Page created by: Mariel Lifshitz

A tribute from a loving daughter to a loving father who will never be forgotten:

There are some people that you just never forget after you’ve met them. They’re the kind of people that make an impact on you just because of who they are. That doesn’t come from someone who blends in, or fits into a mold or some norm. It comes from being a unique person who follows their own beat. Those are the kinds of people that make this world interesting and wonderful. That was my dad, Seymour.

There are so many special memories that I have of him as a father:

- Making fried spaghetti for us when my mom was out of town because that was one of the only things he knew how to make and I looked forward to it every time because that was my dad’s special dish.

- Picking out cards that may not be for the right person or occasion, but if it spoke to him he’d just cross out whatever didn’t work and write in the name or occasion.

- ALWAYS sneaking into my room on Valentine’s Day morning to have something special waiting on my desk for me when I woke up to make sure I felt special and loved.

- Putting music on so that it could be heard throughout the house, often Jay and the Americans or Al Jolson, and dancing with us in the kitchen or the den. I’m probably one of the only 30 somethings that knows all of the words to “Come a Little Bit Closer” and “Cara Mia.”

- And, of course, I will never forget his stories. Those stories that he told so many times, but I never really got tired of hearing. He loved to tell stories of how he met my mother and their first dates that almost didn’t turn into more dates; of his time in Mexico and being held up at gun point more times than he would have liked; of teaching bad doctors or patients lessons, the "Seymour way," that usually ensured they would not try to pull the same act again.

A child could only hope for a parent that was as supportive and proud. Anyone that he had a chance to tell, he would tell them about what his daughters did and how proud he was of them. His love was unconditional – always there for me when I needed him, day or night. Showing me what it truly meant to be a devoted parent. He was not only a one of a kind father, but he was also a one of a kind doctor. I couldn’t talk about my dad without talking about his profession, because it was more than that. He practiced medicine the way he lived his life, sometimes approaching things in an unconventional way, but with his whole heart and mind. A true practitioner of medicine with a special and rare bedside manner. Not only am I proud that he is my father because of the wonderful way he cared about me, but also because of the wonderful way he cared about others. He loved and was so proud to be a doctor. Not because of any of the panache or prestige that went with the title, but because he loved helping people.

My father was one of a kind. On June 7, 2019 he passed away after a decades long battle with Parkinson's disease and related complications. His loss has left a huge void in my life and in my heart. But, no matter how much time passes, I will always remember the love that he had for me, the happy times we had together, and will always strive to do things in my life that he can be proud of and brag about to whoever he meets.