16 | AUGUST 5 • 2021

GOODBYE, DEAR FRIEND

“It was him and me. Most of the
time, we spent our nights going to
restaurants, usually a three-hour
affair, which I hated when I was
a kid.
“Back in the day, my dad used
to smoke cigars, seven inches
long. He’
d always be sitting in a
booth, smoking a cigar, drinking
coffee and talking to people,
while I would sleep in the
booth. It was his happy place.
“He’
d tell me we’
d
leave when he fin-
ished his cigar or his
coffee. But he never
wanted his coffee
warmed up — had to
be fresh every time,
so it was basically nev-
er-ending coffee.
”
When Scott was 15,
Danny married Frieda,
“the love of his life,
” and
the family moved to
Southfield. The couple
was together 35 years,
until her death in 2010.
Scott now lives in Salt Lake
City and is the CEO of an internet
company. He has two children,
Matthew and Hannah, and two
grandchildren, Mason and Olivia.
He said the three things his dad
loved most were his column, the
Jewish community and baseball.
Scott also remembers Danny as
a father “who knew how to draw
the lines.
”
“I remember being in the car
with him on our way to a Tigers
game. My dad always drove the
biggest, longest Cadillacs they
had. I was playing with the power
windows, and he told me to stop
and if I did it again we would go
home. I did it again, and he turned
around when we were nearly
there and drove home. He came
home and put his robe on, and we
watched it on TV
.
”
When he was home, Danny
was always in a robe. But when
he went out? “Everything had to
match. Suit, tie, shoes,
” Scott said.

“He had dozens of custom suits,
and when he bought shoes, he’
d
buy a pair in every color. When he
left the house, he was dressed to
the nines, something he continued
all his life.
”
Scott said his father took great
joy in helping the community.
He was involved in the American
Cancer Society, Variety and the
Shriners, was a 32nd degree
Mason and belonged to the
Knights of Pythias, a non-sectari-
an fraternity that did community
philanthropy. “
And he loved to
support Jewish-related charities,
”
Scott said. “If he were asked to
help, he did, promoting charity
events in his column and attending
them in person.
”
Over the years, Danny lent his
support to multiple Jewish organi-
zations, such as Jewish Senior Life
and the Michigan Jewish Sports
Hall of Fame. And he was also a
frequent “guest judge” at a multi-
tude of chili cook-offs and burger
contests and “grand marshal” at
many walks for causes around
town.
“He was a larger-than-life fig-
ure,
” Scott said.

HELPING RESTAURATEURS
After the war, Danny’s weekly
“Listening Post” became the place
to read about social happenings
in Detroit’s Jewish community. In
1964, a second column debuted
under his name, the “Best of
Everything,
” in which he wrote
about local restaurants, which con-
tinued until his death.
Danny had one rule: He would
never give a restaurant a bad rap in
his column because “I know how
much it costs just to put that damn
key in the door!”
If he had a bad experience, he
would tell the owner what to do to
fix it — but would not write about
it. He’
d return once the problem
was solved and then get something
in the paper. “I always tried to help
out.
”

“It was him and me. Most of the
time, we spent our nights going to
restaurants, usually a three-hour
affair, which I hated when I was
a kid.

booth. It was his happy place.

ished his cigar or his
coffee. But he never
wanted his coffee
warmed up — had to
be fresh every time,
so it was basically nev-
er-ending coffee.
”

Danny married Frieda,
“the love of his life,
” and

the family moved to
Southfield. The couple
was together 35 years,

FROM THE TOP: Danny and Frieda Raskin with
entertainer Wayne Newton. Danny’s son Scott Raskin
with his daughter Hannah and son Matthew in 2006.
Danny with his wife, Frieda, and dog Gigi.

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