My heart is broken at this very moment.
I have just learned that oneĀ of the dearest, sweetest, loveliest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing has left this world.
Myrna Raffkind was — oh my, how does one describe this individual? — the embodiment of goodness.
The Amarillo Globe-News honored her with its coveted Woman of the Year award for 2010. Interestingly, she earned that honor the year the newspaper honored the late Eddie Melin as its Man of the Year. Collectively, these two folks elevated the kindness quotient to stratospheric heights.
Myrna was a bit of anomaly in this part of the world.
She was an unabashed political liberal in a region dominated at almost every level of life by political conservatives. She and I had a thing or two in common in that regard. We knew that about each other. We would chuckle among ourselves at that reality.
None of that ever got her down. Indeed, I never heard a single soul in Amarillo ever saying a negative word about Myrna. No one!
Myrna was a prolific writer of essays she would submit to the newspaper. I published them gladly — and not because I endorsed her point of view. I did soĀ to honorĀ her kindness and wisdom that transcended partisan labels. Myrna’s enormous heart would revealĀ itself in her essays.
Years ago I was visiting with her nephew, George Raffkind — the clothier and owner of the store that carries his name — about his Aunt Myrna. I told him how much I “love and adore your aunt.”
“Yes,” George Raffkind respond, “she’s a bit more liberal than most of us around here.”Ā I replied to Myrna’s nephew, “As I was saying, I love and adore her.”
I would see Myrna occasionally at the grocery store on Saturday. She always took the time to visit and we shared a political view on an issue of the day. ThisĀ observant Jewish lady would send my wife and me holiday cards every Christmas, which always would include a lovely personal note wishing us a happy holiday and new year.
Amarillo has lost a towering figure contained in a diminutive form.
I will miss her terribly.
Amen! We will certainly miss Myrna!
She was awesome, and a bit of a mentor to my spouse. Eddie was our neighbor for half a decade. You are totally correct that both “elevated the kindness quotient to stratospheric heights.” I wish I were a quarter the person that either of them were.
You and me, both, pal. Myrna was a bright, shining star. I will miss her. I miss Eddie “Last Word” Melin, too … a lovely man.