In Memory of My Friend Harlan Priesman, z'l

Although I am thousands of miles away, when I learned about Harlan’s death, I felt tremendous waves of sadness. Harlan was a gentle giant of a person. He was soft spoken with a sweet laugh that expressed his joy in living. When Harlan was around Rhoda, he enjoyed letting her speak for the two of them while he listened intently. He adored her and enjoyed being in her company. He enjoyed the times they shared visiting family, seeing Corey, Kristen, Leo and Elise in San Francisco and seeing Jamie, Jeffrey, Evan, and Grant in Cincinnati. Although family mattered most to Harlan, he also enjoyed being in the company of his friends, biking to the Mill with them on Sunday mornings and having lunch with them on alternating Wednesdays. Anyone who knew Harlan as a businessman knew that he took satisfaction in providing quality products and service to his customers. When he sold you a desk or waiting room chairs, he took pride in knowing that he was helping you establish a comfortable work atmosphere for customers and employees. When Harlan helped set up my husband’s first office in 1973, little did we realize that in 2020 his choices for us would still be functional! Corey and Jamie, as I think about your father, I see a devoted husband who took seriously the sacred bond of marriage to be by your mother’s side in sickness as in health. I see an individual who could look at difficult changes in his life with an attitude of positivity. I see an individual who was kind, caring, and non-assuming. I see an individual who took great delight in knowing that his children were involved in raising wonderful families and in careers that helped others. There is no doubt in my mind, that your father’s time in this world has had a positive impact on the lives of those of us who knew and loved him. May his soul be bound up in the bond of life and may his memory be for a blessing.