Sunday Funeral

So I was up early yesterday to meet Norman for breakfast. Instead of our usual LOL venue, Norman suggested the more feminine, less Jewish Muffin Tin. We enjoyed ourselves, and enjoyed the different clientele -- older and not many synagogue members in sight. Still, he enjoyed his eggs Benedict, and I had some fine hotcakes...

Then it was off to a funeral. Wifey's longtime friend Linda's mother died. Diane was 78. I had never met her, though I've known Linda nearly 30 years. In fact, I had always heard that she was in ill health -- and that was many years past.

We gathered at the cemetary West of MIA. I met Linda's Dad, who I had spoken to over the years. He's a sweet man -- born in Key West of a pioneer South Florida Jewish family, and moved to Miami, where he met Diane, vacationing from Philly. They married in the early 50s, and moved into a house in West Miami, then a very Jewish suburb.

Over the years, their neighborhood became nearly all Cuban. But Lou and Diane stayed, in that same little house. Diane became active in a Conservative Shul, Beth David, after the one she attended, called the Whale because of its unusual architecture, became a church, the Iglesia del El Hombre Grande, I think...Not really.

Anyway, we saw Linda and her sister Karen, and Karen's daughter Danielle, who I last was when she was a baby girl. Danielle is lovely --works sending kids on trips to Israel, and lives close to her Mom in Hallandale. She spoke movingly about her grandma, her hero, and Linda and Karen spoke, too. Linda was honest about the troubled relationship she had with her mom, but you could tell there was much love there as well...

I realized I was at the same cemetary several times -- most recently for Wifey's friend Cara's husband Jack's funeral. I was also there for Larry's -- he was barely 50, as well as Marilyn and Caleb, both of whom also died far too young.

We drove out of the cemetary in search of dessert to bring to the Shiva. We stopped at a Winn Dixie in Fountainbleu Park. I told Wifey I would give her $10 each time we heard English spoken in the store. As I expected, I paid out nothing -- I think that neighborhood is about 300% Hispanic...

We found the West Miami house, off of 62nd Avenue and SW 13th Street. The 'hood looked great -- though you can tell its ethnic change by the fences in the front yards -- a custom, I'm told, in Havana suburbs which the "exiles" brought to SW Miami.

And sure enough, Diane and Lou's house was a time machine to the 60s. Wifey enjoyed the photos of Linda and her family from way back in the day. We ate great deli from Bagel Emporium, and prayed with the Argentinian Rabbi, who was most eloguent.

Linda thinks her Dad will finally move out of the house, probably to Aventura, to be closer to his daughters and granddaughter. His grandson Jordan is living in Germany for 2 years, and will probably relocate to Atlanta when he returns to the States...

The chapel at the service was standing room only, though Diane wasn't some well known community leader. I thought about my friend JOhn's report about big shot lawyer JB Spence's funeral -- more folks came out for Diane. I guess the relationships you make on an intimate level trump the money and professional accomplishments you make. Of course they do...

So I'm sorry I never got to meet Diane, but I think I still got to know her. She was loved by her family and friends, and lived a good, full life.

Death was all around yesterday. There was a terrible wreck on I-75 south of Gainesville, caused by smoke and fog. 10 people died, and 20 were hurt in the pileup. Thankfully, D2 knew of no students from UF who were involved.

So the sadness we observed will be going on all this week, I'm sure. So here's to life. L'Chaim.