Howard Reisner, who was well-known in the Jewish community, was laid to rest yesterday.
Two weeks ago, Reisner, 79, of Squirrel Hill, came down with a bad cough and high fever. He was then diagnosed with COVID-19.
“My dad was a stubborn man. He didn’t want to go to the hospital. He did not want to go anywhere. He wanted to let this thing ride out,” said Howard Reisner’s son, Shalom Reisner.
But a week ago, he took a turn for the worse. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, where he died Monday morning.
Shalom Reisner was allowed in the room with his father.
“I did make the decision to go and be there not just for myself, but for my family and everyone that cared for him,” Shalom Reisner said.
“I didn’t think it would happen to anybody I knew specifically,” said Ari Reisner, Howard Reisner’s other son.
Howard Reisner, the father of seven, moved from New Jersey to Squirrel Hill in 1994. He was active in the Jewish community and created a website called Asknoah, providing resources for religious education.
He was a renowned gourmet chef who wrote the Happy Kosher cookbook.
Howard Resiner was also a world-renowned master craftsman, who owned a chair repair and restoration shop in Squirrel Hill. He was profiled in a documentary honoring his work.
“My father would always say I repair furniture, but I also repair souls,” Ari Reisner said.
Howard Reisner was buried at Homewood Cemetery on Monday. Most relatives were not even allowed to leave their cars.
While he’s gone now, his sons said his message of hope and love will live on.
“His messages and his enthusiasm and passion for life will continue to live on not just through our family, but through everybody whose life he touched. He wouldn’t want us to be too sad. He would want us to celebrate life because that’s what he did,” Ari Reisner said.
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