A
Philanthropic Pi
N MEMORIAM
From left: Rabbi
Yanoff with Ethan
Davidson; Karen
Davidson with
Rev. Kenneth
Flowers of
Greater New Mt.
Moriah Missionary
Baptist Church,
Detroit; Jewish
War Veterans Al
Lewis of Oak Park
and Jack Backalor
of Novi with cop-
ies of the funeral
program.
Humble Titan from page A20
be a public figure;" a tough businessman,
avid sportsman and pillar of philanthropy
in the Jewish community and elsewhere.
Speakers at the funeral brought both
tears and laughter from the audience with
their stories of Bill Davidson's business
and sports traits, his eating and dressing
habits, his child-raising philosophy and
his many foibles.
"Today, we come together from far and
wide to remember a man of modesty
and humility; a man with a dry sense of
humor and an eternal twinkle in his eye;
a man who always maintained a unique
sense of responsibility," said Shaarey
Zedek Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff.
"In every way, Bill was a man of integrity
and vision, who was smart, decisive, multi-
dimensional and incredibly down to earth,"
Krakoff continued. "He never second-
guessed himself. He just made his deci-
sions and moved forward, never agonizing
and never wasting time. He was fearless,
secure and he never worried. There were no
obstacles for Bill Davidson. For him, there
was no yesterday. It was today, tomorrow
and the future. He was eternally optimistic
and always saw the positive."
Alluding to the basketball team owner's
hidden love for baseball, Krakoff com-
pared New York's Yankee Stadium, the
"House that Babe Ruth Built," with the
many "Houses that Bill Built" — his
family, his synagogue, his profession, his
nation and the Land of Israel. "We are now
recipients of the model of how to live our
lives — the example that Bill built."
Krakoff said, "Bill was proud to be
inducted in the inaugural year of the
Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame with
the likes of Jewish baseball slugger Hank
Greenberg."
Remembering A Mentsh
In an opening tribute, Shaarey Zedek
A22
March 19 • 2009
Rabbi Eric Yanoff said, "To know Bill
Davidson was to be simultaneously in awe
of a man of such great accomplishment
and commitment — while also coming
face to face with the pure, simple, some-
times even brash humanity of the man; in
Jewish-speak, we call this being a mentsh.
"Bill was a Jew and a Zionist of rare
qualities. Members of his family told me
that just minutes before he died, he said
to them. 'Everything we have is devoted
to the State of Israel; that is the home, the
future, the opportunity and the hope of
the Jewish people."'
Yanoff read a message from Israel Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, who said, "I send
to the Davidson family my condolences.
Bill was a personal friend, a faithful Jew, a
great Zionist and lover of Israel. May his
memory be forever a blessing."
Krakoff also read remarks prepared by
Rabbi Emeritus Irwin Groner of Shaarey
Zedek, who is in ill health in Florida and
could not attend the funeral. The rabbi
said, "The depth of sorrow rests as a heavy
burden on the hearts of many friends to
whom Bill was a companion, counselor
and confidant. And the sadness has spread
throughout our entire community as we
become deprived of one who, with his bril-
liant mind, his spirit and his dedication,
served this synagogue, this community, this
country and the Land of Israel, whose ser-
vice was marked with undiminished zeal."
Bill Davidson's son, Ethan, 39, deliv-
ered a passionate eulogy, quoting several
philosophers and attributing his father's
success to his ability to "cultivate domestic
justice in his home. We obtain justice in
the world by first making sure we have
domestic justice in the home. This will
lead to future success, as it did in my
father's case."
Ethan held up his necktie and said,
"Look, I'm wearing my father's tie, just to
prove he really had one."
Jonathan Aaron, Bill Davidson's son-
in-law and special assistant at Guardian,
her ground, the usher insisted,'Well, then
delivered a eulogy in the form of a typical
you cannot sit here' And so he actually got
business report he was used to hearing
up and walked away
daily at Guardian and a sports report on
"He could have responded in so many
the status of the Pistons. The report was
different ways, one of which was to tell her
aimed at the future of both enterprises,
who he was, and fire her. But that was not
and the Davidson family
our Bill. He actually reflected afterward
"The profit and loss statement is that
that he was so proud of her because she
we profited from your presence and we are was faithfully doing her job. But Bill was a
saddened by the loss of you," Aaron said.
man of no sense of entitlement at all.
"For a man who knew
"The rabbinic tradition
his glass, whose life's pro-
explains that God's chosen had
fession was glass, Bill had
to be an individual with both a
a way of seeing through,
good name and a good reputa-
seeing beyond that which
tion. Bill Davidson had a great
was directly in front of
name and a tremendous reputa-
him."
tion!"
Russ Ebeid, a 39-year-
Shaarey Zedek Cantor Meir
old Guardian employee
Finkelstein also officiated, and
who traveled the world
Olivia Brodsky, a teenage syna-
with Bill Davidson, point-
gogue member, sang "On Eagles
ed out that the Guardian
Wings." The pallbearers were
chief "always explored
composed of representatives
new business frontiers
from the family, Guardian and
and possible new facilities
the Pistons.
around the globe, never
Bill Davidson is survived by
content to keep the status
his wife, Karen W. Davidson;
quo."
children, Marla Davidson
"If Bill would have been
Karimipour and Cyrus
a weathercaster, he never
Karimipour, Ethan D. Davidson
would have forecast rain.
and Gretchen Davidson, Mary
He always was upbeat; a
Aaron and Jonathan Aaron,
man without an ego who
Elizabeth Reaser and Emily
centered his main inter-
Reaser; grandchildren, Catriona
ests around his family"
Karimipour, Asher Davidson
Rabbi Krakoff brought
and Oliver, Benjamin and Hugh
laughter from the audi-
Top: David Ste rn
Aaron; sister, Dorothy Davidson
ence when he told about
Above: Rick M ahorn
Gerson and brother-in-law
Bill's ritual of leaving
Byron "Bud" Gerson; nephews
games with a few minutes to go. "Once,
and nieces, Matthew and Maryisa Gerson,
the Pistons were losing to the Los Angeles
Ralph and Erica Gerson; great-nieces
Stephanie and Madeline Gerson.
Lakers and he began his walk through the
Burial was at Clover Hill Memorial Park,
arena. The Pistons suddenly went on a roll
and made the game close. Bill wanted to
Birmingham. The shivah period continues
stay, so he found a seat close to the exit.
with services at 7 p.m. Thursday, March
`Do you have a ticket for this seat?' asked
19, at Shaarey Zedek. Arrangements by Ira
an usher. Bill reluctantly said, 'No.' Holding Kaufman Chapel.