Thank You, John,

Thank you, John for being my friend and my mentor.

Thank you, John for tolerating my foolishness and my emotional swings as your friend and as your employee. I am sure many times I was exactly the fool Skip has described you suffered so well.

Thank you, John for carefully and quietly guiding and comforting me as I faced losing my mother to cancer. You handed me a medical volume turned to the page that described what she had, how it would be treated and how it was likely to end, without words but with a strong hug.

Thank you, John for forcing me to figure out for myself what you could so easily have told me and then for the wry grin you would give me when I marched back into your office having finally figured out what you were pushing me to see. And for your tolerance when for the first 5 minutes I actually thought I had come up with the idea myself.

Thank you, John for creating a wonderful work environment at HPA that taught me so many things about both life and business and how they differ. The friendships developed among the people you gathered together there have lasted many, many years. It was there that I got my first glimpse of your deep and endless love for Jacqui when during your staff meeting she called and you answered in a completely different voice; lower, loving and gentle. We all got up and left as we knew we were eavesdropping on a great love affair.

Thank you, John for being willing to work with me several times since those days at HPA, and for continuing to give me your guidance without judgment. You were never without your opinions about what I was pursuing, you just were supportive of me wandering around figuring things out for myself.

Thank you, John for always taking my calls and always answering my e-mails and always asking first in these past few years if my son was safe as he was more often deployed than at home. You knew how truly terrified I was and it helped to have you ask in that incredibly warm gentle way you had of talking to me. Your profound objection to the war never got in the way of caring about my son and my heart-numbing fear.

Thank you, John for letting me from time to time get a glimpse of the amazing man behind the amazing businessman. The way you conducted your life and your long deep love affair with Jacqui is well imprinted on me and I thank you for the experience of having known you.

And one last thank you, John for I know that you forgive me for being incapable of attending your memorial because I am unable to graciously let go and accept that I will never be able to talk to you again.

Thank you, Jacqui for sharing John and your life with him. May you gain comfort from his friends and the many warm memories.

Susy (Schleuning) Kreiskott