It was little more than two weeks ago that Uncle a Gene, who on March 23rd would have been 87, was still working long hours running a successful business. Now he is gone, and we are left to celebrate his life and treasure the time we had with him, grateful for the ways in which he touched our lives.
A loving memorial service in the Mount Sinai Memorial Park chapel, was attended by about 200 people, and the speakers included Uncle Gene's beautiful wife of nearly 59 years, Aunt El, who told us of how they met at at a party, and two months later he proposed marriage.
She said she wanted the wedding to be in New York (not in Los Angeles where they lived) and for him to wear a Hamburg hat. At first he refused but ultimately he honored both of her wishes.
Their children, Ken and Terri also spoke as did two of my wife Anne's and my children, Kyle and Clayton. They were joined at the podium by our other son Kevin, each there to support each other. I too said a few words.
There were some laughs and there were some tears and brief moments of contemplation, as we pondered our own hearts, weighing the meaning of Uncle Gene's life. Following the service we walked a short distance into park like grounds where the burial was held.
Mount Sinai Memorial Park is in Simi Valley, California and this day was sunny and warm, despite the last few days having been rainy and cold. Perhaps this sunny day was a good omen for a man who loved the sunshine, as the sun cast his burial into such magnificent light.
About 160 of us then gathered at the Grand Vista Hotel about five miles away to break bread together and share stories. Ken arranged for a podium and a microphone as well for anyone who wanted to speak to the attendees.
Uncle Gene was close with Danny Hernandez, the President of The Hollenbeck Youth Center in East Los Angeles, in what was once a heavily Jewish area (many attendees were Jewish) and now it is Hispanic. Danny spoke of Uncle Gene's big heart, a heart blind to race, religion and color. He spoke of Uncle Gene being a very important advisor to him.
It was a heart warming talk, as were the words of Uncle Gene's and Aunt El's granddaughter Courtney as she spoke of her grandfather and how much he meant to her.
Among the attendees were Anne's and my grandchildren, 13 year old Keoni and 1 year old Ikaika. Keoni was understandably sad about Uncle Gene's passing, while Ikaika joyfully played with the hat he used to pull off of Uncle Gene's head.
As I write this piece, my heart is sad, yet at the same time it is filled with gratitude and joy for a man I admired, respected and learned from all of my life. I loved him, and told him that I loved him in the final days of his life, as I placed my right hand on his hands, while he laid in bed.
I miss him, and know the best thing I can do to honor him is to be supportive of Aunt El, whom I also love very much. They both have been a blessing in my life as they have been a blessing in the lives of so many others.
Dick
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