Victor Brill, beloved grandfather, passes away
Last Friday, April 22nd, Victor Brill passed on early in the morning. He was 93.
Needless to say, Dori was very upset. We spent most of the day with her father and step-mother, and I believe this helped both of them tremendously.
Sunday Victor was eulogized at Sinai Chapel and buried at Mt. Hebron cemetary in Flushing. Aimee, Jon, and Phil all gave heartfelt, moving speeches, lifting Victor up on high with their praise of his kindness, generosity, and deep loving heart. I was honored to be a pallbearer.
The scene at the cemetary was more complicated, unfortunately due to the heavy rain. Puddles on the road prevented the procession from driving to the grave site directly, so mourners had to walk to the grave - thankfully it was fairly close to the parking lot. The rain also had the effect of destroying the structural integrity of the walls of the grave, making it dangerous for us to lower the casket for fear of the ground giving way, sending one of us in. Since I was a pallbearer, I had a 1/3 chance of being at the head of the casket - which I was, so I had to walk out on wooden planks over the grave in order to line things up (yes, I walked the plank). It was definitely a test.
From Sunday on until today, Dori and I spent much of our time at Phil’s house, where he and Chaim sat shiva. It was a bonding experience - rich enough for a small documentary, or perhaps another post.