Jeff Erlanger's Funeral

[wrenb]

We just got home from Jeff Erlanger's funeral. It was huge and beautiful. Jeff Erlanger was an amazing guy in our town, here's his obit, the memorial in this week's Isthmus, and a memorial in the Capital Times. Jeff had an amazing spirit and touched way more people in 36 years than anyone else I know. As a result our synagogue was packed. They

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[springbok1]

Jeff's dad, Howie Erlanger, was a colleague of my father's in the poli-sci department, so I grew up with Jeff. He was the only kid at Beth El in a wheelchair, and was kind of infamous for having been on Mr. Rogers. :D As an adult, I've heard pieces here and there of what he's been up to - mostly his run for alder and his activism.

My parents told me about his choking incident the weekend I visited Madison, and that the prognosis did not look good. I was really saddened to hear of it, and of his death last weekend. :(

[wrenb]

Oddly enough, I sat next to your parents this morning.(Odd because I hadn't met them before and because the Temple staff were about to put chairs in the Community Court for overflow). This couple sat down and started talking to a guy behind us about their house closing and moving to the Twin Cities and both their daughters were there... so I introduced myself.

It was one heck of a funeral.