Denise Hornfeld
Let me tell you, my story about Al Hornfeld
(sung to the tune of the theme song for the Beverly Hillbillies)
Let me tell you my story about a man named Al,
Who went to the beach where he met a gorgeous gal;
And on that wonderful day when he first met Ann,
She thought to herself this could be the right man.
The two hit it off and got along great,
So it was only natural that they’d begin to date;
Kinfolk said the altar is the place you ought to be,
So they invited friends and family to their wedding ceremony.
They wanted to share the love that they did feel,
So they produced two sons named Bruce and Neil;
Al taught them self-reliance and to provide for their own needs,
And other essentials like how to pick weeds.
Every weekend Al fulfilled his children’s dearest wish,
By spending time with them and teaching them to fish;
He taught them fine qualities for living a good life,
And modeled loyalty to parents, siblings, children and wife.
Al served his country proudly in the Korean War
And was lucky to be stateside where there was no blood and gore;
He was loved by fellow soldiers who he put in a good mood,
Because he was a fine chef and he cooked their food.
Al liked all kinds of music from Reggae to Latin,
And enjoyed American classics from Nashville or Manhattan;
And with Ann by his side he enjoyed romance,
And when the music played, he would ask her to dance.
The grass was always greener when it was on Al’s side,
Through the use of child labor and a bit of herbicide;
And their family life was joyous and today seems like a fable,
As they gathered every night as a family around the dinner table.
Al was outspoken and liked to tell the truth,
And could be a little rough, except with his mom or sister Ruth;
And he loved his grandkids and his every Great Dane,
For humans and dogs, his presence on Earth was their gain.
As a devoted son, Al was certainly a winner,
Each Sunday he schlepped his family to join his mother for dinner;
He called his sister and his kids every single day,
Devotion to country and family, were simply Al’s way.
And now it’s time to celebrate Al’s life of love,
We’ll think of him each time we look at the stars above;
From friends and family, Al will never be apart,
He will reside with them forever, deep within their heart.
Written with love for Al’s wonderful family by Rabbi Barry Silver June 15, 2017