Nate Brightman celebrating with his children Lynne and Howard...note the TWO cakes in the foreground!
Few celebrations are more fun than a birthday party for a friend or family member. Although gatherings for youngsters have a tendency to be more whimsical and noisy, and may or may not include a petting zoo, pony rides and/or a clown, get-togethers for the older generation can be enjoyable in an entirely different manner.
Last Sunday I had the honor of attending a 95th birthday party for Nate Brightman hosted by his children, Lynne and Howard. For those who do not know Nate (only a handful of you, I’m sure), I will tell you a little about him. Nate, a Long Beach resident, is a volunteer extraordinaire. I first met him nearly 20 years ago when he came and gave a presentation about the Red Cross for my Susan B. Anthony, D.A.R. Chapter. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject was such that it kept all of us absolutely mesmerized. Little did I know at the time that I would continue to see Nate at event after event, build a relationship with him, and eventually even have a picture of the two of us framed and sitting on a shelf in my office. I wonder if he remembers the day that we met.
Anyway, besides Red Cross, Nate is also extremely involved and has ties with the Associated Ratio Amateurs of Long Beach, the Queen Mary, a local computer club, and other interests that are too many to list.
As far as the party goes, it was amazing. The event took place at the Petroleum Club with wall-to-wall well-wishers, friends and family members kissing or shaking hands with him, posing for photos, and otherwise just fawning over the man of the hour— Nate Brightman. During the evening, Nate’s son and daughter took turns at the podium sharing stories about their father and telling the attendees about his myriad accomplishments and about Nate’s recent decision to learn Hebrew. Linda Temkin-Waltzman, Nate’s Hebrew teacher, spoke of “the sunshine” he has brought into her life and how much she enjoys teaching the written and spoken language to such an eager and apt pupil.
During the “we love Nate” speeches portion of the evening, I had a chance to say a few words. I was tickled pink to get up in front of such a loving crowd and make the announcement that we at the Signal Tribune have designated Nate Brightman to be the first person chosen to be part of our new monthly feature called “Living Legends, Our Unsung Heroes.” Well, as I shared this news, you would have thought I announced Nate as the latest Nobel Prize winner! The crowd hooted and hollered, clapped, whistled and stomped their feet. From their reaction, I think we made a good choice in Nate— he truly is a living legend.
Keep your eyes peeled for the October 26 issue— featuring dear Nate.
