Here’s a photo journal of the 2008 trip to Israel that Dad and I went on. (My only time there, his first time back in 50 years.) Click on any picture to read to accompanying text. And here’s a photo journal of our 2021 Grand Canyon hike (down and back out!) when he was almost 92.
Please add stories etc. in the Comments section!
From Fred Winter: I met Joel Bauman fifty-seven years ago when my sister Holly brought him into our family. He came with his own origin story, which was heroic and courageous, the story of a survivor. We accepted Joel and his story without question, because Holly loved him and he loved her, and we all just wanted her to be happy. I would learn much later that the origin story he told us wasn’t exactly true, but what was still true was that he was courageous, a survivor, and a deeply loving human being.
When Holly ended her life after only eight years of marriage, Joel was left with two very small boys to raise. I have never known anyone who embraced single-parenthood with such love and dedication as Joel did. It wasn’t easy for him, and it was often a bumpy ride for the rest of us. Although I sometimes heard him complain, especially as the boys grew into teenagers, his love never wavered. That love is his legacy, and it lives on in Yuval and Yoram. If I may speak for my sister and the rest of my family, we owe Joel a profound debt of gratitude. Thank you, Joel, you are a true mensch.