Fishers and Cohens (almost certainly Bronx, NY, about 1950)

This is my favorite of all the family pictures, having all four of my grandparents, and almost all their children, in one photo. I don't know where this was--Betty and I noodled over it, and eliminated all the likely places, but I'm sure it was someone in our family's apartment. I don't know the event either, but given how everyone is dressed, it could well have been a Passover celebration. In any case, in this photo are:
[Back row] Annie, Sam
[3rd row] Jerry, Betty, Mollie, Isaac, Sue
[2nd row] Rae, Paul, Rose, Sol
[Front row] Josh, Willa

Missing are Bud and Harry Cohen, plus my father (who undoubtedly took the picture). As always, click on the picture for a much larger version.

Uncle Sam and Me (Probably Bronx, NY, about 1949)

The background looks like this was one of those Van Cortland Park Sundays I wrote about before, where the Turks and Greeks got together (not that Sam was any of those, but the two-family thing again).

Sam was a perfect uncle for a little kid. He took me lots of places, and I have many good memories of being with him. After he and Sue got married, they represented a far more sophisticated, educated and modern world than anyone else in my family, and it was good for me to be exposed to all that.

Sam and Bud (San Diego, CA, January, 1996)

As I've written, my parents' brothers and sisters became friends. As teenagers, Sam and Bud were close friends. Bud called me after my father died, and he told me that he talked to Sam for a long time, something nice that came out of my father's death.

Here are the two of them at my parents' 50th Anniversary celebration, obviously having a good time:

The Hot Tub At Sam & Sue's (Colonie, NY, about 1986-7)

A feature of visiting Sam & Sue in Albany was their hot tub. Here's my cousin Michael (Cousin #16/Sam's #1.5), Betsy's twin brother, and Betsy's daughter Samantha with Dave & Dora:

Harry Edward Fisher, 1929-2009 (Various Places and Times)

My father died peacefully today in his assisted-living apartment in Miami, after a long illness. He was about 2 months short of his 80th birthday. Below are a lot of pictures from his earlier life, in no particular order. I'll add more, including some more recent ones, tomorrow. There already are 15 entries with pictures of him elsewhere in this blog.



At Annie's wedding.

When he was younger, he was an avid stamp collector.




At the Vincent Apartments, where we lived 1952-1960.

In Miami Beach with his father, who died there a short time after. This must be from the early 1970s.


With Annie and Sam, also at their parents' apartment at 8400 Harding Ave, in Miami Beach.

My Grandmother and Dora (probably near Ramapo, NJ, around 1986)

My father's mother ("Nana") and Dora, with Ann's daughter Betti and Sam. I think this was at Ann's house.

Three Pictures from Betti Joy's Wedding (Somewhere in NJ, probably late 1970s)

It's Sunday, so family event picture. I like this picture because back and center is Larry, my mother's nephew at my father's niece's wedding, as was typical then (the two large families were very close). Seated left to right: me, Elizabeth (just a sleeper, but we were sometimes pretty tired at my cousins' weddings--with 19 first cousins, there were many--because we brought our kid(s)), Mike (Moose, Betsy's ex-husband), Betsy (Cousin #2/Sam's #1.5), unknown. Standing: Larry (Cousin #3/Betty's #1), Judy (Larry's wife), unknown couple. Betti, whose wedding it was and is pictured below, is Annie's first daughter. Now I've got pix of 5 of my 19 first cousins in this collection.


Front: Willa, Annie, my grandmother Rose Fisher, Lisa, I'm pretty sure that's Lisa, anyway, she sure looks like Annie (Cousin #4/Annie's #2). Back: unknown, Annie's husband Stretch (Irving), Betti (Cousin #5/Annie's #1), Joe (Betti's husband), Sam, my father.


Front: my mother, Willa, Rose, unknown couple. Back: my father, Annie, Sam, Sue, Stretch.

My Father and His Siblings (Miami Beach, FL, probably late 1970s)

Left to right: Harry, Annie, Sam, Willa. Visiting their parents, or their mother if my grandfather had already died, at their apartment at 84th and Harding. This is a weird picture of my father (it is my father), the only time I've seen him look anything like this. I'm guessing at the date, but it's about right.