Rachael Lapidis

Zeke, you were so accomplished and so worldly, and you wanted to share all the excitement and joy you found in the world with everyone you met.  You brought all of who you were to every interaction.  Your raised eyebrow could be inviting and devastating in equal measure – you were beyond measure.  In the last few days, so many have remembered your hugs, and it’s as though I can feel one now, the force of your joy and love and connection.  In 2004, when I lived in an apartment in Lebanon, NH I remember you and Alexia coming in singing from the snow, emerging with a bottle of wine and stories of adventure. I worried that whatever I cooked that night wouldn’t be good enough, but you thanked me and said it complemented the wine so beautifully.  You always complimented so beautifully. The sound of your laughter echoed wherever you had been, echoes still in the minds of all who knew you.  I remember your flouncy hair, and one of your hugs after being reunited at Alexia and Neil’s wedding.  Despite having performed with and conducted with so many accomplished professionals you gave me the grace of many kind words as I warmed up my Ave Maria for the ceremony. It felt good to know you, to be in your orbit, and it feels hard knowing that I will only see your face again in my memory and in pictures, will only hear your laugh and voice in the (surprisingly alive and vibrant) echoes of my memory, and will only feel you hugs in my mind and heart. Zeke, you made an impression on me and on the world one individual at a time, one musician at a time, one audience member at a time, one friend at a time. It’s no wonder you were so worldly, that way you could touch the whole world.  In my tradition, we say “may his memory be a blessing”. It sure feels like that. Rest ye well, Zeke.  The music you created by your life will play on in so many minds, hearts, and memories.