by David Rubin

I want to share with you some of what I remember and will remember about father:

I remember lying in my crib and waiting for him to come home to put me to bed
I remember him flying a kite with me
I remember him taking me to Baltimore Orioles' and Washington Senators' games even though he did not like baseball
I remember him taking me to Redskins' games when it was snowing and 10 degrees out even though he did not like football
I remember working beside him in the garden on the hottest summer day when I was five and him giving me a sip of the coldest beer I have ever tasted-my first.
I remember refusing to march with him around the synagogue during simach torah in spite of all of his pleadings
I remember him telling me my mother had died and that he, Ron and I were now a family
I remember him Saying kaddish for my mother, Janet
I remember him announcing happily that he was marrying Eileen and that she, he, Ron and I were now a family
I remember him carrying our baby sister Shirah on his shoulders
I remember him bringing Ron and me to all of his offices at the Pentagon and the White House, and him proudly introducing us to the President's secretary and staff who then gave us a private tour of the President's hideaway office
I remember attending every inaugural with him since 1968 and eating at the Monocle on Capital Hill
I remember hearing of and visiting his friends from kindergarten--Seymor Oxman, George Gorlick, Sol Johnson, and Bob Perlis. He knew them for 68 years!
I remember him working hard always-at the Pentagon, at the White House, at Commerce, for Berkshire Life, on behalf of the Commission, on any project he was involved in.
I remember deciding in college to go to Japan to study in spite of his advice not to
I remember watching him proudly hold his Grandchildren Jeffrey, Steven and Amy after they were born
I remember arguing with him on what would constitute a peaceful settlement in the Middle East
I remember him saying Kaddish for my step-mother, Eileen
I remember visiting Tucson with him nine years ago on our only vacation together
I remember traveling to Japan with him and Shirah ten years after College and watching him enjoy staying with my Japanese friends from a one room apartment to a Buddhist Temple to a doctor's mansion
I remember him debating the meaning of nothingness with my friend's father-one of the most famous Buddhist priests in Japan-sitting cross legged eating sushi in a Kyoto Temple
I remember him cheering at the all-star Sumo match even though he did not like Sumo
I remember him marveling that his Japanese taxi driver bought him lunch
I remember him cooking one of the two dishes he knew how to makeexperimental lasagna and salmon.
I remember him bugging me to send his screenplays to my Hollywood producer classmate and his disappointment when she did not read and option the script.
I remember him saying Kaddish for his friend, Josephine
I remember him caring for my Grandmother until she was lal and crying when he told her Eileen had died.
I remember him sharing his decision to marry Barbara and celebrating the engagement at our home with Barbara's wonderful family who is now our family--Abby, Randy, Sohpie, Kyle, Marla, and Ron.
I will always remember feeling his deep love for our family, his spiritual brothers Larry Huerta and Ciro Farina, and his and our dear friend Barbara
I will always remember his love and guidance.
I will always remember him and his life.