Suze's Eulogy--more to come

It was so amazing to see so many people we love in one room. We took the largest room at Riverside Memorial and were so surprised that it was so full that people were actually standing in the back. I couldn't believe when I went up to deliver my Eulogy that my son Austin stood up with me and said he had to go to the bathroom. It proved to be the ultimate icebreaker and helped me not completely break down when I spoke. I was totally overwhelmed in the best possible way to see everyone from my next door neighbors growing up,to all my cousins and my, Leslie's, Steven's and Mom and Dad's best friends all there, in fact, the only one missing was Dad. But all smiles aside, my family and I are emotionally on a roller coaster ride, one second we are smiling the next balling! I miss my father so much more than I could ever put into words but I am comforted knowing that he is so much a part of me and many of you and that his legacy will live on. Some of you wanted to see what we said in print so here's mine and I will post the others as I receive them. I think my dad would have appreciated that I kept it short and sweet.

My Eulogy:


I was looking for the right things to say about my Dad that would best capture his essence. I think one of my sons came pretty close when describing his favorite things about grandpa--“his pancakes and his attitude”.

The reality is that at his core my Dad was quite simply “the nicest man on the planet”. He was a good man…a great man…a gentle man…and a gentleman. His kindness, generosity, class and love for his family were unrivaled. Dad pretty much taught me everything I know.

My top 5 favorite rules:
1. Don’t wait around for things to happen but make it happen.
2. Make life easy and don’t get caught up in the pettiness
3. Have fun and be present.
4. be appreciative and never take anything for granted.
5. And Dad’s golden rule - Never confuse who you are with what you do. I live by this.

He achieved great work success, but that is never how he measured his achievement. It was all about what he could do to take care of those around him. He was selfless in his desire to make sure that everyone was happy and no one lacked. He was the consummate host and it wasn’t a chore for him—it was a passion. He took my friends in as if they were part of the family. A number of them are here today, not to comfort and support us, but for him and the impact, however small, that he had on their life. This is the ultimate tribute. Even in his last days, my Dad was focused on others and not himself. He found this great cane at Orvis and everyone at the hospital was complimenting him on it. Just this past Saturday, he asked Marc to track down and purchase five of them so he could go hand them out to those that wanted them. That was my Dad! Oh and let me know if you want one.



Most importantly, all of these amazing qualities enabled him to be an incredible father to me, Leslie and Stephen, an amazing husband, and the BEST grandfather. He loved our boys and even though they were #’s 6, 7, and 8, he treated them like #1, #1 and #1. We can only hope that some of these qualities make their way to our kids, and the goodness of Herb will live on in the next generation.

When Marc explained to Austin what was going to happen today, Austin replied that certain civilizations bury people with their favorite things and asked whether we should bury grandpa with a pound of tongue. I hope they serve pastrami, caviar and 18 year old Macallan and that he is getting red in the face laughing his head off with his brothers Phil and Harvey.

I always felt that I could tell my father anything and everything and I did. So this week, when it was time to say goodbye, there was nothing more to say. He knew how I felt and told me that.