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MINTZ–HER WORDS BLOGFebruary 2009It is with great sadness that we wish our dearest Eileen Mintz farewell. As our public relations spokesperson for almost ten years, Eileen helped to make Salty’s a shining star with her high standards and unbridled passion for perfection. Eileen’s good friend Herb Weisbaum gave her eulogy and he is sharing it here. Gerry & Kathy Kingen, Salty’s Owners
I still can’t believe she’s gone. I keep thinking – it’s Eileen – she’s just in the kitchen making a few more cookies. She’ll be here any minute. But I know that’s not going to happen. We lost a very, very special person yesterday – someone who was sweet and kind, smart and caring. Someone who was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. It is never pleasant to present a eulogy – especially when the person you are talking about is someone you love, someone who was such a part of your life. We weren’t related by blood or marriage, but Eileen and Dave considered Deb and me part of the family. I am deeply honored Eileen asked for me to speak here today and truly grateful to the family for letting me share my memories of this amazing woman with you. Thank you for being here. You are a testament to how many lives Eileen touched in one way or another. And she touched so many people in so many ways. We are sad right now. We are in pain. As well we should be. Eileen was truly a gift from heaven – and she left this earth way too soon. I don’t know if the good Lord needed some new recipes OR maybe a good public relations person up there in heaven. Well, he got both. I sure hope he knows what he’s in for. Because Eileen is going to run him ragged. How can I possibly capture the spirit of someone like Eileen? It’s like trying to catch lightening in a bottle. If you knew her, you know what I mean. Eileen had more energy than anyone I have ever known. She thrived on activity. She lived for new challenges. Eileen was passionate about everything she did. Whether it was testing out a new recipe or arranging a major publicity event for Salty’s – 90 percent was not good enough for Eileen. She always gave 110 percent. It had to be perfect – every time. Eileen had a zest for life. Every day was a new adventure. Every experience was something to cherish. Who else, at age 65, would audition for the chance to be a guest host on Northwest Afternoon? Even as she underwent unpleasant treatments of chemo and radiation, she remained positive. “I’m going to beat this thing,” she kept telling Deb and me. “I’m not ready to go yet. I have so much more to do!” And in a way, she did win. She lived longer than anyone expected when she was first diagnosed with cancer. I remember how she joked with us about her wig. Most people didn’t realize she was wearing one. They just thought she got a new cut which made her look so much younger. I remember one night at dinner she told us: “I should have done this years ago!” Eileen tried as best she could to live the life she loved for as long as possible – writing her articles, meeting with people, visiting new restaurants, and taking care of her clients, and hosting family gatherings at the house. Eileen loved her family and adored her husband, Dave. They were true soul mates, best friends who enjoyed doing so much together. They were always there for each other. He looked out for her and she watched over him. It was a match made in heaven. Dave, we all know how much you did for Eileen these many months – always by her side. You were her rock, and her strength. And I know that wasn’t easy. You did everything for her that could be done – and then some. That’s what love is all about. Eileen always cherished her Jewish heritage, and made the teachings of our tradition part of her life. She walked the walk: both charity and helping others were at the top of her “to do” list. Even when she was overloaded with work, Eileen would take on another charity event. She just couldn’t say no. Eileen had this amazing “can do” attitude. Ask her to do something, anything and she’d say, “No problem.” It didn’t matter what you asked. Hello Eileen, this is the TV station calling. I know it’s dinner time, but can you get us a chef to come down to the studios tomorrow morning and do a live cooking demonstration? And by the way, we don’t have a kitchen in the TV studio. Can you work around that? And she would. I think this can-do attitude is why Eileen was so good at public relations. She’d meet any and every challenge head on. Pulling off the impossible was almost routine. Did I mention that Eileen liked to cook? And what a cook she was. Matzoh ball soup, kuggle, homemade gefilte fish and ruggalah. Oh how I loved her ruggalah. The best I ever had! Eileen made chocolate chip ruggalah for the family, and fruit filling for me – just like grandmother made. Don’t tell anyone – I still have a batch in the freezer. I will cherish every last one, because I know each one was made with love. It's always fun to come over to the house for lunch or dinner and hear Eileen say, “I had this new recipe that I wanted to try, so I made it. Let me know what you think.” Of course, it was always fabulous. To this day, I don’t know why Dave isn’t 350 pounds! Eileen did so many wonderful things for so many groups and so many people that I could be up here for a couple of hours and still not cover them all. Don’t worry, I won’t. Let me share two stories. Eileen was a huge supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. She helped me every year with our big charity auction, Tuxes & Tails. She always got her restaurant friends to make a donation. Over the years, she literally helped us raise tens of thousands of dollars to save the lives of homeless animals. I remember when Eileen was asked to do some consulting work for the new Trader Vic’s. She didn’t really want the job and didn’t need the extra work. But she agreed to do the project IF – get this, they would pay her by donating a dinner for two to the Humane Society auction. Which they did. Who else would do something like this? I also remember talking to Eileen about a friend of mine, a really nice guy who belonged to our synagogue. He was looking for some extra work, but couldn’t find anything. Within a couple of weeks, Eileen helped him find a job. She didn’t even really know him. She didn’t have to. He was a friend of mine, I asked her for help, that’s all she needed to know. Eileen is gone now. But we are thankful for the time we had with her. We will cherish the memories – and she will live in our hearts as long as we walk this earth. I would like to end with a poem someone sent to me when my dear mother, passed away many years ago, after battling a terrible disease.
Many thanks to Connie Adams for our photo of Eileen and the Spirit of Washington. Please also visit www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/mir/news/38809474.html for the Mercer Island Reporter story on Eileen. Read Nancy Leson on Eileen at blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/allyoucaneat/2009/02/09/eileen_mintz_her_kindness_and.html in her Seattle Times Food & Wine blog. See memorialwebsites.legacy.com/eileenmintz/Homepage.aspx for the family’s memorial.
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February
2, 2009
National
Pancake Day is coming February 24, 2009. If you're in the mood
for buttermilk pancakes and want to help local children's hospitals
and charities, the International House of Pancakes (yep, IHOP) is offering
a short stack of cakes and asking guests to donate what they would have
paid, or more, all of which will be donated to the Children's
Miracle Network. They're hoping to raise $1 million this year!
Visit 
Like
many non-profit organizations, FareStart is working
hard in these tough times to continue "meeting the promise" by increasing
their impact on the community. They've had a record number of applicants
and need community support more than ever. Visit