Jac Shacter and Ronald Shacter

[00:05] JACK SCHACHTER: My name is Jack Schachter. I'm 23. Today is December 19, 2018, in Jacksonville, and I'm talking with my grandfather today.

[00:15] RONALD SCHACHTER: And I'm the grandfather. My name is Ronald Schachter. I'm 88 years old. Born in Rochester, New York, moved to Florida in 1960 and lived here ever since. I married for 65 years to my wife, Bonnie. We have four children, two boys and two girls, six grandchildren. Jack is the youngest. And I think I probably closer to Jack than any of the others because Jack and I were raised together. I lived with his mother and dad from the day he was born.

[00:57] JACK SCHACHTER: Yeah, I mean, growing up, I mean, you were like my childhood hero. I remember pretending to be sick in elementary school so that I could spend the day with you out on job sites. I remember we put a flagpole up at a model home once. I remember you putting address plates up.

[01:32] RONALD SCHACHTER: I worked for Jack's dad for about 15 years in the home construction business, and I used to do a lot of service work. And that's where some of these little items came in, like putting up flagpoles and numbers and Jess. I remember Jack coming along with me. We've had a lot of good times together over the years.

[01:57] JACK SCHACHTER: We have. I was. I just had a handyman over, I think it was yesterday, fixing my apartment, and he was complimenting me on all my tools and the fact that I knew how to do all of, you know, all of this stuff and that I didn't really need him that much. And I was telling him, you're the reason for that. You know, I grew up around you. You know, something broke when we didn't usually call someone, we called you, and you fixed stuff. And actually, when I was driving over to pick you up this evening, I was thinking back to when Grandma lived in the valley, and I remember you were doing something in the garage, and I was just sitting there on the garage floor with, like some little squares of wood and a hammer and nails, just nailing the pieces of wood together, learning how to use a hammer. And I remember I whacked my thumb pretty hard and my nail was all purple. I think that's the only time I've ever hit my thumb with a hammer. So I obviously learned.

[03:00] RONALD SCHACHTER: I've done it many times.

[03:05] JACK SCHACHTER: But, yeah, so.

[03:10] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, as a kid growing up. I grew up in Rochester. My mother and dad had a cottage down at Honeyoy Lake. We used to spend our summers there. And I used to like to fish and hike and bike ride. Had a lot of good years down there.

[03:28] JACK SCHACHTER: I remember hearing a lot of stories of you going fishing as a kid.

[03:32] RONALD SCHACHTER: Did a lot of fishing as a kid.

[03:35] JACK SCHACHTER: Was that at Honeyoy Lake?

[03:36] RONALD SCHACHTER: It was at Honeyoy Lake, yeah. Small lake up in Rochester.

[03:41] JACK SCHACHTER: And didn't you guys build a house there? Was that in Rochester?

[03:46] RONALD SCHACHTER: Did I do what?

[03:47] JACK SCHACHTER: Did you build a house in Rochester?

[03:49] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah. Graham and I built our first home. She did the painting, I did the carpentry work. The family used to come over weekends and help us.

[04:04] JACK SCHACHTER: That's pretty neat. When did you guys move down to Miami?

[04:08] RONALD SCHACHTER: 63. 1963. So I was born and raised in Rochester. All the kids were born there. I got a little frog in my throat. I'm sorry.

[04:25] JACK SCHACHTER: Okay. And when did you move up here? Because that must have been before I was born.

[04:32] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I think I moved up here around 95.

[04:39] JACK SCHACHTER: That was when I was born.

[04:41] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah. Well, I was living with your mom and dad when you were born. I worked for your dad for 15 years until 1905. And in 2005 I was 75 years old and Lori and Joe called and wanted to know if I wanted to go for a sailboat ride with him.

[05:14] JACK SCHACHTER: I remember that.

[05:15] RONALD SCHACHTER: And I took him up on that and flew to California and I sailed with them for a couple of months. We didn't go around the world. We ended up in Mexico.

[05:25] JACK SCHACHTER: Yeah, I remember. I wasn't too happy that you were going to be gone for three months. I remember I used to get so upset when you went to to visit grandma in Frostproof because you were gone all weekend and I didn't get to see you.

[05:49] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I didn't know that you were upset or I perhaps would have taken you with me.

[05:55] JACK SCHACHTER: Well, I did go with you quite a bit, but I couldn't go with you every time. I want to talk a little bit about your parents because I remember Molly just a little bit. But I never got to meet your father. I don't really know much about either of them.

[06:15] RONALD SCHACHTER: My dad died before you were born. We were very close knit family. I always looked up to my dad thinking he was pretty smart. He taught me a lot in terms of how to do things, working with your hands. He was a jeweler by trade and when I was younger I worked at the jewelry retail business for a number of years. My mother was a housewife most of my younger years.

[06:57] JACK SCHACHTER: Here's a question that I've always thought of and I always forget to ask you, but you were born in 1930s, so you grow up and sort of right in the years that you probably can. First remember was World War II.

[07:11] RONALD SCHACHTER: I remember World War II very clearly.

[07:15] JACK SCHACHTER: Yeah. Have any memories of that?

[07:20] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I didn't serve in the World War II. I was too young. My brother did. He joined the Air Force. I have an older brother and a younger sister. And I did join the Navy during the Korean conflict. And I was in the Navy for Navy Reserves, actually, for eight years. When they didn't call me, I dropped out after eight years.

[07:49] JACK SCHACHTER: I have your pin somewhere. What was it like being a kid and going through a huge war like that?

[08:02] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, as a kid, I don't think we really knew what war was about. We saw pictures and read stories and go to the movies on weekends and see the newsreels, and they would show how the Americans were beating the Japanese and the Germans. But I don't think I had any idea really, of what war was all about. Except that when I wouldn't eat my food at dinnertime, my mother always said to me, ron, eat that up. Think of all the kids in Europe that don't have any food.

[08:42] JACK SCHACHTER: Excuse me. Do you have any questions for me?

[08:51] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I know you so well that I really don't have any questions for you, but you could tell a few of stories of right now. You're going out with a very nice young lady. Don't know if it's serious or not.

[09:08] JACK SCHACHTER: I think it's pretty serious. Yeah. Yeah. About to move in together, and she's got a couple girls, cute little girls. It's been a fun adventure, but. Oh. So when I just found out we were doing this actually this morning, and the very first thing that came to mind, if you wouldn't mind, was some of my fondest childhood memories are sitting on your lap and you singing you Are My sunshine to me. And I've always wanted to get a recording of that.

[09:51] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I'm gonna give you that right now.

[09:53] JACK SCHACHTER: Okay.

[09:54] RONALD SCHACHTER: You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. The other night, dear. As I lay sleeping. I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. So I hung my head and I cried. When you were a little baby. I used to sing to you in a rocking shirt. Put. Put you to sleep. Or when you were unhappy and crying. Oh, I didn't know that that was that sentimental.

[10:46] JACK SCHACHTER: Yeah, it is. Yeah. No, I think of everyone in my life, I think you've probably had the most impact.

[11:01] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, we grew up very Close, Jack. I mean, we were with each other every day.

[11:06] JACK SCHACHTER: Mm. Yeah. And I. Something probably. I don't think I've probably ever told you, but I think ever since. Ever since I've known what, Understood the concept of death, I've greatly feared your passing anyway. But. Yeah. I remember when I was a little kid, running upstairs to mom and dad, having nightmares that you were gone. Anyway, just wanted you to know I love you.

[11:54] RONALD SCHACHTER: I appreciate that. I guess I always felt more like your father than your grandfather.

[12:14] JACK SCHACHTER: I remember. I remember when you were in my parents, when you were in their guest house. And I remember it was over one day. And it's so weird how memories work. I remember I bought one of the cabinets. You had this little stained glass thing that said Ron. And I remember I used to call you. I don't know if you remember this. I used to call you Ron. And I remember you. You were like, you know, you can call me Grandpa. And I just remember that. And I remember for a little while I called you Grandpa Ron. And then you were just Ron after that.

[12:59] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah. Real close. I'm not much of a speaker, and I can't think of a lot of things that I want to say.

[13:11] JACK SCHACHTER: Me either.

[13:12] RONALD SCHACHTER: But just sitting here and hearing your feelings this wonderful.

[13:21] JACK SCHACHTER: There was one question in here that was a good one. What are your hopes for what the future holds for me?

[13:35] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I think you're going to be a successful young man. You're. You're good at what you do. You're ambitious. Nobody has to holler to you to go do something. When something has to be done, you do it. You go to work very often on your days off. And I'm proud of the way you have taken your responsibilities since you're young, in the last couple of years working. I can't wait until you get married and start having your own family. Of course, if you marry this girl that you're going with now, she has two little girls, so I automatically get a bonus.

[14:22] JACK SCHACHTER: You're right. What's your favorite memory of me?

[14:32] RONALD SCHACHTER: That's hard to say. We've had so many good times together.

[14:36] JACK SCHACHTER: We have.

[14:36] RONALD SCHACHTER: I can't think of anyone in particular, but I always enjoyed those bicycle rides.

[14:42] JACK SCHACHTER: Oh, gosh.

[14:43] RONALD SCHACHTER: We used to go on.

[14:46] JACK SCHACHTER: I used to. Yeah, I remember I used to call you at like, five in the morning.

[14:53] RONALD SCHACHTER: Let'S go for a bike ride.

[14:55] JACK SCHACHTER: The very first question you'd ask me was, was, have you gone to sleep yet? About half the time it was it was yes, and half the time it was no. And we'd go, we'd go for a 5:00am bike ride.

[15:13] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah.

[15:14] JACK SCHACHTER: Around the neighborhood. I remember when we used to go ride down to Grandma Nyla's house, which was I think like a seven mile ride.

[15:24] RONALD SCHACHTER: Stop off at the little corner grocery store to get something to drink on the way.

[15:31] JACK SCHACHTER: I remember in elementary school when I told that to the class, no one believed that we would ride bikes that far. It was a little journey, a lot.

[15:46] RONALD SCHACHTER: Of fun and I enjoyed getting up. I took you to school most of the time, pick you up very often.

[15:56] JACK SCHACHTER: Oh, I've got kind of a funny story that I don't know if you remember but I just think would be fun to have on record somewhere. So a while back I had a friend had told me they had found this like skeleton of a dog. And I'd gone out and I looked at it and realized that it wasn't a dog but was actually a black bear. And I had, I took the skull and I put it in a bucket and was planning to clean it. And this bucket sat around for, gosh, I don't know, maybe nine months. Made it through a move and was. I was living in my parents guest house at the time and it was sitting out in front of the sliding glass door. And I remember I got a call from you at work one day and I was busy doing something and I didn't answer it. And about 15 minutes later I had a chance to look at my phone and I listened to the message and basically went something along the lines of hey Jack, I'm pulling weeds out in the front yard and I'm looking for a stool. I just want to let you know I'm going to go grab that bucket that's by your place. And immediately I called you back. I think pretty much consistently you always answer with hello, that's pretty standard. And you answered the phone with what the hell was in that bucket? I'm sure the smell must be a.

[17:39] RONALD SCHACHTER: Bear head in a bucket every day of the week.

[17:43] JACK SCHACHTER: No you don't. Yeah.

[17:48] RONALD SCHACHTER: Oh gosh. Where did you get it in the first place?

[17:52] JACK SCHACHTER: It was just like off the side of the road. And I had this friend that had found it and took pictures of it and I went out and was going to grab a couple bones and just realize it was a bear.

[18:05] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I found a lot of things around on the side of the road, but I never found a bear head.

[18:12] JACK SCHACHTER: Well, you found one in a bucket. Anyway, I've always enjoyed telling that story. It's a fun one.

[18:24] RONALD SCHACHTER: Anyway, we never did much Fishing together, did we?

[18:27] JACK SCHACHTER: Not a whole lot. A little bit. Not much that I remember. I mean, nothing that I can think of that comes to the top of my head.

[18:40] RONALD SCHACHTER: Because mom and dad lived on the river and they had a dock and we could go down there and fish. But for some reason we never did a lot of it.

[18:48] JACK SCHACHTER: No. What I do remember was at grandma's house in the valley. The lake we used to go fishing in. The little. You had that little blue rowboat. And the far side of the lake was always good for the little sunfish. And we had those rods with no reels on them. Just drop them in and pull them back out.

[19:13] RONALD SCHACHTER: Do you remember the bird that used to sit on the front of the boat, catch a little fish and throw it to them, Gobble it up.

[19:21] JACK SCHACHTER: That heron, he had a name. Do you remember what his name was?

[19:24] RONALD SCHACHTER: I can't think of it.

[19:25] JACK SCHACHTER: The next door neighbor had named him.

[19:27] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah, I don't remember.

[19:29] JACK SCHACHTER: That was. Wow. Yeah, I had forgotten about that. That was a lot of fun. Yeah, it's weird. We never really went fishing even though we had a dock right there.

[19:43] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah. And it's something that you and I used to hang out together all the time. But Zachary, he was five years older than you. For some reason or other, he was just not too interested in the things that we did.

[20:02] JACK SCHACHTER: No, no. He was off doing his own thing.

[20:05] RONALD SCHACHTER: He liked music.

[20:07] JACK SCHACHTER: Yeah.

[20:08] RONALD SCHACHTER: He always was in a band.

[20:11] JACK SCHACHTER: Yes. Yeah, several. Sometimes more than one at a time.

[20:15] RONALD SCHACHTER: I didn't know that.

[20:17] JACK SCHACHTER: I think there was a point in high school where it was in two or three. I have some other good memories I have is making duct tape suits of armor. Duct tape and cardboard.

[20:31] RONALD SCHACHTER: Oh yeah. We had a ball doing Halloween especially.

[20:37] JACK SCHACHTER: Hours and hours.

[20:38] RONALD SCHACHTER: Dress you up like a knight in duct tape armor. Somewhere you've got pictures and you made a duct tape for Sweetie the dog.

[20:49] JACK SCHACHTER: Oh man, you're right. Yeah, I had a whole. She had a suit of armor and a helmet. I have that helmet somewhere. It's in the basement somewhere. Wow, those are. Those are all good memories. I don't know. I don't think there is anything else I can think of. I mean, I'm sure we could sit here and talk for days. Uh huh. Was there anything else you could think of you want to talk about?

[21:35] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, not that I can think of. I've never been a conversationalist and I never really did a lot of talking.

[21:48] JACK SCHACHTER: Oh, here. I've got a question for you that I don't think I've ever really asked. Just because it's not real big in our family. But what are your religious views?

[22:04] RONALD SCHACHTER: I believe in God. I just don't believe in everything that man has made up about God. I mean, why should the Buddhists be wrong and the Hindus be right? But I think we all believe in God. Something had to form the heaven and the earth. But I don't believe in Judaism. I was born a Jew, but I've never practiced it. It's not that I don't believe in it, I just don't practice it.

[22:36] JACK SCHACHTER: Oh, you were going to give me that farful cupcake recipe.

[22:43] RONALD SCHACHTER: I don't have the recipe in my head, but I will sit down with you one of these days when you have the time, and we'll bake up a batch.

[22:53] JACK SCHACHTER: You've told me the recipe before, but I can never remember it. And I think I gain a few pounds when you make them.

[22:59] RONALD SCHACHTER: For those who don't know what a fireful cupcake is, it's a little fruitcake.

[23:06] JACK SCHACHTER: You've always liked fruitcakes.

[23:08] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah, I do. Only person I know I like most. Pastries. Pies. I had a good piece of apple pie last night for dessert. Scoop ice cream.

[23:22] JACK SCHACHTER: Okay.

[23:25] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well.

[23:29] JACK SCHACHTER: Here'S another. I think this is a good one for your great, great grandchildren. Listening to this years from now. Is there any wisdom you'd want to pass on to them?

[23:42] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, I can't say I've been the wisest of people, so I. I can't think of too many things to pass on to. And the thing is that you're so much smarter than I was when it comes to certain things, electronics and stuff of that nature. And I can't imagine what your children are going to be good in, but. No, just love each other, take care of each other, look out for each other.

[24:15] JACK SCHACHTER: Okay. Anything else you wouldn't talk about?

[24:18] RONALD SCHACHTER: I love you.

[24:19] JACK SCHACHTER: I love you, too. I love you. One more. Anything that you say that you love me.

[24:23] RONALD SCHACHTER: I remember you saying that all the time.

[24:26] JACK SCHACHTER: I haven't said that in years. Okay, well, thank you for joining me.

[24:32] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, it was a pleasure.

[24:37] SPEAKER C: I just have, like, a question. Is there any fond memories? I mean, I know you've just been reminiscing. Is there anything unique that stands out that you would kind of want to have on record? Or maybe a meal that you guys share? Ice cream.

[24:50] RONALD SCHACHTER: I don't know.

[24:51] SPEAKER C: You talked about pie. Is there any memorable holiday memory that you remember? Just. I know.

[25:00] RONALD SCHACHTER: It's just like.

[25:02] JACK SCHACHTER: It's like. Well, the problem is, it's like everything I Mean, like he said, we've grown up so close. I mean, there's the. I think the things that stand out are really the memories that aren't so happy because everything else has been so happy.

[25:21] RONALD SCHACHTER: I can't think of too many unhappy memories between us.

[25:25] JACK SCHACHTER: I remember when I was a kid, I wanted to play with. Play. D'oh. And you didn't want to. And I told you you weren't my friend anymore. And I must have been really mean because I remember you were in the bathroom crying. And I've always regretted that.

[25:51] RONALD SCHACHTER: I don't remember that.

[25:53] JACK SCHACHTER: But, you know, it's just. It's like everything, pretty much everything's a good memory.

[26:00] RONALD SCHACHTER: But I think we could always depend upon one another if we needed something or wanted something.

[26:05] JACK SCHACHTER: You've always been there for me, no matter what. Anything I needed, and you're there.

[26:16] RONALD SCHACHTER: That's because I love you.

[26:19] JACK SCHACHTER: I love you too, Ronald.

[26:22] SPEAKER C: Is there any memory that you remember of Jack when he was first born? Like, what did you think of when he first saw him? Do you remember any of that time?

[26:32] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, he's the youngest of six grandchildren, so I'd seen a lot of grandchildren before I saw Jack.

[26:38] JACK SCHACHTER: All boys.

[26:40] RONALD SCHACHTER: I thought he was just a little squirt that cried a lot. He was a good baby. I think that what I really enjoyed was putting him to bed at night and sitting in a rocking chair holding him and singing the songs that I used to sing.

[27:05] JACK SCHACHTER: Maybe I was a good baby. I remember being a terrible child.

[27:09] RONALD SCHACHTER: Well, it depends upon what you were called. Terrible.

[27:15] JACK SCHACHTER: Unruly. I didn't listen very much.

[27:18] RONALD SCHACHTER: No, kids do. I think kids have their own.

[27:22] JACK SCHACHTER: I suppose that's true.

[27:25] RONALD SCHACHTER: Opinions which don't agree with the adults necessarily.

[27:29] JACK SCHACHTER: Yes. Yes. Be interesting.

[27:33] RONALD SCHACHTER: But you turned out all right.

[27:36] JACK SCHACHTER: Thank you. I like to think so.

[27:42] RONALD SCHACHTER: Can't wait for that next step for you to take.

[27:48] JACK SCHACHTER: I'll hopefully be there in the next couple years.

[27:52] RONALD SCHACHTER: That long, huh? I might not be around for a couple of years.

[27:58] JACK SCHACHTER: Oh, you never know. Life will take its course.

[28:01] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah.

[28:12] SPEAKER C: Do you wanna. You could continue while you still have time if you want.

[28:17] JACK SCHACHTER: Is there anything else you can think of?

[28:20] RONALD SCHACHTER: Not offhand.

[28:21] JACK SCHACHTER: I mean, we can always pick this up in person sometime.

[28:26] RONALD SCHACHTER: Yeah.

[28:28] JACK SCHACHTER: Okay.