Eulogy for Beloved Father, ALBERT Z. SEGAL , 1925-2025, FATHER OF RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL AND SHARON SEGAL,MBA, AND FATHER-IN-LAW OF OF ELLEN LOUISE FREEDMAN SEGAL
We gather here today with heavy hearts, yet also with deep gratitude, to honor the life of a remarkable man — our father, husband, uncle, brother, brother-in-law, and friend — who lived to the extraordinary age of 100. Some called him Boomey, some called him Al, some called him uncle, but everyone called him with respect and admiration.
In Pirkei Avot, we are taught: "At five years of age, one is ready for the study of Scripture; at ten, for the Mishnah; at a hundred, it is as if one were already gone and passed away, and out of the world." But while our father reached that rare milestone of a full century, he was never "out of the world." He remained deeply connected — to his wife of a lifetime, to his children, to his faith, to his community, and to the values that guided him every day.
He was blessed with two children, each of whom reflected his values in different ways. His daughter, Sharon, accomplished and thoughtful, earned her MBA and has lived a life of both professional achievement and loving devotion to family. Me, his son — who became both a surgeon and a rabbi — followed in my father's footsteps of service, healing the body and the spirit, living out the deep Jewish teaching that saving a life is like saving an entire world.
Our father's life was not defined by titles or by the number of years he lived — though one hundred is a number to marvel at. His life was defined by middot, by character: his integrity, his quiet strength, his faith, his humility, and his love. He was a man who provided, who taught by example more than by words, who knew that true success is measured not in wealth or accolades, but in the family you raise and the legacy you leave.
As we reflect on his century of life, we see in him the embodiment of the Psalmist's words: "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." He used his days well, and his wisdom lives on in all of us.
He lived long enough to see his children grow, to see them achieve, to see his family flourish. Few are granted that blessing. His life was a gift, and the way he lived it was a lesson to us all.
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