Updated 08/26/2011

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  Whenever I would think of, or re-tell a “Gabe” story, it was always followed by laughter. It is still done with laughter, but now through tears as well.

I would like to repeat here two stories that I think best describes who Gabe was, and how when he touched your life, he touched your whole family as well.

The First Story
During most of the summer, my nephews from California were staying by my house. They refused to go to any type of camp, and kept themselves busy with their “Playstation” machine. They were really obsessed with it. Nothing I said or did could tear their attention away from the television. Until, Gabe came over.

You see, last summer, Gabe had a store in the Five Towns, a block away from my home. Because of its close proximity, he visited often. When the doorbell rang, and my nephews saw Gabe was visiting, well, those remote controls were thrown right up into the air, and the kids were running towards him! “Gabe! Gabe!” they shouted, as they ran over to him and jumped all over him to play. I was always amazed by this, as was my whole family. In fact, sometimes I even lied and told them that Gabe was at the door, just to get two seconds of their attention. My family adored Gabe, because he wasn’t just my friend, but he was theirs also!

The Second Story
A few years ago, while Gabe was still living in Maryland, I would only get to see him when he came to New York occasionally to visit, or when I went to Maryland for Sukkos to my sister-in-laws’s house in Woodside. When I told Gabe I was coming, he invited me to his house to eat a meal. I answered him that I didn’t know my way around. “No problem, I’ll pick you up” was his answer. So, then on Yom Tov, Gabe came to the house in the morning to pick me up and we walked back to his house. Only the walk back was more than an hour!! I then realized, that Gabe’s “No problem” was from his heart, as not many other people that I know would have walked for a total of almost 3 hours just for lunch with a friend. Everything was “No problem” to him…

Gabe, did I tell you enough how much you meant to me? And thank you for those endless hours of listening? And those laughter sessions??? I definitely didn’t tell you enough. I hope you know how very missed and loved you are.

Love Always,

Sarah Weinberg