Aviva C Share
Written by wife, Aviva Share
spoken at Funeral:
The Share family expresses their heartfelt gratitude for your kindness and for being here, both in person and on zoom.
Rick, I never had a chance to hold your hand and say "I love you" during those critical moments between life and death. The hospital would not allow me, your devoted wife of 40 years inside the Emergency Room.
Frederick Share was born in Philadelphia at the end of WWll in 1945 to parents Reuven and Hannah. They raised Rick and his brother Curtis in center city where they attended Beth Jacob Hebrew Academy. Rick went on to win oratory awards at Central High School.
As a child, Rick became a chess champ and played against Bobbie Fisher. Fisher won that match, but Rick continued to play and won trophies in 1959 and 1960. Rick, with a talented musical ear studied piano at the Curtis Institute of Music. His teacher remarked that his large hands were best suited for playing football. Rick also played the accordion at Bar Mitzvahs and weddings.
Rick always wanted to become a doctor and endured the rigorous education at Boston University 6 year Medical School, graduating Cum Laude. In 1968, he volunteered to join the military and became a US Air Force Captain, now honorably discharged. Dr. Share pursued a PhD in the Department of Biophysics at the University of Rochester. Two feet of snow in the winters was tough. His medical training continued at Harvard University and the University Of Penn. We met in Philadelphia and married at the Frank Lloyd Wright Synagogue in Elkins Park. After our wedding, we settled in Lower Merion, PA, raised a golden retriever puppy and were delighted to give birth to our first son, David. Every morning, Rick and I drove to the University of Pennsylvania, I to complete my Masters in Nursing, Rick to work in Radiation Therapy. An opportunity arose to build a cancer center from ground-up in Miami. Rick rose to the challenge, working with architects and recruiting a dedicated staff who worked together like family. That was North Shore Hospital, where he dedicated his best energies for 20 plus years in the compassionate care and treatment of cancer patients. In 1991, South Florida magazine nominated Frederick Share among the "Doctors of the Year." After long commutes home, he still had time for his three sons, David, Andrew and Jonathan. He taught them all -American skills of playing baseball, riding a bike and investing in the US stock market. We've recently welcomed into our family our daughter-in-law Catherine. 37 years in Florida have flown by too quickly. We enjoyed many family cruises - to Athens, to Israel and to Alaska, with my brother ,Chris.
Rick pulled through numerous cardiac surgeries with determination and always optimism. He wanted to live life - to visit his kids and drive his 30 year-old sports car. He would have thanked all of you for your years of friendship, offered you a scotch or diet coke, and said I love you."