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Yoni Gottesman was almost 5 years old when
he died. But in his short life he packed in so much. Yoni
was excited by all the things he learned in preschool, and
he looked forward to attending school with his friends. He
loved to jump on the trampoline and play soccer, and he was
very proud of his first belt in karate. And he especially
loved going to the zoo to visit the animals. Yoni’s precocious
musical ability amazed those who knew him. At three, he already
was playing the drums and guitar. Yoni’s love of music came
from his father, and they frequently played together. Yoni
was blessed with a loving family, including his parents, Anat
and Oded, and his older sister, Daniela. They were a tight-knit
family that shared many things.
Yoni was a precocious, inquisitive little
boy. As one friend put it:
“Yoni was one of a kind. He was an exceptionally
strong, outgoing boy, never afraid to ask questions or too
shy to make himself heard. You always knew when Yoni entered
a room. Always the leader of the group, he delighted in any
challenge. Yoni was smart, affectionate, exuberant, inquisitive,
beautiful, and a caring son, brother and friend. By the age
of three, he was proficient at speaking and understanding
both English and Hebrew.”
But Yoni’s accomplishments do not tell the
whole story. His smile was infectious – you could not help
but smile in return. Along with his big smile came a big heart;
he had an aura and charisma about him that immediately charmed
everyone he met and filled their hearts with joy. Yoni was
a good friend, not only to children his age, but to everyone
he knew. And, he was exceptionally thoughtful and caring;
his everyday actions reflected his deep love for his family
and friends. Yoni’s love of people, and the love he received
from so many in return, filled the lives of everyone around
him with joy and love.
 Yoni
was at his most exuberant at school. Two of Yoni’s teachers
at Montessori Center School wrote of him: Click
Here for Speech from Denise and Carla
Here is the Memoriam that appeared in The Independent:
Click
Here
The parent of a little boy Yoni met only
once fondly recalled how she and her son sat with Yoni at
a puppet show about pirates:
“Every time something funny would happen
Yoni would let out this amazing giggle and my son and I would
laugh at how sweet and funny it sounded. It happened over
and over until Yoni eventually caught on to the fact that
my son was getting a kick out of hearing him giggle and then
it turned into game that had them both laughing like crazy.
When we heard about Yoni, my son wanted to
see a picture of him as he could not remember his name. When
I showed him he said, "Oh that's the laughing boy.
We will miss your laughing boy.”
But perhaps the most poignant story of Yoni
comes from his father:
 “Yoni,
my son, my buddy, my life. I can’t tell you how much we miss
you. You filled our family and our lives with so much joy,
happiness, energy, and love of life and people. You gave us
all so much love, affection, and joy. You cared about so many
friends – boys, girls, and adults. You touched them and gave
love to them. You taught us all to grasp the funny and happy
side of every moment. You were always open-minded and eager
to learn and know more and more, which you always did with
patience, wisdom, and joy. You loved music, science, tradition,
sports, books, movies, jokes, and so much more. You ate life
with a full mouth, and you wanted even more. You had that
magic inside you, which made so many people happy and love
you. I am glad we gave you so much, but there was so much
more we wanted to give you. Yoni, I am so proud to be your
Dad; Mommy and Daniela are so proud of you, too. I know I
told you that a million times, but I’ll never stop telling
you that all my life."
Love, Daddy, Mommy, and Daniela
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