for Galilee War broke out on June 6, 1982, his unit was mobilized for the war in Lebanon and Mordechai served on the front for a month. On 17 Tamuz, July 8, 1982, he was released from reserve duty and on his way back from Lebanon, he was traveling in a civilian car along with three other soldiers, and on the Tel Aviv-Haifa highway near Atlit, an accident occurred and the four passengers were killed, among them Mordechai, who was 36 years old when he died. He was promoted to the rank of corporal. The commander of his unit wrote to his family: “Mordechai served as a fighter, was accepted by his comrades, a good soldier. He always performed every role he was assigned.” Mordechai was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Holon. He left behind a wife, two sons, a mother and two sisters.