LEON SACHS

SACHS--Leon September 17, 2013. Professor Sachs De La Sorbonne! I can see you now, emphasizing in your inimitable way, the correct way to pronounce "La Sorbonne"! We mourn the tragic loss of Leon, who over the last 30 years, quickly grew from being "our Professor of French" into an adored and cherished member of our family. Soon, his beloved wife and soulmate, Sheila, and the daughters on whom he doted; Deborah and Anne; her husband David, and their children, Lindsey Rachel, and Max all became family. They were the planets that revolved around this delightful man's special world. Leon was a wealth of information, a brilliant scholar whose depth of knowledge spanned the world of languages, music of every kind, opera, haute cuisine --the best of everything, including, where to get the best cappuccino in town. Who will I call from Tel Aviv to find out where to get the best falafel? Who will I phone from Paris to make sure that my wording is the "most chic"? And who will call me to say where our next lesson will be, (they were frequently conducted in 3-star restaurants, naturellment!) Who else could I be with, conjugating verbs and munching on amuse bouches, at Le Cirque or Daniel, only to have our lesson interrupted by Sirio or Daniel themselves, the celebrated restaurateurs, who always stopped by to exchange pleasantries with The Professor?? I will never forget our hilarious and heartwarming taxi rides around NYC. Leon, leaning forward to determine the driver's native tongue, and a split second later, regaling the driver with wondrous words that not only amazed him but convinced him that he was in the company of a fellow countryman! Leon wove his special magic both in song and in fluent French, Arabic, Yiddish, Italian.and conversed in Ordu, Indian dialects, Pakistani, Greek and Creole masterfully enough to send listeners into gales of laughter, the most universal language of all. Leon, you will be missed by so many. There will never be anyone as charming and playful as you. Only a truly gifted teacher such as you could share his wisdom and knowledge with so many spanning all ages, in a breadth of settings with so much success and joy. From Brearley to the Boardroom, you enchanted and left your unforgettable imprint. We will all miss you so very much. Our hearts and thoughts are with Sheila, Deborah, Anne, David and their children. Love, Catherine, Fred, Christopher, Freddie P.S. I hope that in heaven you will have an unending supply of Le Petit Ecolier, in dark chocolate of course!