My Dad, Stanley Lehman always believed that "Family is everything," and he spent nearly a century proving it.
There wasn’t a person he didn’t “know.” Whether it was the guys at the Verizon store, the service department at the car dealership, or each and every person at his doctor’s offices later in life. Dad knew their names and their stories and ALWAYS asked about their husband or children by name. He NEVER forgot any detail about them.
Stan leaves a Legacy of Devotion
He spent 60 years side-by-side with my mom, Ricki. After she passed away in 2010, he gave me a gift I will always cherish: a box of love letters that they wrote to each other daily—sometimes twice a day—when they were just 19. He had gone off to Marshall University in West Virginia, but as the letters prove, his heart stayed home. Needless to say, college didn’t last long (he confessed he was a TERRIBLE student) ; he went back home and they married soon after.
But - he was the Ultimate Family Man.
He never forgot a birthday. Never forgot to send a card (and a check LOL) Not for his children, his grandchildren,his nephews—not for anyone.
He absolutely adored his grandson, Ryan. He lived for those Tuesday lunches with you Ryan and the time you spent together, the walks in Sabino Canyon and the many trips up to Greer when you were little. Such beautiful memories,
Of course, later in life, those visits often involved Ryan making "essential" deliveries—cases of wine and his favorite Maker’s Mark from Total Wine. Dad knew how to enjoy the good things, and he knew who to trust to bring them to him.
My father taught me the true meaning of philanthropy. Through the Lehman Foundation, he turned his love for my mother into a legacy. He gave back to the things that mattered most to him, honoring his wife through her health battles - like The Lupus Foundation, the UofA Arthritis Foundation, and the Ricki Lehman Memorial Library at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. He didn't just talk about "giving back"; he built things that would help people for generations and things that mattered deeply to him including the Rabbi Oleski Courtyard at Anshei Israel.
In true Stan fashion, he “summoned” the family late Thursday night when he was still barely able to ‘talk’ and said his goodbyes. We all came and gathered around his bed and after he told each of us he loved us (and made sure to ask me if I had all the “paperwork” 😳), he said, “I’m going….but NOT till NEXT week”. 😂😂
We asked if he was gonna give us a date and a time so we can put it on our calendars. It was sweet, poignant and funny - all at the same time. It was PERFECT. Micromanaging till the end.
Dad was so blessed to have such wonderful caregivers looking after him these last several years. Your love and commitment to him knew no bounds.
Rosa (we all would have been lost without you), Danielle, Liz and Shelly and James …. Thank you so much for your care and compassion in my dad’s final days. Oh and Danielle, he put those grey gloves (food stains and all as Liz got them out of the laundry) for you in the will. Rosa that little bell will always toll for you. LOL
There is an Australian Aboriginal proverb that feels right for today: “We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home.”
My heart is stretching beyond what my chest can hold. It is filled with joy and sorrow: gratitude and grief; laughter and memories.
I love you, Dad. You were, and always will be, Stan the Man.
