Dear friends, family, and extended community, It is with profound sadness and grief that we share about the loss of our beloved father Barry David Gratz, who passed on Friday, July 28th at 8:15 p.m. after a valiant but brief battle against liver cancer. Our dad, an exceedingly warm, kind soul who would give *anyone* the shirt off his back and who touched the lives of so many people in his 78 years, leaves behind his two daughters, Lisa Gratz and Rachel G-L, his loving son-in-law Zach G-L, his beautiful grandchildren Norah (9) and Ellis (7) G-L who miss their “BG," and his former wife, Marion Gratz. Our dad was an honest and genuine person, someone who stood up against racism and intolerance again and again throughout his life. He was a hard worker who did what he had to do, including over 20 years of night shift work at the U.S. Post Office to keep food on our table. He taught us that we have a moral obligation to help others - to “heal the world” - and to do/give our best in all situations which often requires self-honesty and reflection about what our “best” is. He also taught us that the most important thing, by far, is love. Barry overcame many childhood hardships, and lived his life rooted in the intention to help others and make a difference in the world. He suffered from depression and was a vocal advocate of psychotherapy and the concept of continual inner work to be the best parent, friend, neighbor, and person you can be towards others as well as yourself. He loved nature and animals. His dog Nola and cats Louie and Checkers meant the world to him. In many ways, his heart was full. Our dad was a man who could fill a room with laughter, and who took tremendous pleasure in his grandchildren. One month before his passing, and shortly after his diagnosis, his California-based family came to visit. He got to swim down the shore with his grandkids, teach them wiffle ball, and even let his grandson trim his beard while his granddaughter filmed it. We will forever treasure that final visit together and the memories from it. We are absolutely devastated by our dad’s passing and were not prepared to lose him this soon. Neither were we prepared for the high cost of a funeral and handling his estate. Our dad lived on an extremely limited income and had no savings. With the instability of his finances and our limited funds, we are struggling with the burden of grief paired with the considerable financial burden of his passing. Many have reached out asking how they can help. With the goal of minimizing the stress and burden upon his descendants, we are making this LFEBridge to support the Gratz Family in managing the funeral and most critical estate expenses in this difficult time. We are hoping to raise $10,000 to help afford the cost of a Jewish burial, funeral service, and estate-associated expenses. Asking for financial support from our community is very hard for us; though, we also know that for many people, giving in this way is a blessing or mitzvah. For those who are local, we invite you to attend our dad’s graveside funeral this Sunday, August 6th at Montefiore Jewish Cemetery in Jenkintown, PA. The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will be followed by a shiva-type celebration of his life at the nearby home of close family friends to share stories and be together. We are very grateful for every donation, as well as every message of support, during this difficult time. With deep love and gratitude, Lisa & Rachel
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