Rabbi Paul Kaplan passed away in Cincinnati on April 23, 2019.
Only four days before, his wife Andrea had told the Class of 1969 of his illness:
Paul was so eagerly looking forward to attending this reunion, as in years past, and reconnecting with old Oberlin friends. He has such fond memories of his years at the school. I was able to share some of his excitement at those reunions because I was fortunate to be able to attend a couple with him.
Paul, unfortunately, won’t be able to attend this year. He has been struggling with esophageal cancer for the past two years. In the fall, we learned it had spread to his lungs. That was attacked by a powerful round of chemo. The 23 simultaneous side effects from that chemo devastated his body. The chemo was halted in December. A CT scan in late March suggested that the cancer in his lung might have gone into a slight remission.
Then, this past weekend, we received the morbid news that Paul has fluid around his heart and lungs and blood clots in his lung. We have already enrolled in Hospice. His Hospice nurse yesterday realistically told him that his prognosis was not the standard get your affairs in order because you merely have six months to live. Rather, she surmised that Paul just has about a month, maybe two to live. Staggering news to receive after just learning about a remission. Obviously, our Passover holiday won’t be very joyful this year.
So…..please share Paul’s news with classmates. He will be with them in spirit.
Paul repeatedly asserted that the academic skills Oberlin taught him made his graduate school studies “simple!” But more importantly, those skills helped guide him through his Rabbinate. A lifelong treasure.
In the next few days his Classmate Profile received several comments:
Andrea, please tell Paul that I am disappointed as well that he will be unable to attend the reunion. I appreciated his support of the plans for the memorial service. Please give him my best wishes. —Biz Glenn Harralson
Tender love to you and to Paul. A friend who's a holistic doc in San Diego working with cancer patients observed "We're all terminal. It's a mixed blessing to get to know when." May the rest of the days you have together focus on the "sweet" of "bittersweet." —Jackie Lowell
Paul, I've been so much looking forward to seeing you at the reunions. I share with you my 10 days at Hebrew Union College when you were the only person there who knew what I was really about (hoping to go to Michigan for grad school). Later on I met someone who graduated college the same year we did and went to HUC. I asked him if I had met him at Hebrew Union College, and he told me that he arrived a couple of weeks late because he'd been doing debate tournaments. When he arrived he heard about the guy who was around for 10 days and disappeared – who of course was me. Obviously you kept my secret. I will really missing you at the reunion. —Ron Rapoport
My old friend Paul. I am especially devastated to hear this news. While we have not kept close over the years, I have always harbored a special bond with you in my heart for all we shared in our younger years, and our mutual endeavors throughout our professional lives. I always admired your quiet thoughtful manner – something always quite beyond me. You made a difference in my life, and I'm sure in the lives of so many. With love and respect to you, Irwin Tanenbaum
Dear Paul and Andrea, my heart goes out to both of you for having to deal with this. —John Kramer
And then on April 23: "Tragically, Paul died this morning. Funeral in Cincinnati on Thursday 11:30 at Weill Funeral home in Blue Ash on Cornel Road."
It seemed to have meant a lot to both Paul and Andrea to know that classmates were thinking of them these final days.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/cincinnati/obituary.aspx?n=paul-m-kaplan&pid=192679124&fhid=27761