ForeverMissed
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Excerpt from Uncle Richard Orlikoff's Letter of July 7, 2000

February 17, 2016
As for my father’s family, Dad told me that his father, and the family, had been hay, feed and grain merchants in Odessa.  My father was not born in this country.  I believe that he was born in Russia.  His family emigrated to Argentina in the 1890’s, fleeing a pogrom and led by a rabbi.  They found the Argentinean Pampas too wild and uncivilized and entered the U.S. before the turn of the century, where they purchased a farm in upper New York State.

Dad said that the farm was stony, with poor soil.  Somehow or other they got into New Jersey and began a dairy farm.  When I was very young, Dad was a milkman in Passaic, New Jersey.  I believe he was delivering milk from the family farm.

Came the depression and the dairy could not support all of them.  Dad moved West to join Mother’s family in South Bend, Indiana, where Sam Levine operated a rendering plant.  Times in South Bend were grim and Dad moved up into Michigan (Whitehall), where he traded furs in the winter and ran a junk yard year-round, graduating into the auto parts business.  I remember traveling with him to the Upper Peninsula to buy furs from the Indians.  We left Whitehall for Big Rapids with all of the family’s belongings packed on to a truck.  If we had been in Oklahoma we would have been called “Okies”.

In Big Rapids Dad bought the house and business (Junk) of an old Jewish man named Rose.  I don’t know whether he paid cash or bought on contract, or part cash and part contract.  We replaced Rose as the only Jewish family in Big Rapids.

Somehow or other our Grandfather, Sam Levine, moved up to Muskegon with his family.  Perhaps the move of both families was coincident.  I believe the Levine family had been in Michigan at an earlier time.  I remember stories about the Levine family arriving in Houghton, Michigan.  Word of their arrival had preceded them and, it was related to me, the town turned out at the train station to get their first glimpse of real Jews.

 

A Client's tale if I may

February 20, 2015
by T K

    Literally, not a day goes by without some remembrance, or appreciation of how fortunate I was to have known Pat. The story about the painting, thanks so much for posting it. Yaah, your Mom knew her Arts very well (whether performance or material), especially the “creative” side.
    I once synthesized an epic sounding piece to test some music gear. She was curious to hear something. I did not tell her it was a test piece - I could tell she was not very familiar with the latest production tools. She nevertheless, nailed down, to a tee, how much time it took to do it.

She liked it, thought it was good, and certainly "professional", but mildly dismissive she questioned, “So did this take you about 2 hours or so?”. We had a real laugh, I couldn’t get one past her. That her creative background was sending up flares as she sat listening to what was otherwise “epic" material. She still had it !
    She was more taken by a song with lyrics on acoustic guitar (which took real effort). Pat was not one to be patronizing with, by any means, especially when it comes to the Arts. One finds out early, her standards were forged in the real world. It was just another example of her depth, in all the humanities, and in “all things human” really.
    To think that I only knew her in her later years. I can only imagine what a vibrant infatigable spirit she must have had when younger, her will still strong in the years I knew her. I wish she had been given more time to be with you all whom she loved. She deserved as much. It makes me sad.
    There's so much I want to say. Like about her contribution to so many lives, but I'm liable to be even more waxing, and verbose. I think she did immeasurable good for those she helped and all those, in a "degrees of seperation" sense, who likewise can live lives less-harmed, thanks to Pat's presence in her profession. She's my hero(ine).

A Client

P.S. Andree I haven't forgotten, I just wasn't cured of procrastination.

Pat at Elderwise

May 20, 2014
On May 17, Paul, Claude and I attended the Elderwise auction.  After Mom passed, one of her paintings had been included in a local exhibit of artwork done by the Elderwise community.  Elderwise contacted me and wanted to know whether Chris and I wanted to donate the picture to be auctioned as part of their fundraiser.  Well Chris and I aren’t ready to part with any of Mom’s paintings, but I wanted to attend the auction.  It is such a wonderful group and even though Mom only participated for a short time she found a community that supported her and she was able try something completely new. 

The auction was held at Horizon House, which is where Mom attended the Elderwise program.  At the entrance was Mom’s painting with the following short biography:

Pat was a social worker and psychotherapist and was in private practice for 30 years in New York.  She moved to Seattle in 2013 from Long Island to be close to her family.  During her short time here she participated in and grew to love the Elderwise Community and even started painting.  We enjoyed her spunk and humor.  Pat passed away on February 17th 2014.

Mom had found her tribe and they recognized what was special about her.  That has been such a great gift to all of us.  On the wall was a slide show of the group.  It was great to see Mom in some of those pictures.  She was engaged and relaxed.  We were also welcomed by those that had worked with Mom and it was clear that even though she had been with the group only a short time, she left her mark and had touched them.

I loved one story that we were told about Mom and her painting.  She was very reluctant to start painting when she first joined the group, and when she started painting she didn’t want to be told that her paintings were good.   But there was one painting, which I included in the slide show, of a branch with flowers.  One of the program coordinators, Cayce, noticed that Mom was intently working on this painting and seemed to be fully engaged.  Cayce went over to Mom and started to tell her that the painting was good, but hesitated given how Mom had responded in the past.  But Mom said to her “for this one you can tell me it’s ok”. 

It was a bittersweet afternoon, but I loved being at the auction.  It was great to feel the love and care that I know Mom felt when she went to her Elderwise program on Mondays at Horizon House.

 

A Good Friend

February 24, 2014

Ms. Pat Gagnon was a good friend of mine.  We met in her Farmingville, NY office in 1999.  Throughout our years as friends, she focused on helping me  improve my life.  I remember having a conversation with her about me going back to college and how she insisted that I look into going back to school and actually attending.  As a result of her guidance and her encouraging words, I was able to earn two college degrees and am currently working on my Ph.D.


Many times I mentioned to her that I owe my academic successes to her.  Ms. Gagnon cared enough for me that she wanted to make sure that I enrich myself with a college education. 


During my lean financial days, she would create small jobs around her house for me to do, so I would be able to fill my car with gas and have cash for other things.  


She was an incredibly kind soul.  I miss her and I love her.  She will always have a special place in my heart.  She was like a mother to me and she once mentioned to me that I was like a son to her. 


I was so fortunate to talk to her days before she passed.  I was able to tell her how much her friendship meant to me and how much I loved her!


Until we meet again, Ms. Gagnon.


Jose  


  

Colonel

February 24, 2014

The horse's name was Colonel. He was the only horse we ever owned. We got him the summer before I went off to college. Raised on a dairy farm and an artilleryman in the horse-drawn artillery in WW I, Dad knew and loved horses. The depression was loosening and the folks wanted to make life brighter in Big Rapids for the kids. Dad fixed up a shed on our back lot as a stable and made arrangements for pasture at a close-by farm. He was unquestionably Pat's horse after I went off to college since, due to the war, I didn't get back for periods longer than a week-end before I went overseas. Pat loved to ride and care for Colonel. He was a bright happening in our childhoods. She would ride with friends and go alone for canters on beautiful country roads. We always laughed together when we thought of Colonel.

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