Rod Kaufmann

Rod became a part of our lives when he started treating our animals with great kindness, love and respect. This developed into a more personal relationship based around tennis, going out to dinner with a group of friends, attending UCONN football tailgating and games and parties where we got to know ML and Walter. This close relationship was upgraded even further when 12-16 of the tennis group started spending vacations in Aruba every January. Rod was one of the kindest and most generous people we ever knew. He was always ready for a party and hosted some great ones. Thoughtful, kind and a great guy, we miss him, but thoughts of him always bring a smile. He brightened our lives.

I met Rod in the late 70s @ HAH, it was immediately apparent that his caring for my dogs was foremost & his humor was inquisitive with me. As we became more acquainted, I was allowed to watch a procedure or help calm my dog as he took an X-ray. There was a great picture of Rod back there with a long glove on, up to his shoulder, & I think he was checking if the cow had a breach calf. The smile on his face was capturing. He will always be my Rear Admiral! .

Too much for one post I guess… anyway Rod became part of our family and loved my husband Mike and visited us often at Max A Mia in Avon… he loved my husbands food… I only have soooooo much love for this man …. Unselfish and kind, loved by all and always a voice for all animals💕💕💕💕

I am overwhelmed with the number of memories I have with Rod and his sister, ML and his wife Karen and the incredible employees at Hopmeadow Animal Hospital, this is where I first met the most incredible, giving, compassionate , funny as hell gentlemen by the name of Dr Rod Kaufman… first my veterinarian and than a lifelong friend… Rod ALWAYS helped me with my rescue cats In Simsbury…. No matter what… if I could afford it or not… he loved my dogs… he loved my mother with dementia and always treated her like a queen. His kindness and funny nature just beemed from his face. I worked with him for a short while… just doing weekend meds and walks and the fun cacleaning ! Of course, Rod took an Amstaff from a client who found this broken boy in Waterbury… he was broken and wounded from head to toe… he later became a part of my family and Rod always took such wonderful care of Mr. Petey… C

My son. JOSH, and I loved Rod and Karen and their families. We shared many Christmas Eve dinners as well as dinners together at our favorite Farmington Valley Restaurants. Rod was generous and kind. He loved his family and friends. I'm sure he has reunited with Karen and Josh in heaven! RIP My friend. You will be missed!

Two things Rod loved were: 1. his family and, 2. taking said family out to one of his favorite restaurants and showing them off to his friends. Rod knew everyone at his restaurants and it seemed like every member of the staff made a point to stop by the table to say hello. Rod took a lot of pleasure introducing (or reintroducing) us to everyone as they stopped by. It was pretty special. And don’t even think of paying. Rod would have none of it. He was very generous. Then there’s the wine… Rod loved wine. So make that three things Rod loved. I wasn’t much of a wine drinker before I joined the Kaufman family but that all changed year one when I was introduced to the family Christmas wine exchange. I never asked how long the tradition existed or who started it, but its a pretty safe bet that it was Rod’s brain child to exchange bottles of wine every year in lieu of gifts. By the time we all gathered around to hand them out after dinner Christmas eve, there had to be at least 50 of those fancy gift bags under the tree. And Rod put a lot of thought into every bottle of wine he’d give as a gift. It made me appreciate really good wine. What I’ll remember most about Rod is him being a very kind and generous man who absolutely loved his daughters. He welcomed me and my boys into the family the minute we met, he loved good food and good wine, he loved his dogs and cats and birds, and he loved to tell a joke or two (or three) at dinner. Rod loved the simple things in life. I hope we continue to carry on the wine exchange every Christmas in honor of his legacy, as this single event embodies everything you need to know about Rod: family, generosity, and the love of the finer, simpler things in life like a good bottle of wine. Rod, I raise my glass to you.

Hello to Cherie, Kim and Cindy .. Your old next door neighbor here remembering all of you and I’m so sorry and sad about Rod’s passing. I remember when you moved in next to us on Evans Drive and now Andy had a new playmate Sheri and some of the mischief they got into.. Was also grateful that now we had our Vet living next door. Rod was certainly his own man with a giant personality and a giant love for the animals and this was shown in how he loved and treated them all.. we had Sassy the Great Dane and Marty the mischievous Westie and I can still hear Rod calling for Mac and Chamois.. Sherie and Kim .. keep all your wonderful memories of your Dad close to you as they will always comfort you. Roz

I met Rod as an intern at Hopmeadow. I was a very shy 18 year old college student, and it took a few extended lunches at Abigail's to me to figure out what this boss was about. And he loved to tell the story of when he realized we were going to be friends: early morning, as I was in the back at the hospital getting ready for the day. It was the first day i had driven my very first, brand new car to work. Rod walked in with a look on his face. We exchanged our "how-are-ya's" and he said, not so great... I just had a little car accident... I crashed into this little blue Subaru in the parking lot!" And as Rod tells the story, I responded "oh f-- you!!" He said, when you can dish it out and take it, that's when you are friends. .

I had the great luck of the draw in meeting Kim in kindergarten. Throughout my childhood and up into adulthood Rod was always very good to me. I remember walking to the animal hospital with Kim after school. I felt like a VIP to be allowed in the back with the animals and Rod and the staff. I remember the picture on the wall of Rod examining a cow and the line said why is this man smiling. ( that was really there right Kim?)If I was visiting with Kim he would take us out to dinner and bet me to try new foods. At that amazing house on Great Pond my sweet tooth got the better of me and I tried the brownies in the freezer. Only for him to inform us later laughing that I had eaten the pot brownies. He let us walk on the ceiling in that house. He never failed to make me feel included whatever the fun was. The memories are endless. Thank you Kim and Sheri for allowing me to be part of the fun. He loved you both so much!

Laughter warms the heart. My memories of laughing with Rod will ever warm mine.

Another dad memory. I was probably in 6th or 7th grade. And I was out to dinner with Dad and Linda. They each ordered a creme brûlée. They were delicious. When the waitress came to collect the empty ramekins, my dad did such a funny thing. He said, "Those were so good, we'd like to order two more." I mean, who does that? I don't think in my entire life since that day, that I've ever seen anyone decide that the desserts were so good, why not order another round. He has been known to order 6 appetizers to split across a table of 4 just because he thought it was fun to try them all. Dad used to say, "Hey, life is short. You may get hit by a truck tomorrow." He was prone to splurging on things, and he knew that maybe that was a weakness. But it was also a great strength. He was good at seizing the moment. I think it was simply because he loved life and life experiences. I remember he really loved going to work every day. And he loved all of the people he met along the way. A few weeks ago, he told us. I'm ready. I've had a great life. I couldn't ask for more. I think that's because he appreciated what he had when he had it. And he was never afraid to ask for seconds. ❤️

i still remember the first time i "met" Dr. Rod. It was in the parking lot of his animal hospital and i was waiting to pick up my daughter who was interning there as a vet tech. Out comes this guy in a white lab coat, fairly skipping to my car (like a kid who had just found a turtle) and starts enthusing about my daughter. It was so overwhelming that i don't think i said a word. don't think i'd ever meet a person of such exuberance ( and he kept it up for 10 minutes! ) Dr Rod was so good to my daughter and me. He never failed to invite me to his forays to AT THE BARN or MEADOW with his "harem" though he knew i wouldn't go. And he was always calling me to thank me for the least little thing, like the time i "decorated" his mailbox post for fall with mini Indian corn and gourds. Quote "Thank you for feeding my squirrels!" Can you hear his chuckle? It was with deep regret that the card i had that was to thank him for being such a wonderful human being was still on my desk when i got the sad news. Dr Rod we all miss you. "Luv Ya"

I loved Rod Kaufmann. Still do, of course. The following details are highly suspect, as they rely on my highly suspect memory. And I have undoubtedly butchered the time line, but here goes: I first met Rod when he was dating my sister Cindy. I thought he was very cool. After all, he had a convertible maroon Corvair Monza, a souped-up version of our boring light blue Corvair sedan. I found him charming, and he was always very kind to me. To everyone actually. But he made me feel special somehow. And he was funny, of course. I liked his sense of humor, and over the years found that my sort of humor was quite similar. We sort of bonded over bad jokes. I remember when he first introduced me to beer. We were at his house on Grandview Avenue, and his father had Ballantine India Pale Ale (somehow brewed for him, as it had his name on each bottle) and he thought I should try some. I reluctantly agreed. I may have been 15. Anyway, I thought it tasted the way skunks smell. Little did I know IPA would one day become one of my favorite beers. That one sip led to a lifelong love of, and occasional over-indulgence in, the beverage, and eventual part ownership in a local Colorado brewery. So there’s that. Then Rod and Cindy married. I thought the wedding was a lot of fun, and have for some reason a vivid memory of driving one of Rod’s cousins back to the Roger Smith hotel. I might have even been allowed to take the Monza. After that I didn’t see Cindy or Rod much. There was vet school and the Air Force and travel (I did visit them once in Red Bank I think), then they were in Simsbury. In Simsbury I saw him more often. I remember with fondness the bright yellow Formica kitchen cabinets in the Evans Drive house. And Mac. I loved visiting the Animal Hospital with Rod. I was very impressed that he was a doctor and had his own practice. So there’s that. Then college for me, a prolonged stay in Vermont afterwards, and then my move to Colorado. Communication became limited to family gatherings and occasional phone calls. Rod was a trifle hard to get in touch with, as he had no cell phone for a long time, and an even more rudimentary grasp of computers than me. But he was finally provided with a cell phone and taught how to text, probably by his daughters. So around 2020 we started what would prove to be several hilarious years of texting and insulting each other at every opportunity. I always looked forward to his cringe-worthy jokes, and did my best to equal them. For a while after he got sick he was too weak to text, but we finally got back in touch. My first text to him was, “Is it okay to start insulting you again?” To which he replied, “I’d be insulted if you didn’t!” That was classic Rod Kaufmann. The man was a class act all the way. I will be forever grateful for the joy he gave me. And for my beautiful nieces Sheri and Kim, who he and Cindy so graciously provided me. Rest in peace, man. I love you. When my visiting pass here expires, I hope he's there to greet me wherever I end up. But truthfully, I know he will be. Everyone else will be sick of his jokes. And that’s that.

Rod was the best mentor I could have had when I was starting out as a veterinarian. He was endlessly helpful with cases and surgeries. I could call him in the middle of the night when it was my turn to be on call and he was always lovely and helpful, never annoyed. He was an amazing veterinarian- so smart and compassionate. As far as a sense of humor - working with Rod there was always laughter - and that’s amazing considering the stress and sadness that can be prevalent in veterinary medicine. To this day certain phrases and jokes still pop into my head and I smile. And as a friend - Rod was kind and generous and loyal. I will miss that friendship deeply. But I am so grateful he was in my life. Eva

Almost 40 years ago, new to town, I took my little dog, Ralphie to the vet's office I saw on Hopmeadow St. From that day onward, Rod has been my vet and my friend. Through a dozen or more pets, Rod was always there. If Rod told me something, I knew it was right. To this day, if there was a veterinary question, I always ran it by Rod, long distance, who answered with infinite patience, wisdom, and kindness. There was the time he removed something or other from Ruggy's stomach and called me to come over and identify it. "It's a Brillo pad, Rod", I told him. No wonder the dog was sick! More importantly, Rod was a mench. He truly brought kindness and sweet humor to the world. He and Karen became our trusted and treasured friends. Howard and I looked forward to eating and drinking our way through Rod's world. We once dropped everything on a random weekday and drove to Manhattan to join them for dinner at a favorite restaurant. He called and said, "Hey want to meet us for dinner?" And off we went. Rod and I started our friendship with jokes. He loved telling them and hearing them. The raunchier the better. In my test messages, I have a now treasured string of jokes, cartoons, and memes he sent to Howard and me, On an ordinary day, my phone would light up with a text from Rod with some crazy but hilarious joke that always lit up our day. Rod was a great man; a compassionate and skilled vet, and our treasured friend. Our condolences to your entire family. We hope your memories sustain you in this sad time. We will never forget him. We loved him. Mona and Howard Herman

2 funny stories that we refer back to all the time 1. Our kids told us that our cat was fat. Next time we took her to the vet we inquired what the vet thought. Dr rod said “ well, your talking to a fat vet, but she looks pretty good to me” 2. Took our old dog to the vet. The dog had gotten very picky about what he would eat. Dr rod told us, “if he likes shrimp, give him shrimp”. Good advise that we have extrapolated to many aspects of our life.

If you wonder what it was like growing up with a vet as a dad. It was like this. One day in high school, I came home and went into the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something dart across the floor. It was too small to be a cat. But it was too big to be a mouse or rat. So, I called out: “Daaaaaaad???” (The subtext in my voice said “WTF just ran across the kitchen floor.”) And he read that subtext well. He yelled back, “Oh? Did you meet the ferret?” This was when he lived with ML. What a wonderful menagerie of pets we had. 10 dogs, 5 cats, a ferret, and horses out back. A little crazy. Yep. But in a good way. They were the best of pets. And you sure did feel loved (and sometimes literally knocked over with love) when you came in that front door!

Our deepest sympathies to “Dr Rod”s” family. Truly one of the nicest people on the planet. Rod had retired for a couple of years and when he had heard of the passing of our sweet Siberian Husky, Abbe, he called us and shared his sympathies and shed tears with us. He always, always took time for you. Rod was a treasure, the world is a better place because of him. I know there is a new bright, shining star in the sky and it is” Dr Rod”.

I moved to Simsbury from Grand Island NY for a new job in 1994, with three cats in tow. Mama cat, Princess and Rascal. The cats had been with me at the Residence Inn for six months while “we” looked for a new home, finally in Simsbury. One of my greatest concerns was finding a veterinarian who would be as good as the vet in Grand Island. I didn’t think it was possible, but was I determined. I conducted two veterinarian “interviews” which were acceptable but not special. Then I was told about Hopmeadow Animal Hospital. It only took one visit, and I knew this would be the place and person I could trust with Mama cat, Princess and Rascal. Thank you for your years of care for these special pets. Special thoughts and prayers for all of you.

When ML and were kids growing up next door to each other on Grandview Avenue, Rod was our hero. This admiration we had grew from his attending Cornell Vet School, where he allowed us to watch 2 surgeries one weekend when we visited. I think he snuck us in 😉 because we were animal lovers, too. Rod was responsible for the reunion of ML & me after 40 years of not seeing each other. It was Christmas at his home a few years ago..I arrived in a Santa suit … and of course, I went home with a puppy! A good and funny man, and a great brother to dear ML. And a big part of my childhood. I send love to Rod’s family & friends. ♥️🍀🎃

When I was 16, my friend Brittany & I didn't have summer jobs. My dad said, "I could hire you two to paint the house." It was a tall house. Old aluminum siding. We said, "No way can we do that!" So, he took us to the hardware store and asked someone what we needed to paint over aluminum. They said: a power washer (we rented one) with cleaning solution, this kind of primer, and paint. Sure enough, Brittany and I lost our fear of heights and painted the whole damned house. Great lesson in life, and also the most fun summer job we ever had! Left our initials up near the roof. We did decline when he offered to hire us to build a new deck the next summer. But I always wondered if we could have done it!