We received news today that an old friend from Chicago, Richard Gengler, passed away this weekend. Richard was a native Chicagoan, World War II veteran, bachelor, sailor, church usher, dahlia cultivator. He loved playing the stock market and reading about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje. He mixed Manhattans and bragged about his salads, counting off the number of ingredients he managed to scrounge up from the refigerator, with equal pride. He left long, loud messages on our answering machine, always beginning with a hearty, "Helloooo!" He cherished a good strawberry rhubarb pie, and he always had a word (and a flower) for a pretty woman. Until the last few years of his life, he lived in the house where he was born in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. He would have been 96 in December. Although we hadn't seen him in several years, we will miss him, and tonight, though it is much too warm, we will mix a Manhattan--a perfect Manhattan, with dry and sweet vermouth, as Richard liked to remind us--and drink in his honor. Requiescat in pace.
I love a good Manhattan. Next time I have one, I'll think of your friend. I remember the story about the rhubarb. I have neighbor who is close to 90, and has the loveliest garden in town. This spring, she invited my sister and I into her backyard and cut some fresh rhubarb to give each of us.
ReplyDeleteThank you, J. Richard was a character, and we'll miss him.
ReplyDeletewould love to read more about Richard.
ReplyDeleteRA, there's no obituary posted yet as far as I can tell, but go here for an earlier paen to Richard: http://www.baltimorestyle.com/index.php/style/article/5742/
ReplyDeleteMy mother reminded me today that she and my father spent a whole evening in Richard's company where he flirted outrageously with her and referred to my father as "What's-His-Name."
My husband reminds me to mention Richard's pride of being a descendent of Luxembourg.
Richard's obituary from the Chicago Tribune: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=richard-p-gengler&pid=144616725
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great tribute to Richard!! My husband and I lived as newlyweds 10 years ago nextdoor to Richard...what you wrote is perfect. The salads, "The stock market and reading about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje"- that was one afternoon spent with Richard. Another, with him on his sailboat in Lake Michigan...he captained the trip at age 85, kindly letting us know that our knot-tying was not up to speed. The dahlias were beautiful. Richard was a great person and we also were saddened to hear of his passing, and blessed to have called him a friend.
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