Giving Back: The Legacy of Herb Katz

The following eulogy was delivered by City Manager P. Lamont Ewell during a memorial service Monday morning for Council member Herb Katz. Katz, who was elected to a fifth four-year council term two months ago, died peacefully after a long battle with cancer. He was 78.

We gather this morning as family members, friends and colleagues of Herb. We have come with very heavy hearts, filled with tremendous pain due to his passing. Despite our grief, I want to remind us of the obvious, we all know that he would take exception to our mourning him today. In fact, if he were standing here next to me, he would say to all of us “cut the blubbering out right now – or leave!” And he would end by saying “and I really mean it!”

Today is a day of celebration of Herb's life and his many, many accomplishments. It is only fitting that we celebrate his life, because when you think of Herb, you cannot help but think of his bold dedication to life, family and community; of his straight talk about the truth in things; of his rough hewn though always delightful sense of humor; or of his love of beauty in architecture and in the built environment.

When one thinks of Herb, it is easy to picture him as a very complicated man; full of wit, humor and an enormous amount of feistiness. But in truth, he was not that complex at all. You did not have to guess where he stood on issues; he had very strong opinions about virtually everything and when it came to people, he either liked you, hated you or tolerated you.

We could always go to Herb to hear the unvarnished truth. His take on reality was clear and although he didn’t mince words, he was guided by compassion and commitment.

Herb had Santa Monica in his bones. And he found meaning in his decades of giving back to our community.

So just who was this man? Over the past few days, in discussions with many of you, several people used specific descriptors to explain the unique and admired qualities of the man. I would like to share a few of them with you this morning.

He was a loving husband and father; Herb often bragged that unlike most, he had an incredibly rare opportunity to experience true love not once but twice in his lifetime. He enjoyed a long and loving relationship with his first wife Ilona who passed away several years ago. Later, after having met, befriended, and falling in love with and marrying Brenda, he regularly spoke of how blessed he was to have found her. He often proudly stated that he was one of the few people on earth who got the opportunity to happily marry up twice!

Herb had two beautiful sons who were special needs children. As a result of his experiences in raising them, he quickly became the champion for special education programs in our local school district. To the very end, he continued to ensure that special education programs were accessible, fair and transparent.

His daughter Dana was someone that he spoke of regularly. Dana, he may have worried about you but he loved you dearly. Two others who were like family to him were Karen, a long time next door neighbor, and Mark, who often assisted Herb and Brenda with their beloved dogs, Amy and Little Bit. For many years, given the manner in which he spoke of the two of you, I always assumed that you were both children of his.

Another frequently shared comment was that Herb was a man with many, many friends. They come from all walks of life, from different ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and life style choices. But what was interesting about Herb is that he had them neatly categorized based on particular activity.

He had friendships that began in elementary school and he maintained them until his passing. Herb also had early morning Dog Park pals. He was extremely passionate about all creatures great and small. He loved his dogs and wanted to make sure that they, along with their dog friends, had a rich and active outdoor experience in Santa Monica.

Another category of friends included his lunch buddies that he met with on Thursdays at Chez Jay which were hosted by his good bud Michael. And then, there were the Las Vegas boys! As Herb explained, "They fly to Vegas to take in the scenery and enjoy the fine cuisine." Despite his declining health, he insisted on taking what would be his final trip with them last month. Upon his return I asked him about his trip and as you can guess, he responded by saying “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!” Herb’s sense of humor was legendary--- maybe rough around the edges but true to the matter at hand.

Many described Herb as Patriotic. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps. And I recall him having shared with me once that it had had a profound effect on his life and helped to re-enforce his sense of country. I would not fully appreciate this comment until last year.

Each year during our city Council budget deliberations, Herb was known to ask whether or not we had included funds to assist Santa Monica College in producing a 4th of July fireworks show. Last year, during the budget deliberations, I stated to Council that henceforth, we would be including this expenditure as part of the base budget which meant, unless they directed me not to include it, it would automatically appear as part of future City budgets. Herb came to see me the next day and said “I wanted to thank you for permanently including the funding.”

In classic Herb style, he said, “I know you may see this expenditure as ‘money going up in flames’ but for me, it means more.” He went on to say that it was about our community coming together, enjoying a summer evening on a blanket with snacks and good friends. He concluded by stating that for him, the fireworks served as a reminder to us all about the hard fought battle to be a free nation and our responsibility to cherish these freedoms and never take them for granted.

Several persons referred to him as an architect’s architect. He was known for his love of beauty in architecture and in the built environment. His expertise in design and architecture was particularly significant. He was known far and wide for paying exquisite attention to detail. Nothing was too small or too large for him to tackle. Each building or plan had his personal stamp on it and a piece of his soul.

I would be remiss if I did not also state how much he loved our two public safety departments – with special emphasis on the Fire Department. He cherished the opportunity to visit Fire Stations and dine with the firefighters. He especially appreciated the compassion, care and professionalism that they each exhibited in carrying out their duties.

There were so many other descriptors used in reference to Herb, such as:
mentor
father figure
jazz enthusiast
an always positive spirit
and one of my favorites...a woman's kind of man!

When you combine each of these descriptions of Herb, it defines who he was. It was clear that he was a man who loved life to it's fullest; who loved and cherished his friends, his community and who distinguished himself in public service. Because of his involvement; dedication and passion, this community and each of us as individuals are far better off.

In closing, I would like to share with you the words of a great poet, Kahlil Gibran, who in the late 1800’s wrote about death in his book, entitled “The Prophet.” In the last two paragraphs of this particular poem he says:

For what is it to die but to stand naked
in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing,
but to free the breath from its restless ideas,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of
silence shall you indeed sing. And when
you have reached the mountain top, then
you shall begin to climb. And when the earth
shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

Herb, we gather today as family and friends to collectively say, may you sing and dance before God unencumbered for ever more.