"Richard was a scholar who had a tremendous sense of humour," said Rhona Bezonsky, a psychiatric social worker at the Children's Hospital. "He didn't take himself seriously and delighted in making people laugh."
Karmel died at 10 p.m. Dec. 27, two hours before his 70th birthday. He'd been having health problems in recent years and succumbed while out dining and enjoying some music with a lively group of fellow singles.
"Richard died at a party," Bezonsky said. "That's how he'd have scripted it."
It was a fitting end for a bon vivant. People who live well and make life better for others shouldn't have to endure lingering illness.
And Karmel packed a lot of living into 69 years, 364 days and 22 hours. A native of Philadelphia, he studied at the University of Ottawa and spent 40 years in Montreal as a psychologist/psychoanalyst, a coordinator of an annual symposium on psychopathology and creativity, a jazz musician (primarily alto saxophone, also piano and clarinet) whose wide-ranging passions included Klezmer and Brazilian music, a composer, a recording artist and an editor of a three-volume series, Psychoanalytic Explorations in Music.
Wait, that's not all. The work Karmel enjoyed most was supervising and providing clinical and academic advice to interns pursuing their PhDs in psychology at the General.
The program is unique and draws doctoral students from Canada, the U.S., South America and Europe. In addition to providing guidance during their studies, Karmel maintained contact with them over the years.
"He was a mentor," Bezonsky said, "and an exceptional teacher. I don't know where Richard found the time to do everything he did."
I'm exhausted just summarizing Richard Karmel's CV. And as they said during the memorial last night, he did it all with charm and infectious good humour.
"Richard was a social inter-connector, involved in a lot of different networks," said Dr. TomMilroy, headof inpatient psychiatric services at the General. He said Karmel's clinical specialty was personality testing for patients in psychiatry and "in medicine and surgery as well."
"Psychology and psychiatry, much to our chagrin, sometimes don't work together so well," Milroy added. "Richard was very good at working with a number of psychiatrists.
"Richard was flexible. He understood severe illnesses in patients and had his students working on my ward with patients who were not available for conversation or narrative psychotherapy."
When Bezonsky spoke last night, she described Karmel as an "incredibly funny, entertaining Renaissance man" and "eternal fountain of creativity and side-splitting humour" who had been joining her and her family for Friday night dinners since 1985.
"He was great at promoting talent," Bezonsky said. "Young musicians would come from Russia or South America and Richard would find training and billet them.
"He had medical problems that he never talked about. But Richard continued to help others."
Karmel would pay visits to neighbours who had been hospitalized. He'd chauffeur friends' visiting relatives.
"He had students who'd moved away from Montreal," Bezonsky said, "and Richard would be actively helping their elderly parents."
To coin a cliche, Richard Karmel was a people person.
Single and childless, he touched many lives. More than 100 doctors, academics, musicians and friends turned out on a January evening to remember someone who would have been the life of the party.
mboone@montrealgazette.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Peter Schoenbach
I can't believe the news of Richie passing. We were in touch very frequently about music, and our love of Brazil. Some years ago I spent a week-end in Montreal and the high point was dinner at a jazz club with Richie and his girlfriend.
With his easy smile and modest manner, Richie was a treasure of the 210.
I am sure many of our classmates will join me in expressing our appreciation for one great guy.
Jay Kerzner
Warm memories of a sweet guy, Richie "Zoot" Karmel. Singing rock and roll with Richie and Ronnie Fogel, and others, in our teen years. A car trip from frozen Philadelphia to warm Florida with Richie and Marc Levin during our freshman years in college. I' ve always thought Richie was kind of a Woody Allen type character, and I can remember laughing with Richie about Woody Allen's first film (either "Bananas" or "Take The Money and Run"). So sad to hear of his passing.
Jay Kerzner
Ronald Fogel
Richie will be missed by all who knew him. My memories of him only bring smiles to me. He was "the Zoot" and an important and treasured part of my youth. I will miss you Rich.
Ron Fogel
Fredric C. Jacobs
Rich was a constant presence in my early life, a classmate at Pennypacker School and at Central, and a fraternity brother Penn State. We sang and played in a band together. He was a gentle sole with an easy laugh, although, truth be told, not exactly a killer with the opposite sex, at least in his early years. I was always glad to see him at our reunions and was surprised with great pleasure when he showed up one year with an absolutely stunning woman on his arm, whom he introduced as his friend. I will miss Zoot.
Freddie
Robert J. Karp (Robert Karp)
Form Bob karp
Richie and I were friends at Central -- hard not to be when it's Karp, Karpowitz, Karmel -- and Richie was an engaging fellow. We maintained contact with holiday notes, political disagreement and an enjoyable visit toBrooklyn about a year ago
There wasn't much time for me to grieve given a family crises of my post teen-age son being laid off and unemployed at 21. So it all ended up in a funny nightmare, if there can be such a thing.
In the dream, an unrecognized fellow, definitely Jewish, is trying to sell me a car. I told him that I was happy with my Ford Taurus.
I see his name tag "Harold B. Mulligan” (a funeral home I used to pass on my way to elementary school) and said, "I thought you were Jewish,"
He said, "sure I am, but Goldstein couldn't bury the Irish so I changed my name."
I woke up, grieving and laughing in equal parts.
Thanks Richie. I don't believe in such things in a literal sense; still, this was your reminder of how much joy and sadness get mixed together --- and how much I'll miss you.
Bob
Jerome E. Goldberg
In later years I became -- I suppose you would call it an advocate -- for another one of our classmates -- Alan Freedman. Alan was beleagured with chronic poor health. His life was a series of trials and tribulations such as you would find in the Book of Job. But when he would talk about one of our classmates his eyes would light up -- that was Richie Karmel. So I made it a point to tell Richie about this at one of our reunions. A few weeks later on a Sunday afternoon Alan telephoned me -- his voice resonant with pride. One of his classmates had thought enough of him to call him from Montreal, Canada just to find out how he is and just to shoot the breeze. So for one brief interlude on a winter Sunday morning Alan was young and buoyant and burden-free again and talkin' to his high school pal.
Thanks, Richie.
Jerry Goldberg
Joel Browndorf
I had sooo much in common with Richie - except the difference in weight, I was 225 and he was 125, he was a Dr, I was not, he received a real "Barnwell", I had to wait til our 50Th reunion. Marc Levin was our only link - Marc kept me aware and smiling as he transmitted his latest "Richie Story". As Fred Jacobs recalls, I too was happily surprised when Rich showed up at that reunion with a beauty on his arm. He was another of my fond Central memories and only further illuminates how wonderful those years actually were.
Rest in peace Rich - I'm sure you'll put a smile on God's face.
Joel Browndorf