Lynne & Gary’s Remembrance
Arthur Greenberg blasted into our (Gary and Lynne’s) lives in January of 1969. Introduced by ‘little sister’ - Lee, a whirl wind romance culminated within a lightening blast time frame of 4 weeks. Valentine’s Day of that year took on a whole new meaning to us all.
And then we were a family of 8. Blended, re-blended and blending. 6 under one roof, and two who had already flown the nest. A ‘mish mosh’ of characters and personalities with a proud Art Greenberg at the helm of his crew. As in all of life’s challenges and opportunities, somehow it pretty much worked.
A few memories:
Heaven help the person on the other end of the phone if you dared to call during family dinner time.
Coming home from a date and noticing one less door on its hinges, apparently not a good night for one of us kids.
Creamed tuna on toast – an Art specialty.
Poker…….. Becoming the honorary ‘mayor’ of Gardena poker clubs and loved by fellow players – of all ethnic backgrounds and nationalities.
Working at the Los Angeles Zoo: 6 kids that prepped him very well for working with the wild animal creatures.
Commitment, and creativity, to maintain his independence. When the car had to retire, it was devastating to Art. But………enter travel by scooter. Breaking previously set speed records at Leisure World, he ventured out without hesitation. From scooter driving to visiting Marta during hospital stays to his scooter antics walking Barney, he was a recognizable character in Laguna Woods.
Cool glasses, he could easily hang with the Rat Pack and had just enough ‘Bling’ to hang with Hip Hoppers.
One always knew where Arthur stood on any topic whether you wanted to know or not.
Art was very sentimental. Value of special gifts meant more to Art than large material things. From his grandfather’s nail file, to a beautiful handmade, embroidered pillow, autographed baseballs and pictures, memories held close to his heart.
How do you live until 97? You listen to your doctor’s instructions BUT, modify with sodium!
TV watching: loud enough to be heard throughout the building so as to be ‘shared’ with most of the neighborhood.
‘Dad’ was a complex, sometimes difficult man – with a heart of gold. We may not have always agreed with him, but never would be stupid enough to discount his opinions.
On this day of remembrance and reflection, all of us can be assured of the following, undebatable facts –
- He is today in a better place than he has been for the last few years;
- He will live on in our memories and our hearts forever;
- Arthur Greenberg did have a major affect on all of our lives;
At the end may he rest in peace and may his memory be for a blessing.