Virginia father who survived Holocaust died after eating Boar's Head deli meat

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Virginia father who survived the Holocaust died after eating deli meat linked to the Boar's Head listeria outbreak, according to his family.

CDC officials said at least nine people have died following the recall of Boar’s Head meat produced at the company's plant in Jarratt, Virginia.

Watch: Senior from Hampton Roads dies of Listeria, 9 more fall ill says the CDC

Elderly from Hampton Roads dies of Listeria, 9 more fall ill says the CDC

Boar's Head officials said the Liverwurst pork produced at their Jarratt facility was one of the contaminated meats.

Gunter “Garshon” Morgenstein’s family said the Newport News man ate liverwurst, usually spread on bagels, and bought it regularly, insisting on the Boar’s Head brand because he believed it was top quality, his son said. They said he ate it even a few days before he was rushed to the hospital.

"He was starting to not eat as much a couple of weeks before," Shon Morganstein, Gunter Morganstein's son, said.

WTKR

The 88-year-old was a German-born Holocaust survivor who moved to Canada and then the U.S. as a young man and later became a flamboyant hair stylist, according to his son.

During his 70-year career, his father styled celebrities such as the singer Tom Jones and was known for his funny, outgoing personality, Shon Morgenstein said.

He said things took a turn for the worse when his father was rushed to the emergency room on July 8.

"He was complaining to my mom early in the morning that he was having trouble breathing," he said. "They started doing testing because they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. Then it came back as listeria."

WTKR

Morgenstein died on July 18 from a brain infection caused by listeria bacteria, an illness that was confirmed to be linked to the contaminated Boar’s Head products.

The family traced it back to Liverwurst which Shon Morgenstein said his father had gotten from a grocery store. A review of receipts showed that he bought the recalled deli meat tied to the outbreak on June 30.

Boar's Head sent the following statement to WTKR:

"We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families. No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness.

We are conducting an extensive investigation in partnership with leading food safety experts to determine how our liverwurst produced at our Jarratt, Virginia facility was adulterated and to prevent it from happening again.

As soon as we learned of a possible health risk with our liverwurst, we immediately recalled it and then, out of an abundance of caution, voluntarily expanded our recall to include every product made at the same facility. We have paused production at this facility in Jarratt, Virginia, and will not resume until we are confident that it meets the standards our customers expect and deserve. Consumer health and wellness are, and always have been, our top priorities."

Boar's Head says they have stopped production at that facility.

"The number one thing on the recall was Liverwurst. My mom knew that he loved to eat that and knew that he had eaten that recently," Shon Morganstein said.

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Hampton Roads eatery leans on other menu items in wake of Boar's Head recall

WTVR Reporter Leondra Head checked in with delis in Hampton Roads to see how the Boars Head’s recall is impacting them.

"We don’t have it now because of what’s happened. But as things settle down and Boar's Head clears things up, we will use it again," Adel Hagez, the owner of Granby Bistro & Deli, said.

Hagez said the recall forced them to switch to another meat carrier.

"We’ve replaced it with some good premium meat," Hagez said.

Morgenstein's family has hired a lawyer, Houston-based Ron Simon.

“It’s really just a senseless accident and tragedy for something that just should not have ever happened,” his son said. “He still had many good years left.”

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