My Dad.... A Phoenix Icon

My dad, Herb Lieb, passed away on Feb. 24, 2011, after just celebrating his 91st birthday. Dad was born in Chicago, left to fight in WWII and actually landed on Normandy Beach. After the war, he met my mom, Sharon. They lived in several locations before they divorced. My brother Michael and I moved with our mom to Atlanta and dad moved to Phoenix in 1965. Dad became partners with Geri Kagel in Kagel's ladies’ store in Park Central Mall. In 1970, he opened Herb's Underground at Central and Clarendon avenues, which was Phoenix's first disco. He sold the Underground after three years  and then had Jerry Hassett build the Jockey Club Nightclub in 1976, which was located at 20th Street and Camelback and was the first private disco in Phoenix.  I graduated from college in 1978 with visions of playing professional baseball but instead I was hired to manage the Jockey Club at 22–and what a run it was. I met so many great people through my dad and even hired a disc jockey from another club, MaryAnn Ortiz, who worked for me (I mean I worked for her) for five years.                                                                    In 1986, MaryAnn and I got married and now we have two college- age kids, Sean and Juliann. In  1989, Burt Lewin, Mal Straus and Mike Hayes worked with dad to open another Jockey Club and we opened at Central and Camelback. Once again, I met wonderful people and we enjoyed this club until 1986 when we sold it to Sweet Tomatoes.                                                                 My dad then retired and started to enjoy his life without the burden of a business to run. Michael and I really enjoyed visiting dad twice a year when we were younger and it was truly amazing how many people my dad knew from going to Rocky's Hideaway, Bobby McGee’s (where dad had a booth  reserved for him at every location) and the other places where all the Phoenicians used to hang out. I also remember how wonderful dad's friends were to Michael and me. Instead of treating us like the little punks we were they always treated us respectfully, like we were adults.
As my dad grew older, the respect his friends had for him just grew stronger. They all had stories about dad and they all used to tell me how he always had time for them no matter what the situation was. He was like a second father to many people out there. The greatest tribute to my dad was the more than 275 people who attended his funeral and the more than 100 cards that my brother and I have received over the past four weeks. My kids and my brother’s kids, Stephanie and Jeffrey, gave eulogies about what a great grandpa dad was and there were eulogies from his friends. A special  thanks to the many people who were there the past few weeks to make my dad's last few days comfortable:
Rabbi Herring, Bill Saul, Mike Davis, Bob Sikora, Jan and Wendall Chapman, Arlene Copley, Sherri and Sandy Germaine, Shannon Lieb and his grandkids. There will never be any more stories from dad but there will be hundreds about dad for the years to come. We also have CDs of his numerous birthday roasts. Dad, I wish I could hear one last story from you but just know that I love you very much. Your legacy is the many friends that you left behind and also the wonderful family that loved you dearly.                                                                                       Guess what, dad? You now have a new captive audience to tell your many stories to.
WE MISS YOU.