Reinhard Frank Obituary

FRANK, Reinhard Of Cambridge, on Dec. 12, 2010, after a long illness. He was 82. Born in Leipzig, Germany, he and his sister, Anita, were imprisoned at the Theresienstadt concentration camp near Prague in 1943. In 1944, he was sent to Auschwitz. In early 1945 he and six companions escaped from a death march as the camp was being evacuated. His sister died in Bergen Belsen; his mother, Hilda, died in Switzerland where she had traveled after the outbreak of war in an effort to save her children. His father, Hermann, had died when Reinhard was 4. Following the war, Reinhard lived in England, where he completed his education and earned an engineering degree. He came to the U.S. in 1956 and worked as an engineer for a number of years before settling in Cambridge. He supported many philanthropic activities, including the Or-Yehuda Children's Center in Israel in his sister's memory. He leaves many loving friends and extended family around the world. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at Levine Chapels, 470 Harvard St., BROOKLINE. Burial will follow at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Visitors will be received at his late residence, 2-8 p.m., on Dec. 14. Levine Chapels, Brookline 617-277-8300

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Published by Boston Globe from Dec. 12 to Dec. 13, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Reinhard Frank

13 Entries

Julia

December 8, 2021

Will always remember you

October 25, 2011

Lieber Reinhard, meine Englischkenntnisse sind nicht so gut und so will ich Dir auf Deutsch einiges schreiben. Ich war erschüttert, als mein Sohn nach meiner Verzweiflung, Dich endlich doch mal wieder zu erreichen, googlete und mir dann die böse Wahrheit mitteilte. Reinhard, wie oft habe ich dich gefragt, wie ich wohl jemals von Deinem Tod erfahren sollte, wenn Du nicht mit mir darüber sprichst. Aber über den Tod sprechen, war nicht Dein Ding. Im Herbst vergangenen Jahres sprachen wir noch miteinander und Du warst guter Hoffnung, doch auch wieder nach Israel fliegen zu können. Du wolltest Dich im Frühjahr 2011 wie üblich melden, eventuell sogar nach Berlin kommen, aber es kam kein Anruf. So wartete ich auf den üblichen Herbsttermin. Und nun diese böse Nachricht, die mich sprachlos macht. Erst ging Kurt Samuel und nun Du auch.
Und was mir bleibt, sind schöne Erinnerungen an gute Gespräche mit Dir und Kurt, Buchbesprechungen über Sibylle Niemoeller-von Sell und über Stella von Peter Wyden, gemeinsame Ausflüge später mit meinen jetzt erwachsenen Kindern. Reinhard seit 1970 kennen wir uns durch Michal aus Israel, wir haben gemeinsame schöne Zeit in Israel verlebt und uns gegenseitig angerufen oder in Berlin getroffen, wann immer Du Deine Gesellschafterversammlungen (?) in Hamburg hattest. Danach führte Dich Dein Weg dann meistens noch nach Basel zu Freunden. Ich bewunderte immer Deinen Unternehmensgeist, Dein Rumkommen, Dein Wissen, auf alle Fragen hattest Du eine Antwort. Dies ist auch meinen Kindern in Erinnerung geblieben. 2002 hast Du mit meinen Kindern mich zum 60. Geburtstag total überrascht, weil Du extra zu meiner Feier gekommen bist von so weit her. Reinhard leider konnten wir uns tatsächlich nicht voneinander verabschieden. Leider hat niemand meine Post an Dich mit meinem Absender in Deiner Wohnung gefunden. Nun kann ich nur hoffen, dass Deine sozialen Einrichtungen im Andenken an Deine Schwester gut weiter geführt werden und dass all Dein Geld auch da ankommt, wofür Du es mal vorgesehen hast.
Du wirst immer unvergessen in meinem und dem Herzen meiner Jungen sein. Ich verneige mich vor einem so guten Freund, wie Du mir einer warst. Es geht ein Stück mit Dir, lieber Reinhard
Elisabeth Wohlfeld, 13589 Berlin, Im Spektefeld 32

Sue Kelman

May 12, 2011

Reinhard was an old friend of my late-departed aunt, Carol Sussman. They both lived in Cambridge, saw each other frequently, and cared deeply about each other despite each one's quirks. As a result, I came to know Reinhard as well. He cooked me dinner and we ate out and talked and laughed.He was a good friend to Carol in those last very difficult days and we are grateful. Reinhard also visited my parents, Gil and Eleanor Kelman, in Connecticut and I know that they also send deep condolences.On the top of Reinhard's bookshelf in his Cambridge home was a stuffed doll or animal that been either his or his sister's before the war. There it sat, looking down upon him, perhaps keeping watch over him after having seen him through such horrors and pain. I will miss his smile and funny laugh, and I will miss knowing that he is here on earth among us.
Sue Kelman

David Pringle

April 13, 2011

This is a moving obituary. Can anyone who knew Reinhard Frank confirm that he was educated at a school named The Leys in Cambridge, England, in the years immediately after World War II? If so, then this is the same Frank who was a schoolfriend of the English writer J. G. Ballard, who wrote _Empire of the Sun_.

March 2, 2011

It was in 1977, when I first met Reinhard. We both were invited to a dinner party in Cambridge, one floor above Reinhard's apartment. (I was a student at HLS.) After Reinhard found out that I was from Basel, but without knowing my name, he went downstairs to get documents issued by the administration of Basel-Stadt shortly after World War II, when Reinhard finally escaped from Germany and made it to Switzerland. Since he was minor and without parents, he came under guardianship. The documents showed that Dr.iur. Werner Eulau, attorney in Basel, was appointed Reinhard's guardian, and Werner Eulau was my father! This story stands for many other stories which were typical for Reinhard's life: sheer coincidence or Act of God? Reinhard and I have been close friends ever since, he belonged to our family. We miss him, we are sad.

Peter H. Eulau

shaula haitner

December 16, 2010

Dear Reinhard,
We shall miss you in Kiryat Ono
shaula & Nur

December 15, 2010

Reinhard and I became very close when I was about 7, he was always like my big furry teddy bear, and I would often sit on his knee when he visited us in Montreal, and he’d tell me stories. Once I asked him what the number tattooed on his arm was, and he told me that it was his girlfriend's phone number. I thought about all this, and being of practical mind, then asked him what happened when he changed girlfriends? I don’t remember his response, but I do remember him laugh.

A little later he told me his story for the first time, and I was mesmerized. He told me that as my Mother was Jewish, I was also by blood Jewish, and could therefore live in Israel. I was proud and grateful to have this stronger connection to this rather mysterious and loving man who dropped in and out of our family bearing chocolates, stuffed animals and magnums of champagne. At school later that year, I was asked to fill out some form or other, a standard procedure at the protestant elementary school I attended. These forms at the time, always asked for us to tick off our religion; protestant, catholic or “other”. For the first time I knew what to tick off, “other” I ticked proudly, and on the line beside wrote Jewish. My Mother was called to the school later that day to explain. When Reinhard was told the story, he was amused and I believe very touched, he told that story to others many times.

That was the beginning of our long lasting deep connection, one I have had with no other godparent, or aunt, uncle or cousin for that matter. Reinhard was very special. He was at times difficult and moody, yet he was always generous, loving and kind. He was a constant in my life, giving me emotional support through some of my darkest hours, no matter what part of the world I was living in. I am so very grateful for our close connection through to the end.

I hope you are finally at peace Godfather. I am so very grateful to have had you in my life. May you be telling jokes and being the gracious host up there, for down here is a starker place with you gone.

With deep love and affection,

Liz

Shelley Kirschbaum

December 15, 2010

Dearest Reinhard,
You shall be sorely missed by all of us.
Thank you for your great company and intelligent conversations.
I hope you are somehow reunited with your beloved sister and parents.
All my Love,
Shelley

Guy Kirschbaum

December 14, 2010

Reinhard has been our guest in Israel every year, being my mother's cousin.
Although I saw him only once every year, he became integral part of our family and routine.
It is hard for me to find the right words to express what I feel when I think of him - a very sad moment indeed.
But... I have a feeling he reached a better place now, laughing and enjoying himself and especially taking care of himself like he did so many times to people around him.
Wishing you all the best up there Reinhard :-)
We will never forget you!!!
Guy

Judith Kirschbaum

December 14, 2010

My beloved cousin Reinhard used to visit us regularly in Israel. He was like a brother to me. In the photo at my birthday party with the enlarged family. So happy...
Miss you

December 14, 2010

Reinhard, we will miss you very very much.
Boston will never be the same to us.
Julia and Ariane Lemée, (Paris, France)

December 13, 2010

Reinhard was always an interetsing guy to chat with. I will miss sitting with him at my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Nate's house chatting about politics and traveling. May be rest in piece