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. continued from page 15 continued on page 18