As an 11 year old I moved to Forest Hills, Queens and became friends with Sy’s son Michael, who 55 years later is still one of my favorite people in the world. I have numerous memories of the Reiner family but there are two that stand out.
I joined the family for a road trip from New York to Florida when Michael and I were about 15. We had a great time throughout the trip especially stopping in Washington, D.C. and visiting the museums and monuments. In Florida the Reiners included me on a charter fishing boat trip. We ended up catching barracuda and bonita (no sailfish to mount on a wall) and had a great time.
Another day trip that was memorable was Sy driving Michael, me and a few other friends to Bear Mountain. It was my very first experience on skis and I believe for the other guys too. It ended up snowing so hard that they closed the run in the middle of the day. Didn’t matter - we had a blast.
I feel very fortunate to have known Sy and Sidell over the years and I always felt the warmth of their family when we interacted.
One more memory: Seymour was the only person I knew who went to the same high school as my Mom. Seward Park High.
My condolences to Rochelle, Michael, Charles and their families.
Stu Stark