Most of you missed Manny's funeral, and you
missed his daughter, Rachelle, deliver a wonderful eulogy. Her words linked
her to Manny more than any strands of DNA could. She obviously inherited some
of his sense of humor. Her brief memorial to life with Manny makes you wonder
what it must have been like growing up in the Lipton household.
I enjoyed Rachelle's eulogy to her father so much,
that I asked her for a copy to add to this site. She agreed, and it follows.
Enjoy.
My name is Rachelle Harmer, and I am the oldest of 3 daughters born to Manny and Frieda Lipton and there are 2 reasons why I am here today. One is because my father always told me, that if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here and - two- since he couldn't find anyone else to mention him in a dignified manner, I the oldest daughter would have the honor---------and believe me, I aged another 10 years, to get the courage to do this job.
Anyway, my life with Manny began in an atmosphere of embarrassment. Every time a female child was born to my mother Frieda, my father threatened to sue the Kingston Hospital for switching babies. He was always so sure that he had produced a baby boy. In fact, when my sister Sandy was born, my mother asked the doctor to please leave the umbilical cord extra long, hoping to fool Dad. Wanting boys gave me and my sisters an inferiority complex----and to make it up to us, our father denied us nothing of material substance as we grew up, as long as it didn't cost any money.
My father never graduated high school, although he did attend the Yeshiva College and it was here that his father was called in by the leading Rabbis of the renowned institution and told, that Manny would never make a great Rabbi---but that he had the makings of a business man-----and you know something, I think they were right. As far back as I can remember, my father never hesitated to involve himself in any proposition, day or night, an honest endeavor to make a profit.
My father had been involved with 17 businesses, from a Good Humor man, where he never made any money, because he ate all the profits, to working 7 days a week at the Oil Company down in Sleightsburg, to David Gill Jr. on the Strand, to the most infamous--- Manny's Lounge in New Paltz, he proved to himself and to his family-----that if a man can sell, he can sell anything. And maybe that's the reason, my mother always counted us when she put us in bed at night, and then proceeded to count the silverware.
With all this energy to be a winner---he always read a lot. He was what you would call, a self-educated man. And he always told us, when we were old enough to understand, that a man builds his castles on foundations of sand, and our very existence is only a dream.
Before an important engagement or appointment Dad would never sleep well, and he always taught us, that if something was important enough to do---do it right with all our time and energy-or don't do it at all. Common sense has always dictated to play the favorites; but I never saw a man so enthused when an underdog would break loose from the pack and cross the finish line at the race track.
You know, it's embarrassing to report, that when others dream to pray at the West Wall, I believe that my fathers dream was to hit the NY State lottery or 5 numbers at the dice table in Las Vegas.
I can never remember a serious argument between my parents, and maybe it's because Mom wore cotton in her ears, that their marriage had lasted over 50 wonderful years.
As you all know, my father possessed a tremendous sense of humor and I can hardly ever remember him without his Jimmy Carter smile. In fact, the only time I recall him not being happy, is when someone presented him with a bill for services rendered or when he purchased merchandise
In conclusion, permit me to say on behalf of the family---Dad, you taught us that decency, honesty and respect are the most important things in a persons life. I could go on and talk for hours about this man who loved life and the people that lived it, but, I will leave you with one thought, and that is that the most important thing that humanity will remember about my father, is that he always left them happier than when he found them and always with a smile on their faces.
Thank you Dad,
for EVERYTHING….
Rachelle Harmer
December, 2003