Daddy

Daddy has been on my mind lately...not sure why... He was a remarkable man! He grew up in New York City.  His parents had immigrated from Lithuania in the late 1800's.  His dad was an architect, his brother followed suit but Daddy chose a different route.  He went into to the army, served in WWII, built airstrips on islands in the Pacific, shot a few times....funny, but he would never, ever talk about his experiences in the war.

He left NYC, moved to Miami, raced cars and speed boats, played the ponies (too much sometimes), loved Jai Alai.   Constantly reinventing himself!  He moved to Orlando in the early 50's, met Mom through mutual friends, started building the first subdivisions and mid-rise office buildings in Orlando.  After only 6 weeks, he talked Mom into going on a fishing trip with him....remember this in 1952, in the South, a Jew with a Baptist! Daddy had already been married once before, was 18 years older (is there a family trend?) so it was a big deal to take an unsupervised trip.  They wound up in Valdosta, GA, deciding at some point to cross the state line and get married!  No waiting period in GA!  I guess he was also a great salesman (another trend???)

They tried for 10 years to have kids.  Mom used to fly down to Miami for what at the time were state of the art fertility treatments. No luck!  That's where I come into the picture.  Adoption was so different "back in the day".  They already knew that Michael was going to be theirs....just waiting on the birth.  But, one day in December, their attorney called and said there was a baby girl that had just been born and was available...did they want her?  YES! And 2 days later I was "home".

Daddy and I always had a great relationship.  He never had to spank me, it was just his look!  That was enough!  I never wanted to disappoint him!  He also talked with me on an intelligent level..never talking down to me.  I remember as young as 5, we would spend Saturday mornings together, driving around to various construction sites.  At that time he was still smoking.  I clearly remember being on the intersection of 434 and 427 and making up a rhyme..."Leaders don't smoke and leaders don't drive fast, so please leaders don't smoke and drive fast".  Odd what sticks with you. So our Saturday's were going around to work sites, then we would go the the Coca Cola plant and he would buy a flat of 8oz glass bottles of Coke.  Then we would go to Ronnies deli...first lunch...then get weekend supplies...smoked chubs, pickles, bagels, nova, cream cheese with chives, almond horns and rainbow cookies!  Sunday...it was "Meet the Press" and "Face the Nation". Once football came on, I was out to the pool! But at a very early age he stressed how important it was that I get a good education, be able to take care of myself, be self-reliant.  I think it was my 12th birthday present...the Kiplinger Letter that was new to the press.  Days of going through Dean Witter brokerage statements to teach me about the market, every few months of sitting down and reviewing what it takes to run a household from a financial perspective.  He taught me to drive, vetted boyfriends, hated my first husband, always stated his mind.

He had one of the first quadruple bypass surgeries in the country.  The Debakey team flew in from Houston and performed it at FL Hospital on Rollins.  I still remember sitting in the lobby, at that time there were a lot of restrictions on where children could go in hospitals, but when I finally got to go to the ICU, I remember how cold the room was, the machines, tubes, the cold slab...not a bed.  But he made it!  And quit smoking but yet had another quad bypass....and still made it!

I was with him when he had his last stroke.  I held his hand when he died in the middle of the night.  I miss him.  There are so many times I wish I could pick up the phone and call, or sit and watch the Sunday newshows, debate  politics, just ask for advice, just hang out!