What made Tepp unique among this motley crew was his unrelenting quest for fun. It’s as though he somehow knew that he was going to be shortchanged in the end. If there was fun to be had, Tepp was going to have at it.
His guiding principles were: Don’t worry. Be happy. Don’t sweat the small stuff and, you know what? It’s all small stuff.
Always of good cheer. As the song goes: “Quick with a joke and a light up your smoke”, but unlike the song, he always enjoyed being here. That is, anywhere he happened to be.
Tepp had a presence about him. Not just a stage presence, which by the way was superb. I remember first seeing him on the stage of the Café Wha? in the Village and being so impressed by how natural it was for him to be on stage, as though he’d been doing it for years.
He evoked self-confidence without ever being cocky. People from all walks of life just gravitated toward him and genuinely liked him.
I first met Tepp on the soccer field. I was the right halfback, he was the right wing. Throughout high school I’d pass the ball to him and he’d do the scoring. Somehow we wound up in the same crowd we so inventively dubbed as the Guys.
There was never anything formal about the Guys. No charter, no bi-laws, no dues –unless you count chipping in for gas money as dues – but there were plenty of meetings. Card meetings, Wiffleball meetings, basketball and baseball meetings and just plain poke-fun-at-one-another meetings.
We were just the “Guys”. As much as people tried, new members wouldn’t be allowed in. And as hard as some tried, once in, you could never opt out. That goes for you too, Tepp.
I personally have chosen to believe in reincarnation. Of all the options available about the hereafter, I fear reincarnation is the least. This belief also helps me deal at times like this. I don’t say good-bye. I can simply say “see-ya”.
Between incarnations, I believe there’s a time where we have the opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate our lives, determine what mistakes were made and what lessons need to be learned in our next earthly visit.
During this intermezzo we get to visit with relatives and friends who’ve passed on before us. Reminiscing about life, doing what we did on earth. You don’t worry. You’re just happy. And you never sweat the small stuff.
I wholeheartedly believe we’ll all meet again in the by-and-by. Have the cards and chips ready, Tepp. I’m bringing the beer.
Peter Hercky
Words cannot describe how saddened I am about the loss of Tepp. He was truly a unique "Guy" kind, thoughtful, happy, always thinking of others before himself. He never followed the crowd, but always followed his dreams. We had many great times together, and always laughed a lot. He will be greatly missed, may he rest in peace.
Jeff Goldblatt (Moose)
When we met Arthur in bradley beach. We went up to Hunter Mountain, Arthur opened a rock club, we had great times. I loved him, I'll miss him. He's in heaven drinking Southern Comfort with Janice Joplin and God. He'll be missed by me.
Barry Muster (Jan '65)
I was the new kid and met Tepp (Peter [Hercky], Benny [Rybnick] and Barry [Muster] too) on the soccer field in 1963. One rainy afternoon when soccer practice was cancelled, Tepp took me to his friend's house. I think Peter went with us too. We went down into a cellar and knocked on a door. When I asked what was going on, he said "You are in for some entertainment". Tepp gave the password and we walked into a poker game in Bear's cellar.
That day I met Bear [Mike Goldberger], Moose [Jeff Goldblatt], Skip [Arthur Clark], Bob [Furst] and Butt [Norman Sutta]. About a half hour after our arrival, there was a knock on the door. Bear asked for the password several times. After several F___ Yous the password was given and [Alan] Baskin was allowed to enter. Tepp later explained Baskin's protestations.
During the game, Moose and Bob got into a fight, Bear got the hammer, chips flew everywhere and Tepp was on the floor picking them up. When order was restored, Tepp's stack somehow had grown. What an introduction! He was certainly right about the entertainment. It's been going on for more than 40 years.
We had a friendly rivalry on the softball field. We bet (No money believe it or not) on who would have the higher batting average for the season. We both calculated our averages after each at bat. It got tough when we had to divide our hits by 117 at bats, but I learned that he was not only a good hitter, but he knew his math.
When Sue and I moved to California, Tepp lived about 30 minutes from us. I saw him fairly often. I always had to run to the store and restock the refrigerator with beer before he came over. That small price was certainly worth it as his being there helped our transition.
The last twenty years, we only saw each other at reunions. I especially enjoyed the blackjack games. Win or lose, Tepp always had a great attitude and provided lots of laughs. If I play blackjack at any future reunions, it's a certain bet that I'll be thinking of him.
I believe people live on in others memories. Howie Tepp will be remembered.
Hal Teitelbaum (June '65)
