Sunday morning I received a call that I didn't expect. My previous employer, my mentor, my friend is gone. I always knew eventually I'd write this post but it came in a way that really shook my foundation.
John was born in 1937. His professional highlights reel includes a professional survey license in 6 states across New England as well as an "N" exemption in New York allowing him to perform minor engineering. He was, at one time, the President of Eastern New York Society of Land Surveyors, the President of New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors, and a handful of other professional associations which are escaping my memory currently. John was licensed in 1965 in his home state of NY. He was mentored by Charlie Male of CT Male. He would later take over that corporation as President and CEO. John grew the firm to spread across much of the east coast with branch offices in several states. In the late 80's he began to desire a slower lifestyle. Breaking away from CT Male he formed a "Mom and Pop" company. I walked into John's office in 2004 looking for a job and he gave me a shot. At the time I had little to no ambition to be licensed but that didn't stop John from cultivating my interests, showing me the ropes, bringing me into meetings, teaching me all he could. It worked. John motivated me. He encouraged me. He pushed me, whether I wanted to be pushed or not. But he also always invited me to live a life, to not let work or a career impede the chance for family or life experiences. He taught me balance. We worked side by side as a team for ten years, five days a week, several nights per month. I am a surveyor because of John.
Later in life he developed several health issues. Between cancer (which he beat once), heart disorders, diabetes, and a list of other ailments, he remained strong as an ox till the end. Under the care of several specialists who administered a cocktail of prescription medications, his hopes for the future apparently began to thin. Rather than suffer through pain and the loss of the ability that he had had for his entire life (an Army Veteran having been a Ranger in Korea, to being the CEO of a major corporation) he saw himself slowing slipping away. Saturday night John made the decision to slip no further and he took his own life at 79 years old. He lived the way he wanted to and he died the way he wanted to, on his own terms.
I had the incredible pleasure of presenting him with the NYSAPLS Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in Land Surveying, which was only eclipsed by the joy that I had serving under him and having him as one of my closest friends. Just a couple months ago I stopped over to the house and sat down with him and talked about the history of Surveying in the Capital Region of NY, tracing the lineage of old licensees for a small project I'm working on. We talked for hours, sipping coffee and reminiscing. Apart from "See you later" the last thing I told him was that I love him. I'm glad that I never missed an opportunity to tell him how important he was to me.
I will forever miss my friend, but his legacy will live on in all of the professionals that he molded.