About Abe Rather             Abe Ratner      List of honorees         Louis Rose Society         Jewishsightseeing home

Eulogy for Abraham Ratner (delivered by Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, Dec. 22, 1992)  

      Abraham Ratner was well known throughout San Diego and the rest of this country as a skilled and successful businessman, and generous philanthropist.

      While these particulars tell us what he did during his 87 years on earth, they just begin to tell us who he was. They merely intimate and point to the values and ideals which informed and directed his life, and the care the love he shared with everyone who was part of it.

      Abe was a kind, humble and gentle man, whose true concern for his fellow human beings endeared him to people too countless to enumerate, regardless of their background, creed or station in life.

      Sandy told me that not too long ago he took what would prove to be one of his last walks with his father on Shelter Island and he was amazed by the number of people who stopped Abe to talk with him and wish him well; not only friends and acquaintances; but gardeners and workman as well.

      In his later years, when he was no longer active in the business, he still loved to visit the factory arriving inevitably about 10:00 a.m.; at coffee break time, when he could shmooze with the workers and share their sweets.

      And of course, everyone at the Ratner factory knew and loved ``Mr. Abe.'' And knew when he walked through the factory asking about you and your family, the interest was genuine and from the heart.

      Wherever he went, Abe Ratner made friends. He would strike up conversations with strangers at the drop of a hat, even in foreign countries, and in his own inimitable style try to find out if they were a landsman by dropping a little Yiddish here and there. And whenever he spoke to a younger person, he  always encouraged them to continue their education and urged them on in their studies. Perhaps because the difficulties of the time forced him to drop out of school after eighth grade, Abe Ratner appreciated the importance of education, not only for his own children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but for any young person he happened to meet. ``Don't forget the importance of education,'' he would always say.

      Abe Ratner's roots in San Diego go very very deep. His grandfather, Rabbi Zimmerman, was one of the first members of the family to settle here, followed in 1921 by Abe's father with his family.

      Things were financially very difficult for Abe's family, which had forced him to go to work at age 13, and to scrimp and save every extra penny so that his family would not go wanting. He continued working in San Diego, at first as a card carrying union electrician. He was part of the crew that wired the El Cortez Hotel, and the original Bank of America. This interest in all things mechanical would stay with him for the rest of his life.

      But Abe Ratner really found in calling in his father's cap manufacturing business. One of his earliest successes was putting miniaturized emblems on the caps of military uniforms. Together, with his brother and partner, Nate, this small business was to flourish and grow into the ``Ratner Corporation,'' which employed 2,300 people. In 1975 San Diego Magazine named Abe Ratner, ``Industrialist of the Year.''

      In the early days, the brothers would have to do almost everything themselves. It wasn't unusual for Abe to spend long and hard ours on the road, first taking orders, bringing them back to the factory, and then driving out to deliver them again by hand.

      But Abe loved the business and the factory, work was always a pleasure for him, not a burden; and through his creativity, intelligence, personality, hard work, sheer force of personality, willingness to tackle problems head on and go immediately to the top, if necessary, he and Nate made Ratners a tremendous and flourishing success.

      Abe also loved to wear what he manufactured, and he was well known for his meticulous, fastidious and stylish way of dressing, always wearing a jacket, vest and his signature hat.

      For all of his brilliance and success, Abe was a very humble man, and he believed in sharing all of the blessings that God had granted him and that he had earned with others. His charitable interests ranged far and wide.

      He was an extremely generous contributor to Tifereth Israel Synagogue, and he and Anne are one of the pioneer families of the congregation. In tribute to his help assistance, and advocacy on behalf of Jewish education, the synagogue's Abraham Ratner Torah School is named in his honor. He also served the synagogue in many voluntary capacities, including serving on the congregation's Board and as one of its Vice Presidents.

      Abe was also a board member and generous supporter of San Diego's United Jewish Federation, the Salk Institute and Sharp Hospital. He also was a great supporter of the City of Hope in Los Angeles. He was a director of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, on the president's council of Scripps Clinic and member of the Chancellors Associates of the University of California at San Diego.

      He was a Mason and a Shriner, and in 1978 both Abe and Anne received the American Jewish Committee's Human Relations Award. In 1986 they were honored with a banquet by Senior Adult Services/Meals-on-Wheels. He was also a benefactor of the San Diego Symphony, the La Jolla Playhouse and the San Diego Hebrew Home for the aged.

      Abe and Anne shared 61 wonderful and beautiful years of married life together. In San Diego, they discovered that they had lived one-half block away from each other. Abe spotted this beautiful young girl getting on a street car, and discretely arranged for his sister to arrange for the two of them to get them together.

      Anne was attracted to Abe's gentle good manners, his intelligence, his sensitivity and his humility. He was also a man of strength and determination, a ``man's man.'' He was a wonderful husband, always the gentleman, and there was nothing that she could ask her that he would not give her. And little else made him happier than to be seen out in public with his beautiful wife.

      Anne and Abe shared a deep, sustaining and abiding love. They not only cared each other, but treasured each other. They rarely called each other by first names, but by special and sweet terms of endearment. They shared an interest in the arts, and attended the symphony, opera and ballet together. And when Abe became ill, Anne was by his side always, comforting him, making sure that he was never left alone, and that he received the best care possible. The shared a unique, beautiful and special relationship.

      One of Abe and Anne's greatest pleasures in life was their children, Pauline and Stan, Sandy and Laurie, their grandchildren, Marcia, Lisa, Karen, Joshua, Erica, Daniel, Wendy & Jennifer, and their six great-grandchildren.

      Abe was a loving and caring father. He encouraged his children and challenged them. He spurred them on, and encouraged them to learn, study and achieve. It filled him with pride to watch them grow, prosper, blossom, to marry loving and caring mates, and to raise loving families of their own.

      He also rejoiced in watching them make the values that he cherished part of their own lives, as they became active in the Jewish and general community, and helped build and sustain community institutions, and become contributors to and leaders of worthy causes.

      One of the most beautiful remembrances Abe's family has of him, is of his role as family patriarch during the many vacations and trips on which he took his family.  Whether it was to Europe, or Lake Arrowhead, Israel or Hawaii, Abe relished these special times all of them spent together. He loved to explore new places, meet new people, and to find out how many people spoke Yiddish. But invariably, his favorite activity on these family trips, would be to find a sunny place to sit, and simply shep nachas, watching his entire family play around him. For Abe, these times were heaven on earth.

      And this morning, you heard from Abe's grandchildren, themselves, the kind of relationship he shared with them. They have fond and happy memories of Abe, and remember how he made them laugh by making animal sounds, how he always had a piece of candy for them in his pocket, and how he invariably could search out any cookies or cake they had in their house to satisfy his famous sweet tooth.

      And Abe is also mourned by his brother and partner, Nate, his beloved sister, Diane - whom he called every day, and sister-in-law, Molly, all of whom treasured their relationships with him.

      For all of his accomplishments and for all of the good deeds he performed, Abe Ratner remained a very modest and humble man throughout his entire life. He was caring, kind-hearted, reserved, sensitive and gentle. He was compassionate and had a marvelous sense of humor. He believed in and lived, sharing all of the blessings that God had given him with others.

      Above all, Abe Ratner was a man who loved his family and friends. He was man who was loved by many, and will be missed by all of us whose life he touched.

      Especially in his later years, after Abe asked you how you were doing, and what you were accomplishing in your life, he would always respond, ``keep it up!''  This was Abe's benediction. It meant that you should keep on accomplishing great things, and to keep on doing whatever it is that brought you and others pleasure and joy.''

      Even as we mourn his passing, we would should remember Abe's benediction this morning.

      May the life and good deeds of Abraham Ratner inspire all of us to treasure our relationships with those we love, to use our time on earth wisely and to spend our days and hours doing those things which are truly important to us, and finally to use the blessings with which God has granted us not only to improve our own lives, but the lives of those around us as well.

      This is how Abraham Ratner lived, and this is why he was such a blessing to so many people. May his memory inspire us to make our lives, blessing, too. And please say with me, Amein.

* *