Myron Idelson at his best!
A tribute to my friend, by Jeff Hughes
Myron was an incredible figure…Myron the Memorious, I will remember him. Fantastic memory, and endless stories, all recalled with precision and detail, and that Great Humor!
He once told me he was a close friend of Henny Youngman (although maybe not of Milton Berle!), and his great humor, told in endless stories and one-liners, reflected a similar Yiddish irony and sensibility. Always recalled with unbelievable emphasis, and spot-on clarity, enthusiasm, and brilliance.
He never forgot a name. He never forgot a face. He never forgot a story. He never forgot a person whom he’d met. He never failed in supporting the causes he was passionate about. He loved classic jazz and swing. He was the greatest patron of the music that we, collectively as current players, have ever been thankful for. He discovered and promoted new venues for the music, and funded many of these himself and through the generosity of his many friends. He was always kind, gentle, generous, and supporting. Myron was never one to denigrate or belittle, criticize or condemn, ignore or discard any person, despite their worst attributes.
I’m not a Mason, but I think of Myron, as a Brother in that circle, as perfectly embodied by Masonry’s codes: To follow principles to achieve higher standards in life; to show tolerance and respect for the opinion of others and behave with kindness and understanding; to practice charity and care for their own, as well as the community as a whole, both by charitable giving, and by voluntary work as an individual; and, to strive for truth, requiring high moral standards and ethical conduct at all times.
The great Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges once wrote a fantasy titled “Funes the Memorious”, in which a young Ireneo Funes, who, after falling off his horse and receiving a bad head injury, acquired the amazing talent — or curse — of remembering absolutely everything.
We have never been cursed by Myron’s crossing our paths. We have been blessed beyond all measure, and we will miss him, terribly.