WERNER JOACHIMSTHAL EULOGY BY DAVID JOACHIM
I would like to thank all our friends and family today to share this memorial for my father, Werner Joachimsthal. As you all know, my dad passed away on December 5 at 2:05 AM in New Jersey. His death was very quick and was a shock to all of us. He will be missed.
My dad was a very special individual. Everyone who knows him has a story about him and the way he was. I welcome everyone to stand up and share a story. I am going to start off with a bit of history. It is very interesting to me that a lot of this history came to me over the past two years. As many of you know, Joanie and I visited Mom and Dad every year between Dad's Birthday February 28 and Mom’s birthday which is today. During these wonderful visits, we would talk and catch up with each other. Many times we barely left the house. Over the past two years dad finally opened up about his life prior to coming to the United States. What made Dad so unique he never carried the hate and anger of what happened to him. He always said we have to look forward not back. The past is the past.
Dad always had fond stories and memories about visiting his Aunt Gertrude in Wilton Germany prior to the horrible events that would follow. These visits to her large homestead with chickens dogs and large fields were wonderful memories of his. Dad had a favorite chicken in Wilton. He would ride his bike behind this chicken until the chicken was so tired that he could play with him. That is how the nickname Chicken came about. Additionally as you can guess dad never liked to eat chicken. These were truly great times prior to the holocaust. Dad played, worked and rode his bike. During this time dad always talked about how beautiful the grounds and the area was. Back home in Berlin dad was active in the Jewish Youth Group and played soccer. He was very close to his older sister Ruth who had the task to watch Dad as they went to the many parks in Berlin.
As things became difficult in Germany, Dad's father wanted to leave Germany. Dad always said his mother was so attached to her possessions that she would not leave. At that time things were getting worse; however nobody every envisioned things would get as bad as they did. By the time it was clear that this was not a passing political change, it was impossible to leave Germany. Things continued to get much worse. Many of the relatives have scattered around the globe. At this point it was too late to leave. Dad’s sister Ruth was in hiding at this point under an assumed name. Dad tells the story of being home when someone is knocking on the door. As he opened the door the SS told them to pack up immediately and meet them downstairs. At this point it was not a surprise and they were anticipating being transferred to a work camp. Dad and his parents thought it was a work camp to help the war efforts. Dad’s father and mother were transferred to an area for a period of time, still unaware that this was the beginning of the end.
Shortly after, a train took a large group of Jews from their beloved Berlin on a long journey to the death camp of Auschwitz. Dad said the train ride was cold and long. As the door opened he said you did not have time to think. The men were separated from the women and that point it was the last time he saw his beloved mom, Alice Joachimsthal. Dad and his father were dispatched to a work detail building a chemical factory nearby. Dad worked side by side with his father, taking care of each other. You will not be surprised to know that Dad worked real hard and his father worked very hard. Unfortunately, my grandfather was very attached to his work boots. Over time, the boots gave him horrible blisters that eventually became infected. As Kurt Joachimsthal, my grandfather, walked off to the infirmary, it would be the last time that dad saw him. My dad, a survivor continued to work at a feverish pace in different factories in different concentration camps. He always spoke of a young Frenchman that he befriended. Their job was to climb to the top of the chemical storage facilities and check the levels. They would hide up in this tower for hours, although freezing cold, they were away from the madness below. Being moved from camp to camp as the allies began winning the war, Dad finally was liberated by the British after 3-4 years in camp. His sheer will to live and his amazing work ethic saved his life through this living nightmare.
Dad’s work ethic and knowledge that materialistic things did not matter carried through the rest of his life. In 1945 Dad and his friend left the camp in their camp clothes and finally walked passed the gate. Dad expressed anger that the British did not give them clothes or even food. He walked to his friend's nearby town. They provided clothes, bikes and a place to stay. Dad started selling products on the black market. Dad manages to reconnect with his sister Ruth who also barely survived the war. Back in Berlin nothing is left. Dad is on his own at the age 18. Relatives are scattered around the world but with no communication Dad had no idea who was where.
He enjoyed selling, following in his fathers footsteps. Germany was changing fast. Family friends suggested to dad to go to America. Dad initially does not want to go but finally decides to take the trip by boat to NYC. It was a horrible trip on the boat. Dad never went onto another boat after that experience.
After bouncing around for a while living in Washington DC, NYC and Brooklyn, dad is starting to carve out a life with other refugees. After an awesome day at the beach in Brooklyn, Dad meets a pretty young woman named Charlotte. Charlotte was three years younger than Werner – a baby-aged 16 and did not want to get involved with a refugee with no job and no money. She told him to get a career and job and give then to giver her a call. Dad took this advice. Dad moved into an apartment with his Aunt Gertrude in Brooklyn and got a job working for a man that arranged conventions in the hotels in NYC. Three years later dad gave Charlotte a call. He asked for a date. Charlotte agreed. Dad showed up with tickets to the Broadway show “Oklahoma”, candy and flowers. Werner and Charlotte started dating and after a short time decided to get married, one week after Mom’s 20th birthday.
Their early years together were good ones, living in Brooklyn with road trips to the Catskills and visiting Mom’s siblings. Dad and Mom sponsor Aunt Ruthie and her family to come to United States. Part of the sponsorship arrangement required mom and dad to get an apartment ready for the family’s arrival. They worked hard so Aunt Ruthie and her family could begin their new life in America. Dad saved up enough for his first car and he and mom moved to Kew Gardens to a 1 bedroom apartment. He always talked so proudly of this car – an American made Plymoth. It was the first and last car Dad would ever take a loan for. Dad was a great saver; I wish I learned this trait from him.
Shortly after this time Dad started at the RCA School in NYC to learn TV repair. Mom was working at a Beauty Parlor on Queens Blvd. After a year dad started working for Jahaneson TV in Huntington NY fixing TV’s and installing antennas on top of people’s homes. During this time mom and dad bought their first home for $4,500 in Central Islip. At the same time, dad was able to lend Aunt Ruthie $290 for a down payment on a home around the corner. Shortly after mom and dad moved into their new home, Joanie was born. Life was work-filled but good. Dad was working many hours while starting his own business after hours. Once again life through dad a curve ball and the town of Central Islip became and undesirable place to live. Mom and dad walked away from their first home with very little. They moved to the best they could find in Bay Shore.
The Bay Shore days were great. I was born in 1959, the same year they moved into Bay Shore. Barbeques with all the aunts, uncles and cousins were routine. Dad opened Sunview TV and working a billion hours a day. Dad found himself to be very handy, doing major projects around the house and enjoying his family life. Mom was home taking care of the kids and building a wonderful life for us. Big Thanksgivings and visiting relatives make up my childhood memories. Although never a religious man, dad never waivered as to who we were. I remember one Hanukah, I was so unhappy that Santa did not come to our house. Dad said the Hanukah man comes here.
Although in retrospect, I am sure that money was tight, we never felt it. Joanie and I got everything we ever wanted. Dad was always working on projects from putting on a roof, to trimming the trees to painting the house. He could not sit still. Dad was working 6 days a week providing for his family. After a few years Dad went into partnership with Al Malicoff and started Valmont TV. This partnership was not perfect but allowed dad some freedom to vacation and scale down his work week to 5 ½ days. Some of my greatest childhood memories are of working with my dad. We would get up and have breakfast at Fred’s Diner. Dad would have eggs over easy and I would have French toast. Then, off to work we go. I would organize the tubes and dad would talk to the customers. I saw that he was different then at home with the customers – more outgoing and friendly. During those years dad was such a stickler on manners and we would fight all the time at dinner time. I would end up marching upstairs without dinner. Joanie would sneak a cookie to me so I would not go to bed without eating. As a family we used to all hop into mom and dad’s bed and watch TV together. Dad usually sleeping would always say that he was “resting his eyes”. He always asked about Joanie and I about ourselves, always interested and always willing to spend time with us.
I have such great memories visiting Aunt Ruthie and my cousins in Centereach. We would visit and have a great time and then have a special dinner out at the Watermill Inn. It was special for us to eat out. We really loved it. On the Sundays that we weren’t visiting Aunt Ruthie we would visit Aunt Jean. Dad never complained about visiting anyone. Our biggest treats were visits to NYC. I fondly remember these visits, from the Lower East Side and lunches at Katz’s to going into Midtown and going to a Broadway Show. We would all get dressed up in our best outfits for these special events. Dad never stopped, never just relaxed. He always had something going on. Always a project always something that needed to be fixed.
Sundays were getting up in the morning and doing chores, oil changes on the car, washing and waxing cars plus taking care of his beloved lawn.
In 1969 Dad decided it would be fun to rent a trailer and go the Cape Cod for a week vacation with our relatives from Canada. Dad loved it. Every aspect of it he loved. It was not long before we owned a 21’ Globestar Travel Trailer. Over the next few years we took family trips in the trailer to Myrtle Beach, Florida and the Catskills. As much as dad loved it Joanie hated it. But we all went along with dad. We would go fishing, build fires and go exploring where ever we would go. I loved it. Dad would teach me about camping and enjoying the simple things in life. In 1981 I noticed an ad for an Airstream. Dad always eyed the Airstreams when they pulled into the camp ground. The Airstreams were always a bit better than the average Globestar. With my Mom’s encouragement Dad bought the Airstream. During the next 30 years Dad loved traveling and being in his Airstream. We would joke he was only happy when he was traveling with the airstream.
In 1983 an event would occur that showed me what an incredible person my dad was. During my winter break from school, Valmont TV burned down to the ground. Dad looked at me and said “David it is just stuff. You are o.k. Joanie is o.k. and your mother is o.k.. That is what is important.” Materialistic things can be gone in a moment, dad knew that and never dwelt on “stuff”. This was the person who he was. He cared about his family. That is what was important.
Unfortunately, retirement did not come easy. It was clear to everyone that dad was only happy when traveling. Sadly, he would sometimes become negative and given his life of hard and constant work – he was bored. He did find enjoyment in some simple things like playing cards. He so enjoyed playing cards with the many friends that he was with. Dad felt NJ was not the place for him to retire to. He really did not like NJ and convinced mom to move to Florida. Once in Florida he did not really love it either. However, Dad did enjoy visiting me in New Jersey. In our old house he wall papered with me and created the most beautiful bedroom for Alexa. Dad really loved all his grandchildren. He was patient and they loved playing the card game Hand & Foot.
EULOGY BY DAVID JOACHIM
I would like to thank all our friends and family today to share this memorial for my father Werner Joachimsthal. As you all know my dad passed away on December 5 at 2:05 AM in New Jersey. His death was very quick and was a shock to all of us. He will be missed.
My dad was a very special individual. Everyone who knows him has a story about him and the way he was. I welcome everyone to stand up and share a story. I am going to start off with a bit of history. It is very interesting to me that a lot of this history came to me over the past two years. As many of you know Joanie and I visited Mom and Dad every year between Dads Birthday February 28 and Mom’s birthday which is today. During these wonderful visits we would talk and catch up with each other. Many times we barely left the house. Over the past two years dad finally opened up about his life prior to coming to the United States. What made Dad so unique he never carried the hate and anger of what happened to him. He always said we have to look forward not back. The past is the past.
Dad always had fond stories and memories about visiting his Aunt Gertrude in Wilton Germany prior to the horrible events that would follow. These visits to her large homestead with chickens dogs and large fields were wonderful memories of his. Dad had a favorite chicken in Wilton. He would ride his bike behind this chicken until the chicken was so tired that he could play with him. That is how the nickname Chicken came about. Additionally as you can guess dad never liked to eat chicken. These were truly great times prior to the holocaust. Dad played, worked and rode his bike. During this time dad always talked about how beautiful the grounds and the area was. Back home in Berlin dad was active in the Jewish Youth Group and played soccer. He was very close to his older sister Ruth. Who had the task to watch Dad as they went to the many parks in Berlin.
As things became difficult in Germany Dad father’s wanted to leave Germany Dad always said his mother was so attached to her positions that she would not leave. At that time things were getting worse however nobody every envisioned things would get as bad as they did. By the time it was clear that this was not a passing political change, it was impossible to leave Germany. Things continued to get much worse. Many of the relatives have scattered around the globe. At this point it was too late to leave. Dad’s sister Ruth was in hiding at this point under an assumed name. Dad tells the story of being home when someone is knocking on the door. As he opened the door the SS told them to pack up immediately and meet them downstairs. At this point it was not a surprise and they were anticipating being transferred to a work camp. Dad and his parents thought it was a work camp to help the war efforts. Dad’s father and mother were transferred to an area for a period of time, still unaware that this was the beginning of the end. Shortly after, a train took a large group of Jews from their beloved Berlin on a long journey to the death camp of Auschwitz. Dad said the train ride was cold and long. As the door opened he said you did not have time to think. The men were separated from the women and that point it was the last time he saw his beloved mom, Alice Joachimsthal. Dad and his father were dispatched to a work detail building a chemical factory nearby. Dad worked side by side with his father, taking care of each other. You will not be surprised to know that Dad worked real hard and his father worked very hard. Unfortunately, my grandfather was very attached to his work boots. Over time, the boots gave him horrible blisters that eventually became infected. As Kurt Joachimsthal, my grandfather, walked off to the infirmary it would be the last time that dad saw him. My dad, a survivor continued to work at a feverish pace in different factories in different concentration camps. He always spoke of a young Frenchman that he befriended. Their job was to climb to the top of the chemical storage facilities and check the levels. They would hide up in this tower for hours, although freezing cold they were away from the madness below. Being moved from camp to camp as the allies began winning the war Dad finally was liberated by the British after 3-4 years in camp. His shear will to live and his amazing work ethic saved his life through this living nightmare.
Dad’s work ethic and knowledge that materialistic things did not matter carried through the rest of his life. In 1945 Dad and his friend left the camp in their camp clothes and finally walked passed the gate. Dad expressed anger that the British did not give them clothes or even food. He walked to his friends nearby town. They provided clothes, bikes and a place to stay. Dad started selling products on the black market. Dad manages to reconnect with his sister Ruth who also barely survived the war. Back in Berlin nothing is left. Dad is on his own at the age 18. Relatives are scattered around the world but with no communication Dad had no idea who was where. He enjoyed selling, following in his fathers footsteps. Germany was changing fast. Family friends suggested to dad to go to America. Dad initially does not want to go but finally decides to take the trip by boat to NYC. It was a horrible trip on the boat. Dad never went onto another boat after that experience.
After bouncing around for a while living in Washington DC, NYC and Brooklyn, dad is starting to carve out a life with other refugees. After an awesome day at the beach in Brooklyn, Dad meets a pretty young woman named Charlotte. Charlotte was 3 years younger than Werner – a baby-aged 16 and did not want to get involved with a refugee with no job and no money. She told him to get a career and job and give then to giver her a call. Dad took this advice. Dad moved into an apartment with his Aunt Gertrude in Brooklyn and got a job working for a man that arranged conventions in the hotels in NYC. 3 years later dad gave Charlotte a call. He asked for a date. Charlotte agreed. Dad showed up with tickets to the Broadway show “Oklahoma”, candy and flowers. Werner and Charlotte started dating and after a short time decided to get married, 1 week after Mom’s 20th birthday. Their early years together were good ones, living in Brooklyn with road trips to the Catskills and visiting Mom’s siblings. Dad and Mom sponsor Aunt Ruthie and her family to come to United States. Part of the sponsorship arrangement required mom and dad to get an apartment ready for the family’s arrival. They worked hard so Aunt Ruthie and her family could begin their new life in America. Dad saved up enough for his first car and he and mom moved to Kew Gardens to a 1 bedroom apartment. He always talked so proudly of this car – an American made Plymoth. It was the first and last car Dad would ever take a loan for. Dad was a great saver; I wish I learned this trait from him.
Shortly after this time Dad started at the RCA School in NYC to learn TV repair. Mom was working at a Beauty Parlor on Queens Blvd. After a year dad started working for Jahaneson TV in Huntington NY fixing TV’s and installing antennas on top of people’s homes. During this time mom and dad bought their first home for $4,500 in Central Islip. At the same time, dad was able to lend Aunt Ruthie $290 for a down payment on a home around the corner. Shortly after mom and dad moved into their new home, Joanie was born. Life was work-filled but good. Dad was working many hours while starting his own business after hours. Once again life through dad a curve ball and the town of Central Islip became and undesirable place to live. Mom and dad walked away from their first home with very little. They moved to the best they could find in Bay Shore.
The Bay Shore days were great. I was born in 1959, the same year they moved into Bay Shore. Barbeques with all the aunts, uncles and cousins were routine. Dad opened Sunview TV and working a billion hours a day. Dad found himself to be very handy, doing major projects around the house and enjoying his family life. Mom was home taking care of the kids and building a wonderful life for us. Big Thanksgivings and visiting relatives make up my childhood memories. Although never a religious man, dad never waivered as to who we were. I remember one Hanukah, I was so unhappy that Santa did not come to our house. Dad said the Hanukah man comes here.
Although in retrospect, I am sure that money was tight, we never felt it. Joanie and I got everything we ever wanted. Dad was always working on projects from putting on a roof, to trimming the trees to painting the house. He could not sit still. Dad was working 6 days a week providing for his family. After a few years Dad went into partnership with Al Malicoff and started Valmont TV. This partnership was not perfect but allowed dad some freedom to vacation and scale down his work week to 5 ½ days. Some of my greatest childhood memories are of working with my dad. We would get up and have breakfast at Fred’s Diner. Dad would have eggs over easy and I would have French toast. Then, off to work we go. I would organize the tubes and dad would talk to the customers. I saw that he was different then at home with the customers – more outgoing and friendly. During those years dad was such a stickler on manners and we would fight all the time at dinner time. I would end up marching upstairs without dinner. Joanie would sneak a cookie to me so I would not go to bed without eating. As a family we used to all hop into mom and dad’s bed and watch TV together. Dad usually sleeping would always say that he was “resting his eyes”. He always asked about Joanie and I about ourselves, always interested and always willing to spend time with us.
I have such great memories visiting Aunt Ruthie and my cousins in Centereach. We would visit and have a great time and then have a special dinner out at the Watermill Inn. It was special for us to eat out. We really loved it. On the Sundays that we weren’t visiting Aunt Ruthie we would visit Aunt Jean. Dad never complained about visiting anyone. Our biggest treats were visits to NYC. I fondly remember these visits, from the Lower East Side and lunches at Katz’s to going into Midtown and going to a Broadway Show. We would all get dressed up in our best outfits for these special events. Dad never stopped, never just relaxed. He always had something going on. Always a project always something that needed to be fixed.
Sundays were getting up in the morning and doing chores, oil changes on the car, washing and waxing cars plus taking care of his beloved lawn.
In 1969 Dad decided it would be fun to rent a trailer and go the Cape Cod for a week vacation with our relatives from Canada. Dad loved it. Every aspect of it he loved. It was not long before we owned a 21’ Globestar Travel Trailer. Over the next few years we took family trips in the trailer to Myrtle Beach, Florida and the Catskills. As much as dad loved it Joanie hated it. But we all went along with dad. We would go fishing, build fires and go exploring where ever we would go. I loved it. Dad would teach me about camping and enjoying the simple things in life. In 1981 I noticed an ad for an Airstream. Dad always eyed the Airstreams when they pulled into the camp ground. The Airstreams were always a bit better than the average Globestar. With my Mom’s encouragement Dad bought the Airstream. During the next 30 years Dad loved traveling and being in his Airstream. We would joke he was only happy when he was traveling with the airstream.
In 1983 an event would occur that showed me what an incredible person my dad was. During my winter break from school, Valmont TV burned down to the ground. Dad looked at me and said “David it is just stuff. You are o.k. Joanie is o.k. and your mother is o.k.. That is what is important.” Materialistic things can be gone in a moment, dad knew that and never dwelt on “stuff”. This was the person who he was. He cared about his family. That is what was important.
Unfortunately, retirement did not come easy. It was clear to everyone that dad was only happy when traveling. Sadly, he would sometimes become negative and given his life of hard and constant work - he was bored. He did find enjoyment in some simple things like playing cards. He so enjoyed playing cards with the many friends that he was with. Dad felt NJ was not the place for him to retire to. He really did not like NJ and convinced mom to move to Florida. Once in Florida he did not really love it either. However, Dad did enjoy visiting me in New Jersey. In our old house he wall papered with me and created the most beautiful bedroom for Alexa. Dad really loved all his grandchildren. He was patient and they loved playing the card game Hand & Foot.
