{"id":9544,"date":"2013-09-25T03:17:11","date_gmt":"2013-09-25T09:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=9544"},"modified":"2013-09-25T16:43:52","modified_gmt":"2013-09-25T22:43:52","slug":"for-a-big-hearted-camp-owner-death-of-the-dream-hits-hard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/for-a-big-hearted-camp-owner-death-of-the-dream-hits-hard\/","title":{"rendered":"For a big-hearted camp owner, death of ‘The Dream’ hits hard"},"content":{"rendered":"

By HILLEL KUTTLER<\/p>\n

BALTIMORE (JTA) — Dean Meminger sat in owner Irv Bader’s office at Camp Seneca Lake and talked of his girlfriend, her battle with lupus and their plans to marry.<\/p>\n

Meminger, known as “The Dream” as a star guard at Marquette University and a key reserve for the New York Knicks\u2019 1973 championship team, had just finished a four-day stint late last month at a basketball camp at the Pocono Mountains’ Jewish facility. He had taught the players with enthusiasm and his demeanor bespoke an apparent contentment with life.<\/p>\n

Before Meminger boarded a bus back to New York, the friends, who had known each other for decades, hugged and pledged to meet soon in the city.<\/p>\n

The next day Meminger, 65, was gone, found dead in a hotel room in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood.<\/p>\n

For Bader, the phone call informing him of Meminger\u2019s death was \u201clike hitting me in the head.\u201d He had employed the ex-backcourt ace for many summers at Seneca Lake.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the call, Bader wondered to another longtime employee, Gus Kennedy, whether his cash payment had prompted a splurge that indirectly led to the ex-ballplayer\u2019s demise, since Meminger had battled drugs for many years. (The cause of death has not been released.)<\/p>\n

Bader had paid Meminger $1,200 in cash — $300 for each of the four days of running clinics and refereeing games — and added $200 because he said the ex-Knick \u201calways needed help\u201d financially.<\/p>\n

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