By Barry Rotman
My father, Murray Rotman, taught us a number of lessons about life and how to live it. I'd like to share some of them with you.
My father's view of family was remarkably inclusive. It made no difference tohim whether you were a Rotman, the family into which he was born, or a Kaplan, the family into which he married. Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, first cousins, second cousins, whatever the relationship, these people were all important to him. If you were family, you could do no wrong in my father's eyes. I learned from my father that loyalty to family trumps everything else.
My father was so proud of his family -- his immediate family and above all, his beautiful wife Ida. My father met my mother when she was only 16 years old. For him, it was love at first sight. And throughout their almost 70 years of marriage, he never stopped loving her. To him, Ida could do no wrong. He was a caring, devoted and loving husband. How lucky we all are to have had him for a role model.
But my father's vision of family didn't include only blood relatives. He considered all Rotmans' employees to be family. Our father was truly proud of everyone at Rotmans.
In the 1950's when my father was in his mid-forties and his first child was just entering college, be decided that he and my mother would start their own business. It was a true mom and pop operation, the epitome of a family business. In my father's mind, the essence of the business remained a family operation, and everyone connected to the store was always part of his family.
When he was in the store he always took the time to walkaround and talk to as many employees as he could because he really cared about them. My father took a personal interest in their joys, their sorrows, and their successes.
When he and my mother set up the Rotman Family Scholarship fund with their own money, they did it because they truly cared about everyone associated with the store. They were all family, and he felt they had an obligation to help the employee's children get a college education.
When my father and Arthur Herring agreed to set up Rotmans at College Square, they agreed that they needed only a handshake and not a written contract, because they were both family.
What a wonderful way to view life, relatives, and close friends.
My father was a perfectionist -- always looking for new ideas and ways to make things better. He taught us that we should always strive for excellence. Until his death, he would cut out creative ads or interesting articles from newspapers and trade journals and send them to the store. He wanted everyone to do their best. He especially loved working with the Rotmans sales force, giving them tips on bow they could do their job better. Even if he walked into someone else's store and saw ways the could improve their service or merchandising, he told them. That way they too could do their best.
His idea that "you could always do better" even extended to the other love of his life -- his golf game. Just a few weeks ago he was thinking that if he changed one of his golf clubs, he could improve his game. He was investigating a new club and even thinking of taking a few golf lessons. My father always believed that there wasn't anything you couldn't do better if you put your mind to it.
"No" was not a word my father understood. Maybe, perhaps,possIbly, or yes were better. There had to be a way. A special order that couldn't be made, a delivery that couldn't be fulfilled, these were not acceptable options.
When my father had trigeminal neuralgia, a disabling and incredibly painful paralysis on the left side of his face, he would not accept the notion that there was nothing that could be done for it. He said be would go anywhere, undergo any treatment, but he would beat it. He asked questions, followed up on possible remedies and continuously explored options. He found an experimental procedure that was being tried in Pittsburgh, and flew there to see the only doctor in the country who could cure him.
And he cured my father.
These maxims are part of our father's legacy. Family, in its broadest sense, is most important. Strive for excellence and always seek to do better. Every problem has a solution. And never say no.
If he could speak to us, these are the words he would tell us.
Our challenge is to insure that they are not forgotten.