Joseph Rubin – may his soul rest in peace –

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I came home last night, and this afternoon I received a letter from Marilyn Rubin, daughter of Joseph Rubin. Those of you who read my blog will have noticed Joseph’s comments on my blog, always supportive and encouraging. I’m unsure how long he’s been a follower of my blog, at a guess about 3 years. I also know that he popped over to others’ blog and followed them too and made supportive comments. I had personal emails from him too, and loved to hear about Anita his wife, his daughters, the cat that came to visit, the squirrels, the changing seasons …

This is Marilyn’s letter –

 Sunday morning, my father was having difficulty breathing, and was brought to the hospital. The ambulance took a long time to come, and by the time they arrived at his house, he had stopped breathing and had little or no pulse. They were able to resuscitate him, and he remained in the hospital until this morning, about 6:40 AM Detroit time, when he passed away.

 I am about to go to the hospital to console my mother, and be with the rest of my family. But first, I wanted to write to you. I feel there was a very special section of his life that he shared with you, and the writers community associated with your blog and other related blogs. So I feel that you are as close to him as family. You all were very special to him.

 The writers community that you and he were part of was very important to him. He constantly spoke of how much he admired your talent. But it was more than that – I think there was a special connection that he felt in this community. A funny thing is that I used to exclaim that sometimes, I would write a comment on your blog, and you would then find a way to repeat it, rephrased in a way that better expressed what I was trying to say. So, as I feel my words are not adequate here to express how much you and the writers community added to his life, and therefore mine, I know you will find a way.

 Please also pass on this news to other readers and posters on your blog, as you see fit.

Dear Joseph Rubin – may your dear soul rest in peace. Your life was well lived. We mourn the deep loss. To the family, a long life. You are in my thoughts and prayers. May G.d grant you comfort and peace in this sorrowful time.

I’m reminded of Oscar Wilde’s words ‘Where there is sorrow, there is holy ground’.

 

46 Comments on Joseph Rubin –

  1. Thank you for your kind letter, Marilyn, and thank you for posting this, Susan. It’s strange that Joseph should be gone. I was just thinking of him when Marilyn’s letter arrived. He didn’t comment on my blog, but he commented on my comments on others’ blogs, by email. He was a very kind, interesting, highly intelligent and deeply thoughtful person. I will miss him, his presence, as will we all.

    Go in peace, Joseph.

    • Marilyn is sure to come by Samantha … amazing that you were thinking of him at the time Marilyn’s letter arrived. I was thinking of sending a greeting card for Yom Kippur during that day to Joseph and family –

  2. Hello My Friend,
    This is a fitting tribute to Joe. I will miss him dearly and have been struggling with putting my feelings in words in a poem that I will do as a tribute to him tomorrow.
    Joe was so many things too so many people. He was indeed a blessing.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Patricia

  3. I read this post yesterday, Susan, and had to digest it a little. Thank you Susan and Marilyn. Joe had written (in email) about aging and infirmity. He wrote of his deep love for his family and his thirst for knowledge. On line, he was full of vitality. Just a few weeks ago, Joe sent me a comment via Susan’s blog. He also commented on my blogs sometimes. He read my book ‘Leaning into Love’ and wrote an Amazon review. After reading about my husband Vic in my book, he read Vic’s books and wrote an Amazon review or two. He was ever generous and careful about expressing things in the best way. I so admired his interests, knowledge, and kindness. I’ll miss seeing his comments here and miss those emails. Death is always sad and hard, especially for close family, but having witnessed many deaths, it sounds as though he had what we’d call a “good death” with lots of life until the last few days.

    • I just found this now in my spam Elaine – am so sorry … I wonder if it will come up as a duplicate comment. Yes, I know Joseph read and reviewed yours and Vic’s book and he was so generous in this respect and many other respects. I also think he had a good death – so sad though for his family …

  4. Hi, just dropping in …

    As I am reading this, I feel an increasing sense of peace and companionship, a sense of togetherness, which I assume is from all of you, and my father from up above.

    Thank you all …. I will continue to drop in, and cherish each and every one of your comments, and will also pass on your love and condolences to my mother and the rest of our family.

    Again, thank-you Susan, for posting this. Not only would he appreciate this, I am sure he sends his love.

    • I am sure too Marilyn that he would continue to send us his love. Thank you for saying – please know that we’re thinking of you all and sending you more peace and companionship and togetherness …

  5. Hello Susan and Marilyn. My deepest condolences, Marilyn, to you and your Mother and the rest of your family. Also to his friends. I will miss reading your father’s letters. May his Soul rest in peace.

  6. Hi Susan – I did not know Joseph, but can feel the strength and love you and many commenters had for him … and the blogging community is an amazing one – we forge such connections with each other. I too am so glad you posted this for us … and that Marilyn and Joseph’s family will appreciate your and our thoughts for him. As Gulara says – may he rest in peace … with many thoughts for all – Hilary

    • Hi Hilary, yes I think we’re all feeling. For me perhaps it is inter alia a shock, the suddenness -. As you say ‘ – we forge such connections with each other’. And then a thread gets broken .. all feels tenuous – to me at any rate what with other things too …

      The response to Marilyn and her friends is so wonderful – thank you for your support Hilary.
      Susan

  8. Oh, Susan, so sad to hear of Joe’s passing…he was a wonderful and supportive man all right, and posted many great comments on my blog. You could feel his sweetness and his love for all.

  9. Susan, thank you for honoring him this way. Thank you everyone, for your kind comments.

    With all the preparations here for the funeral and other matters, I will only have time to check in once or twice per day to read. Hopefully, my father will be occasionally looking over my shoulder as I read.

    • You’ll be getting an idea Marilyn how his loss to us is felt, we who have never met him apart from on our blogs.. I’m sure he’s watching and looking over your shoulder.

  13. You honor him with this post, Susan. And since he felt such a connection to you and other writers, it is fitting that he be remembered here.
    My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

  14. So sorry to hear Susan. Joseph commented on many of my posts and we got to talking about books and Moldova quite a bit. He was always so encouraging and helpful with his comments. I will miss his posts. Think I’m going to go read some now.
    A most-deserving tribute. Thank you.
    RIP, Joseph.

  15. So very sorry to hear this, Susan. Joseph commented on many of my posts, and we exchanged emails. A week ago or so was his last comment. Via email, he talked about his book, about Moldova, where some of his family was from, and I truly enjoyed corresponding, even if I never met him. A tremendous person. I will miss reading his beautiful comments. Think I’m going to go read some of them right now.
    A most-deserving tribute. RIP, Joseph.

    • Yes, he was lovely and chatty wasn’t he? He was a very dear soul – I will also check out his comments on posts. I know he much enjoyed the thread of whatever it was and others’ comments and added on etc -. I know that he loved being part of the blog thread and going over to others and enjoying them also … we were important to him and for this we are truly grateful. His book on diabetes is very good if you know anyone who could benefit from it. I read it a long time ago and enjoyed it even though I don’t have diabetes. It was very well researched and very well written ..

  16. Susan, I too am so sad to hear of Joseph’s passing. He commented on my blog and emailed me about his life and interests. What a dear soul he was. I echo Gulara’s comments as Joseph was a true gentleman and caring person. I truly hope he can read our comments from up there, as I know he would be delighted to know that we cared about him too.

    Thank you for posting his daughter’s kind note. I too send love to his family. I truly am sorry for their loss.

  17. I am deeply touched both by your tribute and by Joseph Rubin’s devotion to write. I am so sad to see such a good soul leave…

  18. Thank you for sharing Marilyn’s letter, Susan – a reminder of how virtual communities have become an important aspect of our lives. May Joseph Rubin’s soul soar free, and his family find solace in his memory.

    • Thanks Ashen – indeed ‘a reminder of how virtual communities have become an important aspect of our lives’. May Joseph Rubin’s soul soar free – lovely.

  19. What a heartfelt tribute Susan. None of us can ever know what effect we have on one another. You must feel warmed by that immediate declaration. It is so important to volunteer disclosure.

    • Thanks Philippa for reminding us of the effect we have on each other. Yes, I am warmed … and by your comment to volunteer disclosure.

  21. You are kind to post this tribute, Susan. My condolences to any of Joseph’s family who read these comments. I hope that sharing the news here with friends will provide solace in this time of loss and sorrow.

  23. Wonderful that yours and other writers’ blogs played an important role in Joseph’s life – latterly. May Joseph rest in peace.

  24. I’m so sad to read this post, Susan. Joseph commented on some of my posts and from my brief encounter with him, I had such a strong sense of him being a true gentleman, a generous soul, inquisitive and caring person. I didn’t know him well, but I thought of him often. May he rest in peace. I’m sending much love to his family.

    • Somehow Gulara my reply to you is right up there at the top with your message not there. I am not going to fiddle to rectify – yours is such a lovely message of condolence – as I replied ‘You said all that was he was Gulara – thank you for coming by’. This has meant a lot to Marilyn and family and also to us all …

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