Hi, I recall Alex from both the Bay Area century rides, of which he was a constant presence, and local bike advocacy. I think he had more patience for government transportation people than anyone you will ever meet. Over the past few decades he attended thousands of meetings explaining to all manner of boards and committee's the virtues of bicycle's as simple transportation tools, and because of his decades of work the Bay Area is a much more livable, and ridable, place to live. The meetings and the East Bay hills just won't be the sane without him.
Tom Harriman San Francisco, Ca
>From: dave martinez <dmart84815@yahoo.com>
>To: Charles F Nighbor <cnighbor@pacbell.net>
>CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: Re: [CR]Alexander Zuckermann 1921 - 2007 Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2007
>16:33:39 -0700 (PDT)
>
>Hello Charles,
>
> Yes, Linda and knew Alex. We met him in the early 80s when we did alot
>riding with the Sierra Club. I remember he rode a red Allegro. Linda and
>would call him the DELI MAN, because on one ride he became fairly
>distraught over not being able to find a deli. I understand that Alex was a
>survivor of the Nazi death camps. Although I havent seen him in many years,
>I still have a fond memory of his tenacity as a cyclist.
> Alex's' son Dave and I work for the same park agency.
>
> Regards,
> David Martinez
> Fremont Ca
> US of A
>Charles F Nighbor <cnighbor@pacbell.net> wrote:
> ''Alexander Zuckermann
>1921 - 2007
>Alexander Zuckermann passed away peacefully August 5, 2007 at the age of
>86 in Berkeley, CA. Alex was born in Berlin in 1921 and came to the
>United States in 1938. He received a Masters degree in City Planning
>from UC Berkeley and worked for the City of Oakland as a City Planner.
>Alex was a passionate cyclist, glider pilot and violinist. He loved to
>ride his bike recreationally with his friends in the Grizzly Peak
>Cyclists and several other Bay Area bike clubs. He was also a tireless
>advocate for bicycle rights, and helped get bicycle access on BART, AC
>Transit, and several Bay Area bridges. He was the founder of the East
>Bay Bicycle Coalition, Chamber Musicians of Northern California,and the
>Regional Bicycle Advocacy Coalition. He was awarded the Golden Wheel
>Award by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and was honored by the
>State of California by having the bike/pepdestrian path on the new East
>span of the Bay Bridge named after him. He is survived by his brother
>Wolfgang, two sons, David and Ronald, his ex-wife Irma, and two
>granddaughters Lila and Rosalie. A Memorial service for friends,
>colleagues and family will be held in mid-late August. Details coming
>soon''
>
>Did any CR members know Alex. He rode strong into early 80's then in an
>attempt to prove to Cal Trans one could ride the California Bay Bridge
>they allowed Alex to ride at 2:00pm with Cal Tans behind in a pickup.
>Alex hit a crack in pavement and went down suffering a head injury. That
>he recovered from but got staph infection in the Hospital and never
>quite got over that. Alex was about 5'-2" and a feisty rider from
>Germany. He got bicycle racing lessons at 80 to ride better and faster.
>Once on a century ride there were violins quartet playing at a rest
>stop. Alex asked to borrow one of the violins and joined in and played
>Classic music.
>Charles
>http://home.comcast.net/~zuckermann/
>
>
>Charles Nighbor
>
>Grizzy Peak cyclists former member
>
>Walnut Creek, CA
>
>PS. Go to http://home.comcast.net/
>more comments on Alex