While Lionel Segal earned his living as a notary and a senior director for the State of Israel Bonds, he really could have been successful as a standup comedian.
Lionel, also a former Côte Saint-Luc city councillor, passed away peacefully last Saturday. He spent the last few years of his life at the Waldorf seniors residence on Côte St. Luc Road and then the Donald Berman Jewish Eldercare Centre.
My late dad Lawrence Frederick Cohen (aka Larry Fredericks) was a lifelong close friend of Lionel’s. They went to summer camp together and enjoyed a lot of good times. My dad was the public address announcer for McGill Redmen football games for years. Lionel served as his spotter. My brother Chuck and Lionel’s sons Lloyd and Brahm would always tag along.
Lionel and my dad were builders of the Côte Saint-Luc Slo Pitch Association. Lionel was a player, commissioner and then an umpire. However, his greatest moment would be serving as a speaker at the annual awards banquet in the fall. Here he channeled his inner Rodney Dangerfield and Don Rickles. Many players attended just to hear his routine where nobody in the audience was safe. He poked fun at the players and the guests. I remember one event when a number of executives from the Expos joined us. This was at a time when attendance was low. “I called the Expos office for tickets and asked what time the game was,” he stated. “They responded, ‘What time can you make it?’”
When I met with Lloyd last spring he told me that the COVID-19 lockdowns had a negative impact on Lionel. When he initially moved to the Waldorf to be with his partner, he’d go for walks and always take enjoyable promenades through the Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre. Then came the pandemic and everyone had to shelter in place. It put him in a very bad place.
Lionel, it has been more than 11 years since my dad left us. I am sure Larry is rolling out the red carpet for your reunion right now with a huge "Hello Hiawatha!" greeting.
My sympathies to Lloyd, Brahm, daughter Donna and the rest of the family,