Gail, Jared and me especially, hold him in our souls, a second .... not a father, a SECOND DAD to me

He made me a better person EVERY DAY. I owe him and his wisdom more than anyone can know 

Dr. Colsky was a wonderful physician and one of the kindest human beings I ever met.  One of the best bosses I ever had the privilege to work for!  This memory came up on my Facebook page today so I googled his name. I had no idea he had passed. :( 

May he RIP and my heartfelt sympathy to his family. 

"I've learned that people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel"
Maya Angelou 

Hello, my name is Sean Bunce, I'm one of Bebop's grandchildren, and I have some words to say about him. We all love and cherish Bebop, he has made my life and the lives of each person he touched brighter, whether it was the lives of his family, his friends, or his patients. The following words which I would like to post are the same words I shared at Bebop's funeral service, though the entirety of what I said then is too long to include in a single post. Therefore, I will include the entirety of what I had said at Bebop's funeral service in three parts across three posts. Here are my words for Bebop and for those who love and knew him:


Bebop was universally loved by all. Walking with my dad, Robert, at Publix one day, I recall walking into an aisle and running into a woman by chance who we struck a conversation with. While talking she happened to catch my dad’s last name, and she quickly realized the connection to Bebop. And immediately, tears fell from her face because she was a patient of his, and he had saved her life. This stranger felt love and gratitude for everything Bebop had done for her, for all the years of taking care of her, all the years of Mitzvahs he performed for her, and she felt indebted to him much as I do, and for any human being to have earned that kind of love and respect of the people he came across throughout his life is rare and astounding. I love Bebop so much and always looked up to him. Now, I always looked up to my dad as my hero, but I always saw that in my dad’s eyes, Bebop was his real hero, he was the hero that my hero looked up to, and so my goodness what a bar he set. And there’s something poetic about my dad looking up to his dad, Bebop, as his hero, and now my looking up to the both of them as mine. (Part 1/3)

I heard the stories of Bebop like they were tales: a man who would love his family and move mountains to take care of them just like he would his patients, night or day, at a moment’s notice, in wellness and illness, whether rested or absolutely sleepless, his life was a Mitzvah towards all those he met whether he realized it or not. He performed those Mitzvahs without the ideas of recognition or reward ever crossing his mind. He didn’t care if anyone knew what he did or saw what he did that helped others, even his family, he simply did it and moved on as reflexively as a breath or a heartbeat, and he did all that without giving a second thought to any sacrifices or inconveniences he may have had himself, a Mitzvah embodying the purest form of selflessness, the qualities of an angel walking among us, a true hero. He set a superhuman standard for his son, my father, that I have seen him abide entirely to like his life’s code towards his family, towards me, and towards even strangers he’s met for the first time in any old place, in the way he’s strike you conversation with anyone no matter where he was and would quickly make a room jovial with stories and jokes and laughter, and in turn that high standard first set by Bebop was set and taught unto myself. And so, I see Bebop’s selflessness and lovingness, his immovable and restless will to see those around him in a positive state, well and healthy and happy regardless of recognition or reward or personal sacrifice, and definitely his love of lightheartedness and corny jokes, in my father. The impact that Bebop had in my health and my life is one that it would take a lifetime of Mitzvahs to repay, and I’m here and as healthy as I am now after a lifetime of chronic pancreatic illness that would have ravaged me otherwise, because of him. (Part 2/3)

Now, I look up to him and the bar he set now for what not just a doctor should do and how a doctor should live but how a grandfather should care for his family, his kids, and his grandkids. And here today, I see my family, I see his children, and his grandchildren, who now carry with them all the amazing parts of Bebop. Bebop lives in every one of you because throughout your time on this Earth and even when one passes, they leave behind a legacy and they leave behind pieces of themselves, the best parts of themselves scattered across all the people they’ve loved, helped, spent time with, and influenced with their life, pieces of themselves left as impressions that mold who we are in the most intricate and deep and massive ways. I’ve seen and spoken of all the impressions I’ve seen Bebop make that have molded my dad into the person I love and look up to today, and I can see his influence in every one of you, in Suzy, my dad and the rest of his children, in his grandchildren. In that way, he lives on, and in the impressions we all leave with those we love, those that we meet and interact with, that we perform Mitzvahs for, in the beauty of laughter and a smile that travels and wears all the people in a room, he lives and breathes and continues his lifelong Mitzvah. I love you all, and he does too, thank you. (Part 3/3)

The Sol I once knew was the consummate physician, grandfather, father, and husband. The numbers of you here are a testimony to this selfless man and his ideals. To you here today, former patients, colleagues, family, and friends, Sol was someone who answered the phone at three in the morning and made housecalls. Sol was a healer, someone who reached out to others, always others even taking people into his own home.  He was funny too, quick with a witty remark always.
To say Sol dressed well and took pride in his shopping acumen was an understatement. He was a perfectionist. There was always the perfect tie, the perfect suit, the perfect everything. I remember him re-edging our lawn moments after my husband, Steven had just mowed and edged the lawn himself. 
Sol was a runner too-clocking seven to eight miles daily either with his fellow doctor friends or going solo. He was very proud of maintaining his health and exerting his great advice to all those around him if he could.
But sadly, time, circumstance, and disease ravaged each moment of his reality and ours too.  Parkinson's took so much from this caring and compassionate man; it took so much from us. We watched his technical prowess slowly erode and the essence of his soul drain. Throughout this ordeal, Sol remained resolute and determined to push on. And we remained witness to all that his difficulties would bear.
Yet, it taught us to pay attention, cherish the love always. It taught us that there would be times when we would feel uncomfortable, lost, or misguided and that these times would challenge and change us maybe forever. But most of all, it taught us the essence of family and that if we try to always stand up for what is right, it would be what Sol wanted and that would be enough.

May memories of Sol’s life, well lived,  be for blessings to the family. Molle Grad, and family.

To Doctor Sol Colsky,
From the Levenson Family, his adopted Daughter Risa , Mark and Penny you were always there for us and You will always be Remembered,as one of the Family. You will 
Greatly MISSED. LV

No one, but no one was as great as he .  He has always been and still is, a second father to me.  Always helpful, practical, and above all, cheerful. His enjoyed the unique talent of uplifting the saddest. And as a physician, well, he was made for that. His skills and that which is called bedside manner will never be matched by anyone ever. 

Sol, May your soul go to its place of rest and go there, finally, in the peace you so deserve. 

OBITUARY

Sol Colsky MD

8 July, 1929 – 21 November, 2019

Lakeside Memorial Park & Funeral Home

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