JULY 9 • 2020 | 33

(JTA) — Until the last day of 
his life, Carl Reiner was tweet-
ing about some of his favorite 
topics: politics, comedy and the 
twists and turns he experienced 
over decades as one of the 
world’
s greatest living funny-
men.
 Reiner died Monday, June 29, 
at 98, hours after reiterating his 
dismay that Donald Trump had 
become president, days after 
posing with his daughter Annie 
and longtime friend Mel Brooks 
in Black Lives Matter shirts and 
70 years after his first television 
appearance.
The Bronx native, the son 
of Jewish immigrant parents, 
called himself a “Jewish atheist” 
and said his faith in God had 
ended with the Holocaust. 
 After serving in the U.S. 
Army during World War II, he 
began a long and varied show 
business career. He created The 
Dick Van Dyke Show, formed a 
comedy duo with Brooks that 
was highlighted in their album 
the “2000 Year Old Man,
” wrote 
screenplays for Steve Martin 
films including The Jerk and, in 
his later years, voiced characters 
in animated films.

DETROIT MEMORIES
In 1999, Jewish News
Contributing Writer Suzanne 
Chessler interviewed Reiner, in 
which he shared some mem-
ories of Detroit. He told her 
about the time when he was 
in a Broadway road company 
of Call Me Mister in 1947, and 

Detroit was the last stop before 
Chicago. “My son Robbie 
(producer-director-actor Rob 
Reiner) was 5 weeks old. There 
were two weeks in Detroit 
and Cleveland when I did not 
see my little son, but my wife 
brought him out to Chicago 
because that was a six-month 
run. We stayed at a hotel, and 
that’
s where he started to grow.
”
An avid baseball fan, Reiner 
told Chessler about one of his 
all-time favorite players. 
“When I was a kid, I knew 
every Detroit ballplayer because 
I followed every team in the 
league,
” he said. “When Hank 
Greenberg, a Jewish kid from 
the Bronx, became an idol not 
only in Detroit but in the whole 
baseball community, I followed 
his career.
” 

HIS ‘
KEY TO LONGEVITY’
In a 2015 documentary about 
longevity that Reiner hosted, he 
offered his own secrets for long 
life. “The key to longevity,
” he 
said, “is to interact with other 
people.
”
In the documentary, Reiner 
also offered insight into what 
made him funny.
“I think it’
s partly your genes,
” 
he said. “
Also, it’
s your environ-
ment. Also, if you have a funny 
bone; if you grew up in a family 
with a sense of humor.
”
Reiner’
s wife of 64 years, 
Estelle, died in 2008. Along with 
Rob and Annie, he is survived 
by a son Lucas, their children 
and their children’
s children. 

Carl Reiner, Consummate Old 
Jew Telling Jokes, Dies At 98

Carl Reiner at the 
Aero Theatre in 
Santa Monica, Calif., 
Aug. 3, 2017. 

JOHN WOLFSOHN/GETTY IMAGES

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Jaden,

your mom and I are so proud of you. 
The way you handled waiting 
for your Bar Mitzvah taught us all 
a lesson on patience.

Now the time is here and you will 
be called to read out of the Torah 
this weekend!
 
We know you will be amazing!

We included this photo of you with 
your siblings because you really are the 
best big brother and we all love you.

Love Mom, Dad, 
Noah, Stevie and Eddie

The Probate Law Firm of