Mickey didn't like Richard Nixon. Mickey did like Rush Limbaugh,
at least that is what he told me while riding in his car one day.
“Ever listen to this guy?”,he said. “No, I never have,”I answered.
“You ought to listen to him, he is pretty smart.” Since Mickey was
completely and unequivocally opposed to Rush's philosophy, I am
sure this was just another trap he was setting for me, baiting me
into one of his famous arguments or as I like to call them, a
debated issue. Mickey was a Libra, and I am a Libra. Mickey like
to debate an issue and I like to debate an issue. We debated
every topic under the sun including politics,education, money,
business, religion, and family. Any subject was fair game
for Mickey.
The first time I met Mickey was the night I picked his daughter
up for a date. I casually mentioned my wife's car in the
conversation and when his daughter arrived home that night,
Mickey had a midnight discussion with her about the possibility
of my being a married man while dating her. She told him that
I had mistakenly forgot to mention to him, that the wife was
my ex-wife. Mickey was protecting his daughter. Mickey was
always about family. That was 37 years ago.
I married his daughter. We were married for twenty years.
She and I gave him his first grandchild, Lance Bradley Oldham.
There are many stories I could tell about Mickey. There is just
not enough space to tell all that we shared in our lifetime.
I respected Mickey because he accepted me for who I was.
He accepted me without questions(OK, maybe a few questions,
OK, many questions).
He accepted me and made me feel part of his family and a part
of his home all of his life because I was the man that loved
his daughter.
He offered to buy us a house. He offered to build me a record
store when Capitol Records wanted to promote me out of town.
He wanted me and his daughter to stay in town. Whatever it took,
he wanted to please us and keep us around the family. When we
left for four years and came back to town after selling our two cars,
he bought me a car. (Think of the Blues Brothers Police car,
he bought it at a police auction for eight hundred dollars). I paid
him back.
He gave his daughter and myself a job in his companies.
I lasted two days at Lox,Stock and Bagel. I am not a
restaurant person. He let us live in his house while our
new house was being built.
Always giving. Always sharing. Our son Lance was the
first grandchild and he doted on him like he was his
own son. He taught him how to golf, well at least how
to drive the golf cart.
He shared time with Lance and my other son, Seth, all his life,
as he did with all his grandchildren.
Mickey was a street visionary. He was tenacious in everything
that he did. He was always offering words of encouragement and
constantly was asking me to come to work for him, or "let's go
in together down on Tate Street in Greensboro and open up a
kosher hot dog and yogurt shop." I never did think that the
concept of hot dogs and yogurt would fly, but Mickey never
gave up on the idea that it might just work.
Mickey owned several businesses in Greensboro but his greatest
achievement,with his wife Estelle, was planting the seeds
for four exceptionally successful children , who proceeded
to produce nine beautiful and talented grandchildren,
who have gone on to produce six wonderful great grandchildren.
I could never pay him back for all that he did for me. I
certainly could never pay him back for the time I shared
with his daughter, and I owe him my life long heart felt
gratitude for giving her to me in marriage to produce my
two cherished and love of my life children. People come
in and out of your life your whole life through. I have
written in this column over the years about surrounding
yourself with people you love and people who love you.
Mickey was my father-in-law. Mickey was also my friend.
He was the type of person that cares about you, shares
with you, and is willing to help you anytime, whether
you ask or not. God blessed Mickey for 95 years. God has
blessed me for letting me be a part of Mickey's life for
over 37 years. Because of Mickey and Estelle, my sons
and their children will forever be indebted.
My only regret is that their children will never have had
the chance to meet Mickey Lieb, the man who was so
endearing to all of his children.
Mickey Lieb (1914-2009)
Larry Oldham
