My Papa was a great person. Funny as hell, always telling stories... many that were not true. All about the war, how he had no shoes and had to walk 10 miles in the snow to school - with no shoes. He was born on April Fools Day. Although a very handsome man in his early years, later he looked like a cross between Mr. Roper and Yoda. Bald head, big ears... see for yourself.


Papa wrote speeches and poems for everything. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs... always signing them "A Martin original, one of a kind- just for you". I have them all, he kept a copy of each and every word.
He worried about everything. Typical Jewish grandfather. My grandparents bickered constantly... I now think that is what kept them together. He loved when a child would sit on his lap for a backrub. Since I was very close to my grandmother, we had a running joke that I would call and say, "Is grandma there?". Papa was friends with the guy at the gas station, the man at the pet store and anyone else who would sit with him and listen. His funeral was standing room only. For as long as I can remember, he walked around with a little stool on a cane because he often got dizzy when he stood up. I only remember once where he used a wheelchair. We were in Boston for my sisters graduation and we made him get one. He hated it. Papa sang Hava Nagila at my wedding. Proud and tall... well not so tall, he was leaning on a chair. He was an accountant, most of his "clients" being old friends. Filing cabinets filled his office with paperwork from years and years of work. Hmmmm, from one generation to the next.

We called him Papa, a name which my father proudly took on (although my kids have changed it to Poopy). He passed away in the lobby of his apartment building 14 years ago; Justin was 4 months old. There are very few pictures of him with Justin... he did not like holding babies. He was so proud of his grandchildren and would be very proud of his great-grandchildren. He said the following words at my wedding, "Life, as it unfolds brings us various rewards. When we get married that is great and then we have children, those are problems. The children bring home girlfriends that become wives, thank God we're getting rid of the kids. And then when they have children, those are rewards. And when God blesses the grandparents with years of life and our grandchildren get married, that is called bonus. And from now on all were doing is going up."