DelBloggolo: A MAN CALLED BOB

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

A MAN CALLED BOB

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Sam Levenson

Every now and then, I like to remember someone who has made an impression on my life and has honored me by allowing my being his or her friend. Such a person was named Bob and existed once, he was smart, logical and good, all the virtues we try to achieve, and owned one more we hardly see, honesty. Bob was a man who never bragged about himself, but he had a good homespun humor about life with the philosophy of a Sam Levenson.

Bob, Jeffry and Evy

Bob was like a Jewish mamma, he gave you the obvious and lamented the reality, always shedding light on a subject and making sure that morality held its ground. He didn’t use needless vulgarity, shunned personal attacks and lived like a humble man but owned a fortune in gifts from God. He had a wonderful and caring wife “Evy” and his son Jeffry, who seems to own his dad’s lust for humor and goodness. He WAS a funny man.

He could tell a good story, remember his past and past history, and always you felt like you were there with him as he related a story about himself.

What I remember best about Bob was two things, his dignified friendship and his love of his family. He was a family man who valued those who loved him and valued likewise their love.

In his later years I would pick him up at his home and bring him home because he needed a ride to work. I treasured those times and we would drive and talk about our past, his love of baseball and his good sense about everything he knew, touched or saw. He was special: he respected me as much as I respected him.

Then one day Bob was gone, and with him went a great person, so special that God called him in. I guess He needed to shore up Heaven, and Bob was the best fix. But he left a void in my life, just from a simple friendship! How was that possible? Yet his magic withstood even death, cheated it in fact, as he still lives on in my life and I think of him often. Thanks Bob, tell the big guy I did recognize goodness when I saw it.

Being Jewish, he was buried quickly and I went to the graveside with everyone who cared about him. The Rabbi asked if anyone wanted to say anything before we left, and I had so much I wished to say, but couldn't. I couldn't think that I would be able to interfere with the good memories we were all harboring in our minds and hearts, it just would not be good enough for the man.