When Colorado native Mendy Scheiner heard that his hometown of Boulder was flooding, he flew in from New York to help his parents, who co-direct Chabad Lubavitch of Boulder County, coordinate relief efforts.
“I was putting in 13-hour days, delivering home-cooked meals and helping people in any way I was able to,” said the 22-year old. Through the referral of a neighbor, he and fellow volunteer Avrohom Perl stumbled upon the home of Charlotte and Howard Krasnoff.
Howard, 89, was in palliative care at home, where the couple’s basement was completely flooded, and noxious fumes were rising into the main level. There, Charlotte was trying the best she could to care for and comfort her husband of 25 years.
“They were just wonderful,” said Charlotte. “They came in with armloads of homemade food. They saw we needed fans to dry the basement, but none were available in any of the stores. They gave me five fans, which are still being used.” Perl also sealed the basement with special plastic and tape to block unhealthy odors from reaching the sickroom.
“I am so grateful for being Jewish,” she said. “At a vulnerable time like that, there was nothing more comforting than that the community came forward for us with food, love and protection.”
Story Behind a Purple Heart
Over the next few days, the young men would return in the evenings to unwind from the day’s pressures and soak in advice from a man living his last days on earth.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Howard shared memories from his time in the U.S. Army during World War II. “We noticed his Purple Heart and asked him about it,” said Scheiner. “It was just captivating to hear about his bravery.”
Howard explained that while leading a reconnaissance mission in Italy in 1943, he happened to be one of the first of a group of men walking single file in an empty creek bed. He was shot in the arm by German snipers, and his fellow soldiers fled, leaving their comrade bleeding and alone. He hid in the creek so as not to be discovered by the Germans, who would surely notice that his dog tags identified him as Jewish.
He said he eventually used his one good hand to crawl back to camp, wiggling under barbed wire to get there. After an agonizing trip back to base, he was confronted by a guard who would not let him in since the password had changed in the interim. In frustration, recalled Howard, he let forth a colorful string of expletives that left no doubt about his bona fides as a dyed-in-the-wool Yank. He was flown to Rome for medical treatments.
Three surgeries later, he was left with shrapnel in his arm and trauma that Charlotte said was never properly treated or diagnosed.
After returning from the war, he married his first wife, Lois, with whom he had four children. After working as a probation officer, he became a psychiatric social worker and was promoted to chief administrative social worker at Fort Logan Mental Health Center in Denver, a position he held until his retirement.
Lois passed away in 1987, and Howard married Charlotte, a fellow psychiatric social worker. Although he explained that he was raised in a left-leaning family and had not been religiously involved, through his connection to Charlotte, he began attending classes on Jewish subjects and started to discover his own connections to Judaism.
‘Inspired by a Living Legend’
Howard died on Oct. 3 with Charlotte at his side.
“Thank God he died in his own bed in his own home,” said Charlotte, grateful to the many volunteers and friends who helped her maintain a soothing environment for her husband in spite of the chaos that swirled around—and below—them.
They both had professional offices in their basement, which was completely destroyed by floodwaters that had poured in through a sunken patio. An avid stock-trader, Howard placed his last trade just three days before his passing.
“Howard loved to guide people and he loved to give advice—he kept on seeing clients until the very end—so it was so special for him that the boys were there for him on those last days,” said Charlotte. After their first visit, she noticed that Howard perked up, and was even able to go to the couch and sit with them.
“For us, it was a special time to just sit, listen to music and talk about life,” said Scheiner. “It was amazing to be inspired by a living legend. He was just so full of hope and optimism, and had the wisest outlook on life.”
Join the Discussion