To Nicholas

submitted by Mark

This is a letter I wrote and read to Nick at his baby naming ceremony... (November 1997)

"Dear Nicholas:

One of your middle names and your Hebrew name is for your Great Grandpa, Louis Chuver (better known as Zazy) Unfortunately, Zazy passed away a couple of months before you were born. I am truly sorry that you won't have the opportunity to meet Zazy because he was a really special person.

There are so many things I hope you inherit from Zazy and that I want you to know about him...

Zazy had a very outgoing personality and was always happy. I can't remember a time when we saw him without a smile on his face or even angry at someone. He had a great sense of humor and loved to make everyone around him laugh. He was a salesman by trade and his personality made him very successful at his job. Zazy was very good at selling an idea or a story to whoever would listen. I guess you could say he was a great "Bser". He used to tell us stories about how he would tell people how he had never bowled before or played racquetball before...He would sucker them in and hen he would bet them!! He loved reading us bedtime stories, or actually making up stories and having us believe he was reading from a book. No matter what he said, we believed him because he was Zazy!

Above all, Zazy was a "people person". He was always doing things for everyone else, especially his family. Zazy's family meant the world to him. In fact, one of our last conversations (sitting outside at the nursing home) was about family and how important it was to be together and do things together.

Zazy was a very athletic man. He had numerous athletic talents, ranging from being a Golden Glove boxer to a minor leaguer baseball player. He kept himself active and in shape throughout his entire life. In fact, when he participated in the Senior Olympics, he would beat people who were younger then he was in various events. If he were alive today, he would have bragged about how big you were when you were born and you would be a future ball player. He would have done his best to teach you how to throw that punch, or throw that ball, or swing that club.

I have so many fond memories of my childhood and growing up with Zazy. This letter could easily turn into a book if I tried to tell you everything. Hopefully, you will grow up hearing about him and feel like you knew him too. I hope you can carry on his fighting spirit and loving personality and that you grow up to be the type of person people want to be around...Just like you Zazy!!

If Zazy were here tonight, he would lift his glass and say:
To Nicholas; L'Chaim...To Life! May you live a long, healthy life, just like your Zazy."

Cindy