Dad's Eulogy

Our Father

 

He was a most unusual man. It is not hard to capture his essence. After 103years and 9 months, what mattered most to him was whether he had been ¨good¨. He really never cared about all the trappings of materialistic things. As a survivor he cared about the essential: be a good person, be careful, watch yourself. He did that for himself and demanded that of us. 

The underlying theme was “life is precious, don´t squander it”. He did not have a hidden agenda, ever. 

His life was quite an adventure, but to him, it was just what he needed to do to survive. He never took life for granted. After losing most of his family to the holocaust, he continued in his quest to raise a family and be a very good provider.

He loved and protected each and everyone of us. 

My dad would never have been able to have the life he had over the last 30 years without the loving and selfless care that he received from Cecile, primarily and also Allan, who assisted and backed her in as many ways as he could. He was most appreciative of this, as am I as well as all his grandchildren that could grasp this.

He was not a man of too many words. He did not have a language to express his emotional states. He was very quiet while my mother was present since she was very personable and chatty and he allowed her to talk for both. Since my mother was no longer able to communicate, he flourished and became more present, not only by hugs and embraces but communicated more with us. He always kept up with the comings and goings of his children, grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren. He was beloved by all the kids of the last generation. He loved playing chess with Andy and was kind, sweet and affectionate with all. 

He remained strong and vibrant into his late 90´s, traveling to visit us in Tampa at 98. His life finally dimmed and slowed down after he turned 100, and subsequently with his loss of sight and inability to walk. He did not seem ready to give up until the last few months, where the rewards of living diminished when compared with his physical incapacity. 

And so, he left us, and in so doing gave us an incredible legacy of tenaciousness, commitment to being honorable and good. As well as appreciating the things that matter most in life and letting go of the rest. 

May he rest in peace now, finally reunited with all those that parted before him and he so wanted to reconnect with in his final years. Especially his parents and siblings that died so prematurely, their lives cut short by the horrors of WWII.

You will always be present in each and everyone of us and we pray we will honor your memory and make you proud as well, with a life well lived. 

 

Buenos Aires, June 20^th, 2023

 

Jessica Rausch