More On The Lewis Katz We Knew

As many of you know, we are touring in Russia.
But the death of Lewis Katz continues to occupy our thoughts. It's such a tragic and incalculable loss.
And it continues to bring forth a flood of memories. Here are some more:

--I remember attending a big party at Lew's house in Cherry Hill in the 1970s during a time when we were both involved in the Democrat Party in Camden. A whole group of party foot soldiers received invitations and it was quite a soiree -- lots of movers and shakers in attendance and we felt honored to be there. The party included touches that were largely unheard of  for a "house party" in South Jersey at that time including valet parking, full catering and live music with several groups playing throughout the house.
Lew was like a guest at his own party -- enjoying the event as much as the rest of us. My favorite part was the Dixieland jazz band, complete with musicians sporting red-stripped jackets and straw hats, who played in a room near the kitchen. In a small room nearby (probably a den or somesuch) Camden Mayor and soon-to-be State Senator Angelo Errichetti  held court. At that time "Eric" or "Ange" as he was known was the Big Kahuna in South Jersey and people were entering the room (where Ange sat in a corner chain smoking) to pay homage him. Obviously, this was pre-Abscam. Well, it wasn't like Ange would come to the party. Instead, the party had to come to him. I decided to skip that room as the whole scene struck me as desperate and condescending. I think I enjoyed the party a lot more because of that -- and the dessert table was fantastic!

--One time, some years later, I was having breakfast with Philadelphia Bar Association leaders in what was then known as Treetops in the Rittenhouse Hotel overlooking Rittenhouse Square. Inasmuch as Lew Katz maintained a residence at the Rittenhouse I was not surprised to see him drop by for breakfast. But he was clad in a jogging suit and perhaps had just finished a workout. It appeared as if he was going to have a very quick breakfast and be on his way. Seeing that, I did not want to bother him. But, as always he made it a point to warmly greet me and say hello to everyone, all around. That was simply his way -- in a suit or in jogging attire, he was who he was.

--I always wanted to interview Lew and have him tell his own story in his own words because I wanted people to see him the way I felt he really was. In newspaper stories he was routinely identified as a "successful businessman" or as an "influential power broker" or as a "philanthropist." None of these were necessarily bad terms but they didn't tell the whole story. In their own way, these terms were stereotypes. And I felt he had a deeper, more important story to tell -- a much more interesting, more three-dimensional story.
Not long ago I asked him if he would let me interview him as part of a series of podcasts I was doing for the Philadelphia Bar Association called "Hot Interviews With Cool People." I reminded him that he was a Philadelphia lawyer. And, as if he needed any assurance, I told him this would be a friendly, personable interview. But once again he demurred. He always told me the story wasn't about him. He didn't seek that kind of attention. And of course it goes without saying that he didn't necessarily need it.

--The last time Carole Cirucci and I saw Lew when he popped in on our dinner at a sidewalk cafe in Center City Philadelphia, he was interrupted by a major developer of residential communities (whose name you'd know) who happened to be walking by and wanted to talk business with him. Lew got up from his seat for a moment and told the guy: "Sorry, but I'm here with a couple of dear friends who I haven't seen in a long time, so you'll have to catch me later."  And that was the end of that.

All of these memories jive with the tales that are now being told about this man who touched so many people's lives in so many good ways -- a man who would be the first to tell you he was imperfect; but a man who was smart, sometimes quirky, always savvy, charmingly human and very kind.