My father was a great man.
Not just because he was my father; he was great man in his own right.
My father was born in the early part of the 20th century.
As he grew up, he realized that he wanted to be a doctor; he wanted to help people to be healthy. More than that, he had a passion for medicine. Yet he was a Jewish man from a poor family. In those days it was difficult enough for Jews to get into medical school; without financial resources it was almost impossible.
But dad would not listen to the “experts” who told him to give up his mad dream of practicing medicine and do something else - something more practical - with his life.
Dad would not accept practical suggestions that deprived him of his dream. Instead, he studied hard, constantly learning about his chosen profession, oblivious to the sizable number of people telling him that he just couldn’t be a doctor.
He ended up with the second highest GPA at New York University during the entire decade of the 1940s. His grades were so good that he was able to get into medical school. He became a doctor, and he loved being a doctor.
Not only that, dad was famous. I never knew that until one day, going through and organizing some of his old books, I discovered an article on a condition with his name on it. Dad studied hematology - his medical specialty - with the man who discovered the field. He was regarded as top in his chosen field, though his humility prevented him from ever claiming accolades for his achievements.
Dad was an old fashioned doctor; he told me many times that he believed almost everything that went wrong with the human body would correct itself; doctors could hopefully help when the body couldn’t heal on its own. He was not a pill-pusher; he did not prescribe in order to promote sales of medicines… he cared first and foremost about his patients.
He used to have patients whom he had seen for decades come to his office just to talk, and he always made time to listen. I even remember him making house calls when necessary!
But what made my father a great man was that he persevered in pursuit of his dreams, despite being told they were unreasonable. He committed himself to a vision in which he could spend his life helping people to live longer and better lives.
Dad had the courage of his convictions. In a world where principle and conviction too often take a back seat to more practical concerns such as money, position and convenience, my father never wavered from his principles. He was both humble and honest.
His example has been and continues to be my inspiration. Everything I have accomplished in life has been due to my dedication to principle, which I learned from dad. Every person I have touched with my own passion and expertise, everyone I have been able to help and the lives I have benefited by my knowledge and experience; all these are the direct result of the example set for me by my father. And I am just one person.
Consider all those people whose lives he saved or prolonged. Consider what they were able to do with the time dad gave them; who they touched with their lives as a result of dad’s efforts. Consider how he touched each of you, and the ways in which he made a difference in your life.
My father touched the lives of countless numbers of people. I believe that each life he touched was made better for the experience; and those same people dad touched went on to touch the lives of others, who in turn would touch others, in a never-ending cycle.
If you toss a pebble into the ocean it creates ripples, and those ripples continue long past your ability to see them. Dad created innumerable ripples in the Ocean of Life; we will never know the full extent of the good he has done for our world. We will never be able to quantify how much of a difference he made to us all. But of this I am certain: the ripples he started will continue to make a positive impact on the lives of many people in many places.
There are few times in my life I have ever used the word “admire”. To look up to someone in some way separates me from that person, so while I respect and love, I tend not to “admire”. One of the very few exceptions is dad.
I admired my father; I still do. I looked up to him; I still do. He was and is my inspiration and moral support. If I have ever helped anyone with my knowledge and dedication, it is due to the influence dad continues to have on me.
He leaves behind a legacy from which any and all of us may become better people: to stand true to our convictions and dedicate ourselves with passion to the principles in which we believe.
My dad leaves an imprint on our world that we should never forget. He will forever be remembered in the hearts and minds of those he touched, and those they touched, and there have been so many.
I can only strive to live my life with as much integrity as did my father; the same is true for each of you. He leaves us a blueprint of how to live a good life. He wasn’t fancy, but his life had genuine meaning in the Scheme of Things.
Thank you dad, for being such a shining example to me of truth, justice and love.
My father was a great man. He is now with my mother, whom he dearly and truly loved; they are finally and forever together again. He has earned a place at God’s Table. I miss him terribly. I love him deeply. Our world is diminished by his loss.
