Este intr’adevar “unbelievable” cand incepi sa numeri anii “singuratatii”!....

Nimeni n’a vorbit mai frumos de ei, ca Eminescu : “cand amintirile’n trecut incearca sa te cheme, pe drumul lung si cunoscut, mai treci din vreme’n vreme”....

Din pacate eu l-am vazut pe sotul tau o singura data, cinci minute, in biroul tau dela Northridge, in anul 1992, cand ai organizat tu ARA – 17th Congress: eu venisem sa intreb ceva, iar tu ai intrat ca o furtuna si te-ai dus direct la telefon, sa iei imprejur pe nu stiu cine care a uitat sau a gresit cu ceva in organizare.... Sotul tau era acolo si ti-a spus ceva sa te linisteasca, dar eu am plecat repede la sesiune, care tocmai incepea, dandu-mi seama ca nu e momentul potrivit pentru intrebari.

Apoi, te-am mai intalnit odata la alt Congress, dupa 2000 si atunci ne-ai spus ca l-ai pierdut.... Am ramas “bouche – bé”.... Am citit mai mult despre el, din site-urile tale date in 13-IX-2015 si –mi dau seama ce OM Special si Capabil a fost si ce bine v’ati inteles!!! Sa-l ocroteasca Dumnezeu!

Cum nu l-am cunoscut pe el, pot doar sa-ti spun, ca te admir pe tine, pentru sensibilitatea ta sufleteasca, pentru energia ta fara limite si pentru patriotismul tau deosebit, depunand atatea eforturi, ca sa faci cunoscuta Arta Romaneasca!!! Si ma rog lui Dumnezeu sa te tina sanatoasa si active!

(English, Engleza, Anglais)I am thinking often of Nic, whom I think of as been away in a long trip. His voice is very vivid in my mind, when he was calling you by your nickname "Noonoosh" or when he was making jokes. I also recall the trip all four of us took together to the mountains and our adventures during it.

Maria Bleyberg Zamfir

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(Romanian, Romana, Roumain) Mă gândesc deseori la Nic, pe care îl consider într'o călătorie lungă. Vocea lui când strigă "Nunus", or când făcea glume, îmi este vie în minte. Deasemenea, îmi aduc aminte cuplăcere de călătoriile noastre la munte şi de peripeţiile prin care am trecut împreună.
 Maria Bleyberg Zamfir

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(French, Franceza, Français) Je pense souvent à Nic, que je considère faisant un voyage. J’entends clairement sa voix, quand il t’appellait "Nounoush" ou quand il faisait des blagues. Aussi, je me souviens avec plaisir notre excursion, tous quatre, en montagne et les aventures nous avons traversé ensemble.
 Maria Bleyberg Zamfir

(Romanian-Română-Roumain) Îmi amintesc vizita voastră la mine în Saint Germain en Laye, probabil, în 1992; Elsa era încă mică și încă și voi veneati încărcaţi de cadouri pentru fetele mele. Dupa prânz am făcut o plimbare în pădurea din apropriere și văd și acum surâsul lui Nic, fericit de a fi înconjurat de tineri. Știa să facă glume tot timpul. Amintiri frumoase …

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(French-Franceză-Francais) Je me souviens de votre visite (Nic et toi) a Saint Germain en Laye, peut-etre en 1992; Elsa etait petite encore et vous arriviez toujours charges de cadeaux pour mes filles. Apres le repas nous avons fait un tour dans la foret d'a cote et je revois encore le sourire de Nic , si contant d'etre entoure des jeunes. Il savait faire de l'humour tout le temps. Des bons souvenirs .

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(English-Englezeste-Anglais) I remember your visit in Saint Germain en Laye, perhaps in 1992; Elsa was still small and you were always arriving loaded with gifts for my daughters. After lunch we took a walk in the forest nearby and I can still see Nic’s smile happy of being around young people. He knew to joke all the time. Good memories ...

(English-Engleză-Anglais) I recall going to Nic and Ileana's Encino house. From a closet jam-packed full of photographic slides, we looked at some travel photos and they shared stories of their global trips.  For a California-bound girl, it all sounded very adventurous and worldly.

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(Romanian-Română-Roumain) Îmi amintesc de când mergeam în Encino la casa Ilenei și a lui Nic., Ne uitam la poze de călătorie, scoase dintr-un dulap plin peste măsură cu diapozitive fotografice ei împărtășeau povești din excursiile făcute de ei prin lume. Pentru o fată din California totul suna foarte aventuros și sofisticat.

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(French-Franceză-Francais) Je me souviens d'aller à la maison d'Encino de Nic et Ileana. D'un placard bourré de diapositives, nous regardions quelques diapositives de voyage et ils partagaient des histoires de leurs voyages a travers le monde. Pour une fille de Californie, tout cela semblait très aventureux et mondaine.

(English-Engleză-Anglais) Costea and Paunescu were the first Romanian families we met when we arrived more than 30 years ago in our adopted country. Dr Nic (Nicolas) Costea was and remained the most remarkable person I have had the privilege to know. A professor praised for his professional and intellectual accomplishments and true Romanian aristocrat with a vast culture and a modesty characteristic of truly special people. He passed away with dignity and self-reconciliation. He was and remains a man for eternity.

 (Romanian-Română-Roumain) Familiile Costea si Paunescu au fost primele familii de romini cu care am facut cunostinta in tara noastra adoptiva acum mai mult de 30 de ani.
Doctorul Nic (Nicolas) Costea a fost si a ramas cea mai remarcabila persoana pe care am avut privilegiul sa o cunosc. Un profesor apreciat pentru realizarile profesionale si intelectuale, un  aristocrat romin de inalta cultura si o modestie caracteristica oamenilor cu adevarat deosebiti. A trecut la cele vesnice cu demnitate si impacare de sine. A fost si ramine un om pentru eternitate.

(French-Franceză-Francais) Les familles Costea et Paunescu Roumains, ont été les premières familles que nous avons connu quand nous sommes arrives dans notre pays d’adoption il y a plus de 30 ans. Dr Nic (Nicolas) Costea a été et reste la personne la plus remarquable que j'ai eu le privilège de connaître. Un professeur apprecié pour ses réalisations professionnelles et intellectuelles et un vrai aristocrate Romain de haute culture et d’une modestie caractéristique des gens qui sont vraiment spécials. Il est décédé dans la dignité et l'auto-réconciliation. Il était et reste un homme pour l'éternité.

(English-Engleză-Anglais) I cannot believe that Nic left alone for the world of angels where he is now 15 years ago. A man one can no longer forget once one had the privilege to be near to. I loved him as a precious friend.

I am sending you my warm regards Nic there where you are walking now.

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(Romanian-Română-Roumain)  Nu pot să cred că Nic a plecat de unul singur în lumea ingerilor acum 15 ani. Un om pe care nu îl mai poți uita, după ce ai avut privilegiul să fi lângă el. Am ținut la el ca la un prețios prieten.

Te salut cu drag Nick pe unde te plimbi!

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(French-Franceză-Francais)  Je ne peux pas croire que Nic est partie seul pour aller dans le monde des anges il y a déja 15 ans. Un homme qu’on ne peut pas oublier sit u as eut la chance d’etre une fois a cote de lui. I loved him like a precious friend. I am sending you my warm regards la ou tu te promenes.

(English-Engleză-Anglais)

Today there are 15 years since Nic is gone. 15 years! It seems unbelievable.

Here is my short letter to you, dear Nic.

I am in Paris.

The same city from which I wrote you many, many letters, long letters, in 1972. I even sent you flowers ... in spite of a Bulgarian friend, Kathy, who left her country at about the same time with me, telling me: "You do not have money to live and you send a man flowers! You are crazy! He should send you flowers." The flowers reached you in Westwood ... on Westgate Ave. You did not guess from whom they were...

I am in the apartment you know so well, and which brought us two so much happiness and pleasure. It is filled with memories of you.

I still live in the same house in Encino, our house, our only house... in spite of everyone telling me to move out, when you left us ... This house has all my memories of our youth, or our life. Each time I see a bird coming to drink water from the pool I think of you ...

Well, life is always hard and complicated, but there is something I must tell you ... I never loved someone in my life more than I loved you.

This summer I went back to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. I wanted so much to visit those places again. You and I were there ... "a century ago". We were so young! We were so happy!

I hope you "heard" I published a book. If Amazon exists in the skies too, do a google search (if meanwhile you learned how to use a computer :-)) on my name and you will find it. I dedicated it to those special people I loved so much who all gone now, but I know would have been happy to see my book. It contains the articles I wrote along the years on "surprise-Romanian presence abroad". I should have written an article about you too, but it is not possible. Since about you I have so many stories. One article would not do you justice. I can fill a whole thick funny book with all the stories about you. I have another one in my head ... our adventure through lifewe lived together. I already have a title for it: "Living with an accent". You will be my main character... It will be a book filled with humor, the fantastic humor you had, and with sweetness, your sweetness ... You were a very special man, my dear Nicutzu'

I recall one happy/sad moment:

It was about 2 weeks before you left this world. You were very sick, in bed. I came home from the university. You were in a good mood. You told me that you just watched a show on TV which you liked very much. It was a "Congress of Laughter" taking place in Vienna. Thousands of people gathered there just to laugh. "Laughing is so healthy." you told me smiling.

I would give everything to make possible that we go together, you and me, to a Parisian restaurant (maybe "La Criee" in Montparnasse) to have "Un plateau de fruits de mer" (the famous French see-food platter we both liked so much). But I guess I have to just prepare some fish myself tomorrow ...

The next time I will write to you again will be on a happier day, on your Birthday, November 10th.

Nic ramane in amintirea mea ca o figura luminoasa, parca fara varsta, pus pe glume, pregatit sa asculte si sa vada, mai mult decat sa vorbeasca, invaluit intr-un nor de fum de tigara, zambitor ca cel ce stie ce este cu adevarat important, detasat de tumulturi, impacat cu viata, cu el si cu ceilalti. Pluteste deci in pace.

I have very warm and vivid memories of our beloved teacher Professor Nic Costea. I was a clinical fellow (1971-72) in his Hematology department at Cook County Hospital, University of Illinois Chicago. My first practical exposure to the science of immunological diseases came through his teachings. I was looking for a research position in Boston or New York, after finishing the fellowship training with Dr. Costea. Although there were several possibilities, Dr. Costea’s recommendations and connections with Dr. Robert Schwartz at Tufts Medical School, in Boston was critical for the beginning of my scientific career. Dr. Costea was a brilliant mentor, intellectually stimulating, in the clinic as well as in the research laboratory. He was a man of few words, but those words revealed his extraordinary talent and depth. Dr. Costea was known all over the world for pioneering discoveries on autoimmune blood diseases (cold agglutinins), but he was never arrogant; always full of grace and generosity, and gentle good humor.

 Syamal K. Datta

Solovy Arthritis Research Society Professor of Medicine

Professor of Microbiology-Immunology.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.

       Datorita tie Nunus draga care ai o fire deschisa prietenoasa si intelegatoare si in tot ce faci pui mult suflet am reusit sa aflu mai multe despre Nic si sa ma bucur ca ai fost langa el . Casetele pe care mi le-ai trimis mi-au dat posibilitatea sa-l vad pe Nic cum era matur si  sa-mi dau seama ce frumos ati trait impreuna.

            Ultima data cand l-am vazut pe Nic , aveam 11-12 ani , iar el termina liceul. Intr-o seara ne-am pomenit cu el la Blaj ; i-a spus mamei ca a iesit sa-si cumpere ceva….dar si-a adus aminte ca este un tren la ora aceea care trece prin Blaj si s-a gandit sa ne faca o vizita….Imediat l-am anuntat pe unchiul Ion (el avea telefon) care a venit , l-a dojenit ca a plecat de acasa fara sa isi anunte parintii, a dat *Bucurestiului* vestea ca Nicu e la noi si ca in 48 de ore va reveni acasa si sa nu fie ingrijorati.

            Eram racita atunci si déjà stateam in patul meu de arama cu perdelute. Eram emotionata si impresionata de statura lui , de frumusetea  lui blanda, de vocea  joasa si linistita cu care ma asigura ca o sa-mi treaca febra si raceala si ca e surprins de cat am crescut de cand nu ne-am vazut (trecusera cativa ani decand au stat la Blaj cu toata familia).

  Nunus draga pe  Nic mi-l amintesc ca fiind un om cald, prietenos, intelegator, un alintat de soarta – un copil mare care uneori avea nevoie de un suport moral, fiind gata si el sa il ofere aproapelui si spre bucuria si norocul lui te-a avut pe tine si tu pe el, un cuplu fericit care a stiut sa se bucure de viata atat cat va fost dat sa fiti impreuna .

Dumnezeu sa il odihneasca in pace.

Te imbratisez si as dori sa ne mai intalnim daca se poate fie la Cluj, fie la Chambery.

Sonica Andreiu                                                                

Verisoara primara cu Nic           Cluj, Romania, Noiembrie 2010

     "A few thoughts about Nic".

     If I roll up the curtain of time and try to recall, from its beginnings, the life that Nic and Nunus had together, what I come up with is a kind of neorealist movie - Vittorio de Sica with a California twist -.

     Here, from my trove of memories, I put together a few thoughts about Nic.

     He was tall and handsome, his youthful good looks seemed to change little over time. He was a man of many cigarettes and precious few words. But he was also a great wit. His sense of humor was versatile, unpredictable, always 'sui generis': he could be playful and child-like (as when he fooled around in the garden, or by the swimmimg pool of his beloved house), he could be gentle, kind and gallant (with his patients, with people he loved or who were suffering and in need). At other times he could be mischievous, outrageous. On social occasions, when people found out that he was a distinguished physician, they would come up to him and ask what his specialty was. With a completely straight face, Nic would answer: "I work with blood. What do you expect ? I come from Transylvania, the country of Dracula..."

November 2010                              Gugu
                                    (Alexandra Bellow)