Here I go again googling people I haven't seen in many years. Regular readers of Bruce's Journal likely saw my stories about finding out that Valerie and Harvey whom I knew in the early 1970s had passed away. For some strange reason today I thought about Lou Mintz whom I knew at the New York Public Library where I worked from 1983-1990.
I worked in the Science and Technology Division while Lou was the Chief of the Stack Maintenance Divison. He was responsible for maintaining miles and miles of book stacks as NYPL is one of the largest research libraries in the world. He supervised many young pages who would retrieve books and periodicals for library patrons. As the collection grew he had to move the books around to make room for new arrivals. My experiences with him were always very pleasant.
Today I found a post written by his son Gary in a blog titled Faith an Fear in Flushing by two Met fans named Greg Prince and Jason Frye. Here is what Gary said about his dad who sadly passed away in 2003.
My dad was Louis Mintz. Family man, librarian at the New York Public Library for over 40 years, father, Giants Fan. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of him. He was always upbeat with an infectious smile that stayed with him even as cancer ravaged his body. Nobody ever said a bad word about him, the testament to his greatness. He loved my mom, loved his three boys, my wife, and worshipped the ground of his three granddaughters (his girlies, my daughters) and his grandson.
Then there were the Giants. His love of the New York Giants somehow continued when the orange and black moved to San Francisco. I, wanting to be like him, started following the San Francisco Giants in 1969. Up until 2010, I claimed it was the only wrong thing my father ever did. That all changed of course when Nelson Cruz swung and missed on a Brian Wilson pitch on November 1, 2010. It was the most compelling moment of my sports life as a fan. Forty-one years I waited, forty-one years!! In one night, all the hurt and pain was suddenly gone. Then viola!! The Giants stun the baseball world by winning it all again in 2012. Two World Championships in three years!! UNBELIEVABLE!! Then 2014!! Make it three World Series championships in five years!!
My only regret is that “Sweet Lou” wasn’t around to savor it with me as he passed in 2003.
See more at: http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2015/06/21/the-fathers-days-of-our-lives/
In all the years that I knew Lou, I can never remember talking about baseball with him. I didn't know that he was a big fan of the New York Giants.
I was trying to think of a song that I could associate with Lou. He always called me Cousin Bruce and as far as I can remember he was the last one who did that. So in memory of Lou I am posting the Four Seasons singing the Cousin Bruce theme.
4 comments:
I worked 32 years at NYPL retiring in 2002. Mr. Mintz was my idol. He hired me twice...around 1982 as an LTA IV and again in 1992 as a Sr. Library Administrative Associate and I finished my career in the Stacks in 2002. Working in the Stacks with Mr. Mintz were the best years of my working life. He epitomozed the dedicated NYPL person.
Thanks for remembering my dad, Richard. Glad he made an impact on you as he did to so many others, especially his granddaughters. He truly was the greatest and I miss him to this day immensely. If you want to respond, leave me a PM on the New York Giants Preservation Society Facebook Page.-Gary Mintz
I was browsing and came across this exchange. Lou Mintz is largely responsible for my career. I manage the stacks at the Library of Congress, but when I was in college I worked for Lou when he was in the Science and Technology Division (Deck 3) when Science was still at the 42nd Street Library. He then assumed the general stacks (stationed on Deck 6), but without his guidance and friendship, I don't think I would be where I am now. So, nearly 60 years later, I still attribute my career to the inspiration from Lou.
What a lovely tribute to my dad Steve! Nice chatting the other day!!!-Gary
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