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Obituaries

Town Bids Farewell to Much Loved 'Eph' Radner

Remembered as a true gentleman, eloquent speaker and active member of the community.

Paul Solomon feels he was privileged to be able to call Ephraim Radner his friend.

Called “Eph” by many, Solomon knew the long-time and active Belmont resident for more than half a century.

“He was a very dear man, a warm-hearted human being,” the former Selectman said about Radner who died at age 90 on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

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A service will be held for Radner today, Friday, at 10 a.m. at , 2 Concord Ave.

“Eph was modest but a very accomplished man,” Solomon said, describing his successful career as a businessman in the high-tech industry.

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“He was extraordinarily active and a productive and constructive member of any community he belonged to.”

Radner, a longtime Douglas Road resident, was a Town Meeting member for many years and served on the Warrant Committee as well as the School Building Committee for the when it was changed from a junior high school.

Solomon recalls that whenever Radner got up to speak at Town Meeting, everyone listened.

“Everything he said was cogent and well thought out,” he said about his friend.

Former Board of Selectman Walter Flewelling also described Radner’s dedicated service to Belmont and the dignity he always displayed.

“He was quite a gentleman and very eloquent,” said Flewelling, who served on the BOS for 21 years.

“He could tip the balance at Town Meeting because of the way he spoke and the points he made so well.”

Describing their relationship as “loyal opposition,” Flewelling said he and Radner differed philosophically but both had the same end in mind.

“We were driven by what was best for Belmont but just took different paths to get there,” he said. “As the years went by, we developed a mutual respect for each other.”

In addition to his contributions at Town Meeting, Flewelling said Radner was an extremely valuable member of the Warrant Committee because of his business background.

“He held us accountable for how to spend money,” Flewelling said.

Following the service at Beth El Temple Center, will be the burial at Sharon Memorial Park and then a memorial observance at NewBridge on the Charles Interfaith Chapel, 5000 Great Meadow Rd., Dedham until 4 p.m. and Saturday evening, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Jewish National Fund, 77 Franklin St., Boston, MA 02110 or to The National Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002-3375.

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