Thursday, May 16, 2024
Gary Sindler
For the first 18 years of my life if you saw Gary and would see me, Joel. Gary’s home was on Fairlawn Ave which was about a 90 second walk from my house on Lynview. I grew up as much in Gary’s home as my own. At least four nights a week my family would gather at my Uncle Sid and Aunt Hattie’s house for dinner. Around the table sat Sidney, his sister and my mother Selma, Gary’s Sister’s Frona, Shelly and and my brother, Howard and me. Sidney worked at a Chicken processing plant in Baltimore and brought home fresh chicken daily. My Aunt Hattie and my mother made some of the most amazing chicken dinner’s every…not to mention chicken soup with unborn chicken eggs.
As we gathered around the table my Uncle Sid, who had the same smile and laugh as Gary, would start the evening with the usual kibitzing and stories. Between my Uncle Sid, my mother, Frona & Gary there was always there was always a lot of laughs, teasing and stories. Great nights…so many memories.
I never called Gary, Gary, until his late teens. His sister Fona named him Bummy and that is what the family called him until his mid to late teams. In my heart he will always be Bummy.
In the mornings during the school year we would meet up and walk to Ron Sless’s home or Harvey Sindler’s home and continue on to Arlington Elementary School or Pimlico Jr. High School.
Gary and I took dance lessons together in our early teens, spent Friday nights over our groups of friend’s respective homes dancing to 45 rpm records and playing a little “spin the bottle.” I remember my father picking up Gary’s and my dates to take use to the dances at Roger’s Ave. Synagogue.
Gary and I played on the same ball teams. Our favorite memory was playing on the “hilltop baseball team.” Which was coached by Mr. Sless, Lucky Barron and Mr. Goddard. Playing in three leagues our team went undefeated in all three leagues and made it into the national playoffs. Gary was an amazing third basemen and, I believe, with the proper training would have had a shot ato going pro. Believe it or not we also played on a Basketball team. I should also mention all the Saturday morning spent “Duckpin Bowling” at the hilltop bowling lanes and than the Northwest Fairlanes Bowling center. Games were 25 cents each at Hilltop and had pin boys. (Ask your parents to explain)
Some of the best times were playing punch ball or football in the streets in front of our house. All the neighborhood kids would come out, set up a field on the street and play. Punchball was played with a Pennsylvania Pinkie, interrupted from time to time with a passing car that Gary would smack the side of as it passed pretending to walk away injured.
Gary also worked selling ice cream from a Mr. Softee truck that toured the local streets . Big Bob, the owner, became a friend and let Gary use his rambler to drive us to City college high school. I can still picture Gary sitting in the driver’s seat and shifting all three gears pushing the Rambler to its maximum potential.
So many more stories and so many wonderful times. My love for Bummy runs deep within me and feel so very lucky to have spent so much time with him. Keep them smiling wherever you are.
Joel
