In Memory of
Jim Lichtenberg,
a 1203
January 22, 1958 - October 5,
1999
"Jim, you live on in our memories, through our actions and
always
in our hearts."
Memoirs
Please email
your memoirs regarding Jim to mglaccum@geosphereinc.com.
"I always felt a very close connection to Jim. I can remember the
first time we met. I had just become a pledge, and he was the
dressed-down old man in the corner of the dining area shooting his mouth
off about how great the Republican Party was. Jim always taught me
to challenge conventional wisdom and to speak out.
'Days before my graduation, I somberly shook hands with Jim at
Sutter's and said, "Well, we'll probably never see each other
again." Happily, I saw him quite frequently after RPI, and he never
let me live that down. He was a true friend and a true Theta
Xi. I will miss him dearly, but will always remember
him." --YITB, Chris Blanc, A1404
"I still remember the first time I met
him. He had not been back to the House for several years when he
came up for 6294 in 1991?. At the time, no one knew who he
was; Renzo, A1327, I believe, was one of the very few Brothers (if
not the only one) to even say hello to him. Of course, Jim looked
like the Devil himself with his mustache and sideburns.
'He then
showed up one day during the summer that year with one of his hotrods
while a bunch of us were sitting at a picnic table in front of the
House. I remembered him being at 6294 and when I mentioned that fact
he asked me, "Well, why didn't you come up and say hello to me?"
Deeply embarrassed, I resolved to make amends. Jim wanted to come up
for parties and other social events and so we made sure that Jim always
got a phone call when something was up.
'I probably don't know
him as well as some of the guys one or two years younger than me but I
believe he was always extremely touched that a bunch of college-age kids
were interested in including him in and keeping him informed of House
events. I would love to hear from some of other guys about their own
stories.
"On a more personal note, I stopped by the
Chapter House several weeks ago returning from a business trip. I
was very pleased to see the House in good shape; but, I was much
more impressed with the response from the Brothers given to a visiting
alumni. I think Jim would have been pleased as
well."
--YITB, Matt
Glaccum A1324
"As most of you know, i was a late bloomer
as far as our "family" is concerned. As a pledge I was very hesitant
about meeting alumni and getting crap about being so old . My first
interaction with Jim was awesome. We talked about the Velvet
Underground and sports and God knows what else for about 2 hours. He
made me feel very comfortable and personified what alumni should be to an
active brother as well as a pledge. I was ecstatic when i was initiated
(finally), but i really felt the bonds when Jim grabbed me at a Castle
(what THEY call) party and introduced me to some random as "My
brother Kumar" . I can't tell you how good that felt.
"I hope, somehow, he knows how lucky we all were
to have known him.
"I will miss my brother, I will miss my
friend."
--Y.I.T.B. (and
yes... F.O.A.D.), N. Kumar Ramaswamy A1429
"I met Jim for the first time at 6294 in
1991(?). He was the old dude at the basement bar who looked straight
out of That 70's show. You would never know by looking at him how
bright, successful and personable he was. I only had a chance to see
him 3 or 4 times (at random 6294s, 3 to 3s and at Penis Paul's
wedding). What amazed me most about him was how much detail he
remembered about discussions we had years earlier. He remembered
more about what my girlfriend (currently wife) said and did at Paul's
wedding than I did (alcohol may have played a small part in this). I
got the feeling he was this way with everyone. He not only cared
about what you were up to (work, personal life, etc.) but remembered and
asked the next time you were at the bar or in the basement with
him."
--Dave Fowkes
A1275
"How is it possible to accurately summarize the impact that Jim
Lichtenberg had on each one of us in the Theta Xi Brotherhood? That
is not easy to accomplish with words. Every Theta Xi brother who
ever had the privilege to know Jim, and have a conversation about anything
at all with him, whether it was about baseball, girls, brotherhood,
politics, friendship, Theta Xi history, or life in general .... you were
touched by him in some way. I know I was. Jim was one of a
kind. Expressively opinionated, good-hearted, rebellious,
passionate, an individual. Jim is and will always be a unique person
in our thoughts. He will be there, in our thoughts and memories, for
the rest of our lives.
'I recall countless Thursdays when we
would head down to Sutter's. Cheap wings, beer-stained floors, and
my brothers. Sure, we were lured by the inherent urge to constantly
spike our BAC. That was only part of it. Jim was there.
We could count on that. Jim would come there for us. We would
go there for Jim. He would be sipping on his white russian,
dispensing his thoughts and listening to ours. He was a true friend
and brother. A bunch of us stayed with Jim for a few days during
Woodstock II. I remember Jim's home trading office (a couch,
computer, tv and phone) and his guitar and mic. Two words musically
for Jim: Grand Funk! He created his own way of life that went
against the grain and let him do what he wanted to do. I feel that I
learned a lot from him in that respect, and I know many of us feel the
same way."
"We're gonna miss you, man." --Adam
A1392
"Jim was the first alumni I ever met. At my
very first zoo party as a pledge, "zoo man" got ahold of me (literally)
and made a declaration. Jim was never to be without a beer. As
a result, I got to meet jim the way any theta xi should meet another, over
a lot of beer with loud music and sage chicks. He always stuck by
the house and his donations made the fall party of 1994 possible. I
was treasurer and the house was REALLY strapped for cash, mortgages
payments were late, the cable was about to be shut off, and we still were
able to thow the party mostly because of the cash Jim supplied. It
really sucks that he's gone."
--FOAD, bc
A1377
"I was with Ben that first zoo party night, and I
too spent the better part of the party getting beers for Jim. As I
recall Matt Glaccum had his knee in a brace and we were instructed to
always have a cold beer in Matt's hands because he could not get to the
bar easily. When we brought the first beer to Matt, he made us
always get a beer for Jim also since he was the oldest alumni
present. Everytime I brought Jim a beer he had a story to tell or a
friend to meet. He was just an all-around great guy who did more for
the house than I think any of us realize. He was always there for
the house when we needed some advice or money. Rest in Peace,
Jim."
--FOAD &
YITB, A1373
"For those of you who remember Jim, you know that
these stories and thoughts don't even begin to scratch the surface of what
a positive person Jim was and how he touched us all. And for those
of you who didn't get the pleasure of meeting him, maybe these
memories will give you some idea of how fortunate we all were to
have known him. Jim, you will be missed."
--YITB,
A1358
"That is sad news indeed. Jim was the
source and center of legend surrounding pre-Mike Rivera Theta Xi. During
my five years ('90-'95) Jim had re-established himself among the
brotherhood, but after hearing how many weddings and brother's personal
event he had attended, I didn't realize just how close he was.
'I have no one single, distinct fond memory, but
more of a collage of memories made up of late nights at Sutters or the
Puritan (or other bars) each of which went something like this: Jim (who
usually remained fixed against one wall) would be entertaining a cloud of
brothers hovering around him with stories and loud raucous tales of lewd
conduct and general buffoonery from days gone by -- the epitome of
fraternal bar talk! Older brothers valued his experience and wisdom,
younger brothers were simply in awe of his presence. We all valued his
friendship. He will be greatly
missed."
--Peter Torelli A1353
"It's sort of funny all of us came from a
fraternity house that, let's face it, was (and probably is) considered
more of a party house than anything else. However, along the way we
seemed to have accidentally established great and lasting
friendships. One of the great friendships I stumbled on (sometimes
drunk) was one with Jim. Like everyone else I had that same first
impression. "Wow, that dude is straight from the 70's...how old is
he?" But as soon as you started to talk to him you realized he was
very much a part of your life, your generation. Dave Fowkes, A1275
said it best when he mentioned that Jim seemed to always know what was
going on in your life more than you did. That takes a special
person. What really sticks in mind, besides those jeans and that
suit that he seemed to wear to anything and everything (that shit was
classic), is that Jim didn't live down the street from the house.
Every time he would make an appearance it was clearly out of his
way. But that was the type of guy he was. Jim, you are a
remarkable human being and you will always have a special place in my
life. Keep it real up there."
--FOAD &
YITB, Pud (Jim still called me that) A1406
"I wanted nothing more than to be held in
the same stature as Jim. As an active, I would see Jim in a corner
with a crowd of enamored Brothers and think, "When I'm an alumnus, I want
to be just like Jim. I want people to look up to me the way we look
up to him. I want to be the one who's holding up the wall with a
beer in my hand passing on advice that sometimes seems wilder than his
hair. I want to be that guy." What I didn't realize was that
there is and never will be another Jim. When I die, I expect to see
Jim holding up a wall in some corner of heaven with over a thousand
Brothers of the Alpha Chapter hanging on every word. Thanks,
Jim...for everything."
"Oh. And, Jim. Say hi to Soren for
us. We miss you both more than words can
say."
--YITB, Nino
A1415
"A few days ago I sent an email message
claiming I would never send another before I was a PhD. Regretfully
I felt that after reading the wonderful memories that everyone has shared
regarding our beloved brother Jim Lichentenberg, I feel that I need to
share some of the great moments he has left with me and my
family.
"Yesterday morning I attended Jim's funeral and
listened to the words that his sisters said about Jim. These words
brought tears to the eyes of every person in the church and bring tears to
my eyes again now. In addition to being the consumate brother that
he was, he was a great family man and a truly selfess person. One of
Jim's sisters phrased things very appropriately by saying that he was a
man wise beyond his years who left us early.
'I first met Jim in the summer of 1988 when he
was laid off from a job on Wall Sreet. I was taking summer classes
and just had knee surgery and was lamenting about my former girlfriend (
and present wife). Jim came back to RPI that summer to take
classes. As soon as I met him he turned into one of my greatest
friends. He would listen to my laments and give me advice and talk
about life in general with an outlook seen by few. I remember him
playing his guitar and watching Yankee games. I remember the nights
at Sutter's. I remember talking with Jim and telling him all about
my girlfriend. I introduced them and came to Jim for advice before I
proposed. Jim, not only became a great friend to me but to my family
and we all lament his passing. From the times I had with Jim and
what I knew of him there probably is not a single brother since 1988 that
has not been touched in some positive way by A1203. I as all of you
mourn his passing but I hope that each and every one of you will remember
the good times and the care and love that this wonderful brother had for
every one of us.
"Jim we love you and will miss
you."
--YITB FOAD,
A1295 Paul Vescio
"Jim is one of the coolest guys I ever met.
When I think back to the college daze, one of the things that still stands
out in my mind , above the smell of beer and the smokey bars, is his
distingtive laugh. It matched his usual appearance and sounded
profoundly evil at times, he looked and sounded like something out of the
movie "hellraiser"....but in reality, nothing could be farther from the
truth. He is and will always be one of the most boldly genuine
people I have ever known. Whether it be just a simple conversation
or a life-size decision, I believe Jim really made a difference in all of
our lives. Let us hope that we all can acheive something as
significant in our lives. Take it easy Jim."
--A1390
"I just want to say that Jim was one of the
most influential friends I ever had. If you dared to approach his
intimidating stature, you were pleasantly surprised at the sincerity and
thoughtfulness that followed. I had some of my fondest memories of
Theta Xi with Jim. I will always treasure his friendship. He cared deeply
about the zoo and the brothers. I hope one day that I could come
half as close to being the Brother he was. He was the example I will
always use as what a Brother should be.
"I am sad to see him go. I am sad to know he had
cancer. I am sad that our future brothers will never get the opportunity
to know him. Please lets do something, donate, commemorate, fix or
build something in his name. I could not stand the thought of future
brothers passing through the house without something to tell them he
existed and was an important part of what shaped our
fraternity.
"Jim, may you rest in peace with God. May you
with all of our other Brothers passed look down upon our Fraternity and
guide our future. We will never forget
you."
--Y.I.T.B., A1327 Renzo
"Jim and I had a conversation at 6294 in my
senior year. I had six weeks before I started my new job and I
wanted to travel before I began working. I asked Jim for some
vacation advice. I mentioned Europe, the Caribbean, or maybe a cross
country road trip. It was small talk really. I had my heart
set on going to Turkey for the first time. I was asking Jim, more or
less, a rhetorical question. Jim said, "If I had six weeks, I would
spend it with my parents. Europe will always be there, man.
You won't always be able to spend that kind of time with your folks.
In four years, you changed and they changed. Yeah, I would spend
that time getting to know my parents again." I took his advice,
canceled my plans, and spent the time with my family. The following
Spring my parents separated and eventually divorced. They sold the
house I grew up in and it was all gone. I can never get that back,
but I will always have the Summer of '95.
"You could say that Jim always knew what was
important. Thank you, friend. Thank you, my
brother."
--Y.I.T.B, Hayri, a1384
"Jim, it's hard to find the best way to say
thanks for all that you have given us. In school we thought we could
find the answers ourselves, but you were there to help without us even
knowing. I remember walking to classes with Jim in 1995, Shane's
stereo blasting and thumping down Sage Ave as we headed towards Troy
building. Jim had spoken with professors who would let him sit in on
their class for the entire semester for nothing. After graduating
Jim confided in me that about those times walking to classes that he
thought it was the greatest thing that he could, after 15 years of being
away from school, just show up and walk to class like he never skipped a
beat, shootin' the shit the whole way down like it was 1979. I
thought it was cool that he would walk to class with me. I didn't
know until then how much he appreciated it.
"It seemed like every time we had a party or
house function Jim was there, and sometime early in the evening he would
duck out of sight for an hour or so to catch the end of the Yankee
game. After he finished watching the game he would always seek me
out, no matter where I was to thank me for letting him watch the
game. Jim always went out of his way for all of us, I just wish we
had a chance to do more for him. The world survives on people like
Jim because he makes us all better people. We see how he treats
people and the response he gets and we try to emulate him, though nobody
could do it like Jim."
"It's obvious that Jim was a great baseball fan,
he played for Rensselaer for a couple of seasons. He said he was one
hell of a ballplayer, and Jim wasn't one to embellish much so he must have
been. During my first few years Jim had always talked about having a
catch but things never seemed to work out. I think it was my first
senior year before we finally had that catch. It's funny what a
little thing like throwing a baseball back and forth can do for a
friendship. That was the only time I had a catch with Jim. I
look forward to the next one.
"I couldn't stop thinking about Jim while I was
watching the baseball playoffs this past week. Jim, now that you
have eternal front row tickets to the Yankees you can watch Pedro
dismantle your beloved franchise. You didn't think it was going to
be that easy to get away from me, did you?
"Forty years is an awful short time to spend on
this Earth. Jim, you did it in style. I'll miss
you."
--YITB,
Jeff Tracy A1410
"I remember the first time I met Jim.
It was at a Banzai party during the fall of '95. A well-timed
pledge-brother wrestling match had broken out in the foyer. As
shirtless men straddled each other while raining blows of jello shots at
nearby spectators, Jim was holding court in his usual corner with five or
six good looking women (for R.P.I. of course) who were hanging on his
every word. Taking a look around the room, it wasn't hard to see why
I was convinced that Jim was the smartest guy in the house."
"During the time I was privileged to know Jim, I
was always puzzled by him. Although I had many conversations with
Jim and found out much about his life, there was something that he
possessed that always seemed to elude me. I never understood why a
man his age, who lives an hour away, would meet us at Elda's on a
Wednesday night, just because he heard that we might stop there after an
IFC event or pledge raid. I couldn't figure out how he could
remember every pledge, brother, alumni, and girlfriend's name after a
brief introduction while I struggled with, as a pledge, remembering
everybody on E-Board's name. And at 6294 a few years ago, when we
welcomed Soren's family as our guests, I was impressed with the poise and
sincerity he showed to the King family when he spoke of his memories of
Soren. During a time in the night when things were getting a little
out of hand, he knew the perfect thing to say.
'I couldn't seem to grasp what it was about Jim
that enabled him to do all of this and more. After taking some time
to reflect on my memories of Jim, I realized why he could do all of
this. It was simple—Jim truly cared. He truly cared about the
house and everyone in it. He cared enough to get to know all of
us. I feel blessed that I got to know him.
'Jim was a man who always knew what to say; he
never forgot what you said; and what he said should never be
forgotten."
--YITB, Tom
Doherty, A1448
"Well, we were slow in getting the news
about Jim's passing. But, I felt it necessary to contribute to the
portrait of Jim that has been painted. If there is one thing I will always
remember about Jim, it is how he was genuinely concerned for each brother
in our Fraternity. When we spoke with Jim we spoke with HIM, and not some
facade. He expected the same from us. This quickly created the trust and
commitment that we all remember from Jim. He made a point of knowing our
lives. The last time I saw Jim was at Matt F.'s wedding. We had the
pleasure of sitting with him at the reception. Jim had a way of directing
the conversation to include everyone at the table. He even remembered and
mentioned our children by name and gave us parenting advice.
"He always took time out when we needed him to
be a friend. I will miss you, Jim. I will miss your friendship and your
welcome smile."
--YITB, James
Soisson A1366
"The first time I meet Jim was at an RSE party in
the Fall of '94. I was a new pledge at the time and was just getting to
know all the Actives and had not met any Alumni yet. They introduced me to
Jim and my first thought was "What is this guy doing at a college party?!"
Even though I was only a pledge, he talked to me throughout the evening,
and I immediately sensed that he really wanted to get to know me and
wasn't putting on a facade like so many other people I knew. I also
vividly remember Jim when I was a pledge nearing initiation, and I
distinctly remember being very happy to see him present during my
initiation and to be able to call him my Brother.
"I continued to see Jim at House events for years
to come, and I will always remember the fact that he always seemed to go
out of his way to greet you and genuinely seemed glad to hear how you were
doing. I also will never forget all the long conversations I had with Jim
and that he held very strong opinions. Though I never felt pressured to
change my opinion (if they differed from his) because of his age or strong
views."
I remember asking Jim for advice many times during
my yearlong tenure as House President. Unlike parents or a school advisor
to whom you may go to for advice, he actually treated my like an equal and
didn't try to dictate what he thought I should do. He just gave me good,
honest advice, and I wish I had the chance to thank him once
more.
"Another good memory of Jim was how he helped out
when Soren died. I remember being House President at the time and for that
62 we invited Soren's family up to celebrate and remember Soren with us. I
went stag to 62 because I knew I had to be host to the King family, but I
dreaded (in a way) having to sit at the head table with them and make
conversation considering we all just experienced Soren's loss. I asked Jim
if he and his date would let me introduce them to Soren's family and if he
(and his date) would sit at dinner with all of us. He was happy to do so
and his presence at the table made the evening more enjoyable for everyone
as Jim had many wonderful memories of Soren to share with his family. At
the last minute I asked him if he would feel comfortable saying something
about Soren after the dinner. All Brothers present can remember how
eloquent Jim could be. The humorous part was that after his speech he told
me he wished I gave him a lot more time to prepare so he could have said
something better! I thought he was great and would have loved to hear what
he would have said if given more time!
"Jim is definitely a brother who has touched my
heart deeply, and he will be sorely missed."
--Jason Trommer,
A1434
|
|
