Mark Rubin
Very Dearest Regina and Jordan ~
I sincerely apologize that it’s taken me a couple of weeks since hearing the sad news of Henry’s passing to put a post here on the Beth Israel website. Irwin Leibowitz was kind enough to forward to me your email to him, and so I have your contact info.
Please accept my deepest condolences on your profound loss, and my condolences to anyone lucky enough to have known him. By the way, our friend Paul Grange— who gave me the sad news— would want me to add his name to this email, as he was extraordinarily close with Henry for years.
Just now on the site I saw the wonderful photo of you, Henry, your dad and Jordan at the piano….. and though I never got to meet Jordan, the beautiful faces of you (fairly unchanged since our last contact when you were still a pre-teenager!), Henry, and the very familiar face of your dad (who was always, like your mom, so kind to me) set off waves of wonderful memories that have been coming to me for the past 2 weeks. My deepest sadness is that we fell out of communication when Jordan was born, though I know we were never out of touch on inner levels as soul buddies.
As you know, Henry and I were pretty inseparable for 20 years— from discovering that we were fellow Art & Design schoolmates while
riding the Remsen Avenue bus to school (the big black portfolios were a giveaway), through Cooper Union, our stints as teachers at P.S. 138, and our design studios. And, in fact, every New Year’s Eve I reminisce about him convincing me to go to Times Square on 12/31/1966, something I think we both regretted for years to come :-). We also partnered in many very financially-unsound business projects as young artists (which fortunately we were able to laugh about while laboring).
No one could ever have had a more loyal, caring, supportive— and adventurous— friend than I had in your brother. The gusto with which he loved picking me up in his T-Bird to go either to one of the schools or anywhere else was boundless, and a treasured memory. My parents loved him, as did my brother Dave— who with me, Henry and Dave Klaboe formed a philosopher’s group that met very often for years at one of our offices to try to make sense of art, life and the female of the species.
There are far too many memories to share about Henry’s unique greatness to relate here, but perhaps we will get to say hello, and to Jordan as well, if he’d like to make contact. My cellphone number is 941-356-9922, and my email address is [email protected].
Regina, it sounds from your email to Irwin that you’re doing well, which warms my heart, as you were the sweetest, cutest ‘little sister’ anyone’s buddy could have had….!
I celebrate Henry’s life, and truly always have, for he helped my own life to get off to a much better start through his friendship and love. I feel like I'm experiencing inner communication with him these very days, so I’m doubly blessed.
With much love, and wishes for a Happy New Year ~
Mark Rubin