Lillian Kurowski

Lillian “Lily” Jean Kurowski (Meyer) passed away on February 15, 2023, in Nashville. She was a wonderful friend, talented businesswoman and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who dedicated her life to her sons, Michael and Bryan, and their families.

Lily was born on August 5, 1948, to Felix and Mary Uscinski in Brooklyn, NY. She grew up in Flushing (Queens) and graduated from Newtown High School and Queensborough Community College (CUNY).

She married husband, Alexander “Al” Kurowski in 1968 after meeting him during a Rova Farms social. They lived in Flushing, NY and then settled in Howell, New Jersey near his family. The couple had two sons, Michael, and Bryan. In 1979, Al, 34, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and died within a few months.

Facing the daunting challenges of losing her husband and having to raise her sons as a single mother, Lily studied and passed the exam to get her real estate affiliate's license in the state of New Jersey where she became a successful real estate agent. A few years later, in 1983, she sought a simpler life for her sons and relocated to East Tennessee. There, Lily earned her Tennessee real estate license and began selling properties for Cooper Communities in Tellico Village in Loudon County. She then earned her broker’s license and established her own real estate firm, Lakeside Realty. As her small family thrived, Lily convinced most of Al’s family to move to East Tennessee. She helped to care for Al’s mother Vera, father John, and even grandmother, Dorota, for the remainder of their lives.

In Tellico Village, she met Mervyn “Jack” Meyer, who was also a widower. They married in 1995 and enjoyed playing cards and taking cruises with their friends. They soon moved to Franklin, Tennessee to be closer to Bryan, Michael and his wife, Shannon, and her twin grandchildren, Alex, and Adriana, who she loved fiercely. Lily and Jack were married for nearly 20 years before he passed away in 2014.

With nicknames like “The General” and “Solutions Lil” Lily was a driven, meticulous planner who took great time and care to make people feel included and special - - whether you just met her or knew her for years. She enjoyed playing cards and seeing shows – especially Bruce Springsteen concerts - with her many friends and family.

Over the last decade, she was especially dedicated to taking annual family beach trips and exposing her family to other cultures, cuisines, and traditions by planning wonderful, action-packed trips around the globe. In recent years, she and family visited Scotland, England, France,

Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia, and Poland. On several trips to Poland, she reconnected with many relatives on her father’s side of the family, including first cousins Anna, Teresa, Grazina and Henryk, and their spouses and extended families.

Although Lily lived in Tennessee for more than four decades, she never lost her New York accent and still drove the same way that she learned to drive while working her first professional job in Manhattan. It was just a part of her charm. With bright blue eyes and an easy smile, she was an incredibly generous, caring soul who exuded a contagious zest for life. Lily’s glass was always half-full and even her own cancer diagnosis didn’t change her positive attitude or warm, welcoming way.

She is predeceased by her husband Al; husband Jack; parents, Felix, and Mary Uscinski; and brother, Charlie. She is survived by sons, Michael and his wife, Shannon; Bryan and his longtime partner, Julie Glascock; granddaughter, Adriana Beeson and her husband, Burton; and grandson, Alex Kurowski.

Our family appreciates the incredible support that has been extended during Lily’s illness. We will have a visitation starting at 10 am and celebrate her incredible life on Saturday, March 11 with a Funeral Mass set for 11 a.m. at Saint Philip Catholic Church 113 2nd Ave. S, Franklin, TN 37064 to be followed by a lunch reception. We will meet at 2:30 p.m. for the Interment of Ashes at Harpeth Hills Memory Garden 9090 Highway 100 Nashville, TN 37221.

Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens and Funeral Home is overseeing arrangements. In lieu of flowers, a memorial gift can be made to Saint Philip Catholic Church. Please list her name in the “Envelope Number” line in the online giving form.