Dear Friends,
For those of you whom we have not yet been able to contact, we wanted to let you know that our dad, Jerry Manheim, passed away October 29, 2011. He was 88.
 His humor, his wit, his staunch political point of view, his mission to prove the non existence of God, and his huge heart and mind will be deeply missed. The earth has lost a friend. The universe has gotten him back.
Add your thoughts to Jerry's Guest Book.
We are having a celebration and remembrance at his home in Skamania, Washington on his birthday weekend of July 14th & 15th, 2012. Please mark your calendar if you think you'd like to join us. Bring your bathing suit and your favorite Jerry story. Details will follow.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, PLEASE CONSIDER SENDING A DONATION TO
THE ACLU FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
1313 W. 8th St., Los Angeles, CA 90017
213-977-5222
PLEASE DESIGNATE
"MANHEIM FAMILY ATTORNEY FOR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS"
However, if you have any pictures, emails or other mementos, please do bring them to share.
With love,
Karl, Lisa, & Camryn
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Jerome Henry Manheim was truly a man for all seasons. His legacy of activism, philanthropy and community will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him, and by many he never even met.
His greatest joys in life were his family. His beautiful, outspoken, intelligent, sassy and loving wife Sylvia, who was his partner and companion for sixty-five years.
His three children, Karl, Lisa, & Camryn, whom he loved and respected, but seldom obeyed.
And his three incredible grandsons, Noah, Micah & Milo, who brought him so much joy and hope for the future.
In addition to his family, Jerry loved his friends, politics, art, pursuit of the truth, The Columbia River, Costco, Viet-Namese food, and proving that God doesn't exist. All of the above will miss him deeply.
He was an educator’s educator, teaching mathematics, logic and skepticism across the United States and abroad. He authored the non-fiction best-seller “Genesis of Point-Set Topology.” He concluded his formal career at CSULB from 1971-1994, both as a professor and Dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences, at which point he embarked on his informal career of muckraker, devil’s advocate, inquisitor and best friend.
We all knew him as a witty person with a great sense of humor who excelled in telling bad jokes and Occupying the Internet.
He always stood by his beliefs, speaking out against injustices and threats to our freedom. For that, he was labeled a “security risk” during the McCarthy era. It took the better part of a decade and an unwavering belief in justice to overcome the forces of evil.
Defending the First Amendment was his main focus, so he established and funded the Manheim Family Attorney for First Amendment Rights at the ACLU of Southern California. His relentless fight for truth and justice touched and inspired many people
He loved to read, question and discuss philosophy, science and politics; a true skeptic always in search of the truth. He spent hours at the computer researching and sharing these findings with his friends … whether or not they wanted to read them.
He admired creativity above all in academics and the Arts. His love for modern art was so strong that in his retirement he became an abstract painter.
He was a genuine Humanist who acted generously on his beliefs. He went to India and Nicaragua to teach teachers, to Cuba to bring Medical supplies, to Oaxaca to support a school for homeless children, and to the Nevada desert to stop nuclear testing.
He had a lot on his agenda and was far from finished. In the end, we all die in medias res -- in the middle of a story. Jerry died in the middle of many stories.
Jerry was 88 when he died. 7+34. Had he lived another year or nine, he would have been a prime number. The Cosmos could have waited.
We will miss him with all our hearts. |
