By John C. O'Connell
Mr. Lieber was described by many as kind and generous, one who left a legacy of honor, moral principles and gentle caring for others, especially those who were grieving the loss of a loved one.
"My father was a humble man," Paul Lieber said. "He never owned a Lincoln till I bought it for him; he always drove around in a Ford station wagon. That was him. He could afford it, but that was the way he lived his life; that's the way he was."
A member of the "greatest generation," Mr. Lieber served his country as a medic in the armed forces during World War II in Africa and Italy. He returned after the war and did his apprenticeship at the Flinch Funeral Home in Lynbrook, which later became Flinch & Bruns. Mr. Lieber purchased the Gallagher Funeral Home in Valley Stream when owner Thomas Gallagher passed away at the end of 1946, and renamed it the Edward F. Lieber Funeral Home. It has been in business for 56 years.
"He really enjoyed himself [in retirement]," Paul Lieber said of his father. "He got to do whatever he wanted. He loved painting and he loved the Bahamas. Then he was in Fort Myers for about 12 years. He enjoyed retirement and he was very happy."
While the family deeply grieves Mr. Lieber's passing, Paul is glad his father had a long life and went quickly when the time came. "What better can you ask for?" he said.
The Rev. Thomas Harold, pastor of Holy Name of Mary RC Church in Valley Stream, said the funeral Mass on Monday. "In my homily I expressed the gratitude of the entire Valley Stream community and all the people of the different communities of faith -- our gratitude for Mr. Lieber's service to the families of Valley Stream that goes all the way back to the 1940s.
"The Lieber family, through Paul and James, continues that legacy of service to people of all faiths in the local community. They are of service to families at a very important time in their lives," Harold said.
Mr. Lieber participated in the building of Holy Name of Mary in the 1950s and donated money for the baptismal area, Harold said. He had been one of the original lectors in the parish in the 1960s.
"It was a privilege for the parish to be able to minister to the Lieber family in the time of their loss as they have ministered to hundreds of other families in Valley Stream at the time of their loss," Harold said.
Mr. Lieber is survived by his wife, Theresa; sons Edvard, Paul, Thomas and James; his daughter, Mary DiJorio; his brother, Thomas J. Lieber, and sister, Marilyn Lieber; and grandchildren Thomas, Kevin, Allison, Paul, Daniel, Jessica, Jacquelyn, Kaitlyn, Chris, Kyle and Elizabeth. He was predeceased by a granddaughter, Nicole Marie.
A wake was held at the Edward F. Lieber Funeral Homes on Sunday, followed on Monday by the funeral Mass at Holy Name of Mary. He was interred at Holy Rood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the Lieber family asks that donations be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York Inc., 85 Old Shore Road, Port Washington, N.Y. 11050 in memory of Thomas A. Fusco. "That's what my father would have wanted," Paul Lieber said.
Nicole Falco contributed to this story.
