IZCHAK S. GOLAN 1948-2006

Aron called yesterday afternoon to tell me that his dad died. The minute the phone rang I knew. Aron was at his side and told me that he told him that everyone loves him, said the Shma Yisrael and he died. Itz was only 58 (the same age my mother was when she died). To say I'm shaken is putting it mildly. Knowing something like that is coming is all fine and well until it happens. I'm so going to miss just knowing he was there someplace in the States. We got on much better after the divorce and he did come visit me that day I got out of hospital after my heart attack. He had a nasty thing called hemophagacytic syndrome that is a very rare and nasty liver disease. I have no doubt that he got it from his days in the Israeli Navy when he dove in one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Poor Aron. It's been a bad two years for him. First my father, now, his. Hard as it was, it really is good that he was there for both of them. He won't have any regrets about not having been there. My tears well up every time I think of him saying the Shma for his father. That boy (30) is something special. Those of us who knew Itz are going to miss him. The fact that I couldn't live with him doesn't mean he was bad, it just means that we weren't right for each other. In the he found Terry and they were right for each other. I feel so sad for her.