Loeser's Deli sign well deserved

To the editor:

(re: “Hot dog! Loeser’s deserves a ‘place’ in history,” March 8)

As the son of Charles “Chuck” Seidner, I was pleasantly surprised when my mom sent me the article published in The Riverdale Press on March 8 about Loeser’s Deli, one of the great establishments which still operates in this proud traditional community which I grew up in.

However, the article also reminded me that my dad Chuck, who worked at Loeser’s for 35-plus years, has been gone now for almost 17 years. Thus, profound feelings of sadness came over me.

As for you that live in the community now, or those that have since I moved out, I can only hope that you remember my father and the impact he had on the West 231st Street community, and to the amazing success of Loeser’s Deli. His presence contributed mightily to the special feeling a customer felt when they walked into the deli of “home, community, kindness and compassion.”

I was lucky enough to have grown up in Kingsbridge, and attended P.S. 7, J.H.S. 141 and JFK High School. I also know firsthand the importance the deli has had in adding to the rich history of the community. 

As I read the article about the Loeser family, whom I have known since as long as I can remember — and who were an extended family of mine — the happy memories, which I cherish dearly, of working in the deli when I was a kid and making hundreds of deliveries on the holidays, reminded me of the great childhood I had. Loeser’s Deli is a big part of who I am today.

The article mentioned Lisa and Pam, Fred Loeser’s daughters, are seeking to put up a street sign honoring the deli on West 231st, and I think that’s a great idea, and would be an honor for the Loeser family. As for signs already in place, just look up when you are by the corner of West 231st and Godwin Terrace, and you will see the sign “Chuck Seidner Way,” which honors my father’s contributions to the West 231st community.

Whenever I go visit my sister Marcia and her family, or my mother Roberta — who still live in the community — I am sure to stop by that sign with my wife and three kids so they understand how important their grandfather was to the neighborhood.

They look at the sign and understand that strong family traditions, along with kindness and compassion for people, have important meanings, and that the Kingsbridge community felt those for my dad just as strongly as we did for him as a family.

My dad Chuck was a simple loving family man, and I miss him dearly every day. We the Seidner family are so very proud and honored there is a sign to remember him by in the community, which he loved so much!

David Seidner