Anne Waldoks eulogy
July 14, 2000
Dear Dick,
One of the many, many things I loved about you is that you
were a superb, as well as an entertaining, communicator.
As I was, many years ago, fortunate enough to be employed
and expertly supervised by you, I feel license to utilize
one of your modes of communication for a moment overflowing
with strong emotion: write an open letter to the person who
is the core of the moment.
You died the way you lived...climbing mountains, not being
ordinary, distilling vast attractions and distractions into
quick, concise, and profound conclusions. You mastered
obstacles that prevent others from joining disparate parts
of this world together. Who else could have this service,
including participants of multiple denominations, blending
communities so seamlessly?
You had a knack for making honey - on many levels. You
sweetened your serious and wise offerings into wry
quotables. How very many times I say "My friend Dick Israel
says" such and such, and deliver a pithy witticism that
thoughtfully and efficiently addresses the very essence of
an intriguing major life challenge.
You were great at mixing business with pleasure without
sacrificing the benefits of either side of the relationship
with you.
You and Sherry created a wonderful nuclear family that
embodied so many of your attributes. All of you, Dick,
Sherry, Aliza, and then Harold, Sam, Anna, and Jacob, David,
and now Pamela, Rachel, Rob, Joseph, and Isaac, and Josh
have generously shared your family's warmth, openness,
acceptance, and wise observing amusements and commentaries
so kindly and lovingly with me and my family, and with so
many individuals and families. Thank you.
Your relationship with me was very straight and to the
point. To emulate you, again, I'll be straight and to the
point here. And I'm sure I speak for hundreds of people in
this room today. You cared about me. Your expectations of
me were high but achievable, and you were a marvelous role
model. I made mistakes and you helped me learn from them.
You were even amused by them! I "got" that you enjoyed
knowing me. It was never overdone. It was real, no
nonsense, but with an interesting, fun, sweet seasoning to
it. I'll carry that and so much more of you with me, and
try to pass it on to others.
Thank you for helping to make this a better world. Rest in
well-deserved peace.
I will deeply miss you.
Love,
Annie