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From:
Larry Lapide
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Tuesday, December 6, 2016
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Mike was beloved by all the Chessnuts at the Newton Senior Center. He will be greatly missed. The somewhat dingy basement rooms there were always a little brighter when Mike was in them. He was a pleasure to play against, always forgiving all my frequent dumb moves, while mixing his chess play with intelligent conversations and humor. We also shared a love of movies, especially those about chess players.
My wife Betty and I had dinner with Mike and Barbara several times in our homes and I played once in a while at Mike's as well. Those were very special times, and Barbara and he were gracious hosts. The conversations covered many topics, with a fair amount about Israel and politics. His political views were extremely liberal, while ours more conservative. I'll always cherish how he would constantly probe into our brains -- I suspect, much like what he would do as the professional (successful) researcher he was during his career -- into trying to fathom how and why we would ever believe so differently from him. Of course, no one's minds changed very much, but they were fun times that we'll really miss.
We are sorry to hear of Barbara's and her family's loss. Mike was a precious jewel of a man.
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From:
paul walker
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Monday, December 5, 2016
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Like everyone, I was stunned to learn of Mike's sudden passing. I first met mike at our local chess club here in Newton. Although I only knew Mike for the last couple of years, he became a great friend and, by example, taught me much about how to live. We shared a love for classical music, chess, and, to a lesser extent, politics. Many a pleasant (and even inspiring) afternoon we spent at his home playing chess while listening to recordings of classical music from his large and excellent collection (conducted always by Toscanini, of course). Barbara, always the perfect hostess, would kindly prepare a delicious dinner for us all, and we'd have a grand time. What a treat it was for me.
I will always remember Mike - his love for travel, his incisive mind, his strong character, his wonderful sense of humor, his inherent kindness. I am thankful that I was able to know such a man.
My sincerest condolences go out to Barbara and their family.
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