My Uncle Clifford is Gone

My Uncle Clifford was a wonderful man. He was my father's only sibling--just a couple of years younger. He has just died from complications of cancer surgery at about 80 years old.

Uncle Clifford battled cancer before but was in great shape when we visited him four years ago at his "cabin" in the Catskills. He and his longtime wife and business partner, Jean, showed us a great time, and it was a little like spending time with Dad, who has been gone since 2002. I truly regret that we will never get to do that again.

When I was a bar mitzvah boy many years ago, Uncle Clifford was working in New York City in the office machine business. He sent me a portable typewriter -- not much bigger than today's laptop computer -- which I not only still have but I used to get through college as an English major (back before the PC era).

Clifford and Jean ended up founding and running an incredible Japanese antique art company in New York City, their home. Go see Flying Cranes Antiques online--or better yet, in person, and you'll be blown away.

Jean told me today that a celebration of my uncle's life is planned and we will do our best to fly back to New York for it.

The photo above shows Cliff and Jean in 1978.