Two of my colleagues were killed in a plane crash early Tuesday evening just a little north of here.
I knew Dave for two years, as it was two years ago Tuesday that I began in my current position with my company, and Dave's was the first program I took fiduciary responsibility for. The day I met this retired Navy pilot with a Cheshire cat smile, I had him pegged for a crazy old man who wasn't terribly enamored with us pesky financial types nosing around in his program. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized that I couldn't have been more incorrect. Dave respected my work, respected what I provided him - and I think he respected me. (He respected me enough to call me a bean-counter at every opportunity, and I relished the jibing, wore the playful insult like a badge of honor.)
Dave had little tolerance for bullshit, and as such, he forced me to up my game, so to speak. When I took the position, I knew very little about government contracts and the quirky financial issues sometimes tied up in them, and as such, tried to cover my ignorance with BS. Dave saw through it, and as such, I owe him much for where I am today, because if he hadn't asked the probing questions, if he hadn't made me learn quickly about the financial side of his very difficult-to-manage contract, I doubt that I would have lasted this long - and for that, Dave, I thank you from the very bottom of my heart.
About a year and half ago, I went into Dave's office to discuss an issue on his contract, only to encounter a loud, gregarious, incredibly friendly man - and that was when I met Mark for the first time. Dave had brought the former Navy chopper pilot on as his deputy, and it was evident within a short time that Dave had made a spot-on hire. Mark became a rising star in the company in the short time he was with us - hell, the dude had a corner office on the bottom floor of the new building (although he insisted that he wasn't too impressed with it, because it was right next to an outside door, and they could boot him out on a moment's notice).
At least every other day, we'd have the same conversation: "Hey Mark, how's it going?" "Livin' the dream, man."
Corny, right? Thing is, Mark was being sincere about it. Always cheerful, always smiling - and I can probably count on one hand the number of times since I met him that I'd gone through a day without seeing a look of pure happiness on his face. What an amazing attitude he brought to his job, and how sad that I've only really appreciated it in the face of his loss, in the aftermath of the tragedy that struck in a Greene County soybean field on Tuesday night.
God, what a couple of characters we lost last night. They will be terribly missed in these quarters, both on a personal and professional level. I pray that their families will eventually find peace.
I knew Dave for two years, as it was two years ago Tuesday that I began in my current position with my company, and Dave's was the first program I took fiduciary responsibility for. The day I met this retired Navy pilot with a Cheshire cat smile, I had him pegged for a crazy old man who wasn't terribly enamored with us pesky financial types nosing around in his program. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized that I couldn't have been more incorrect. Dave respected my work, respected what I provided him - and I think he respected me. (He respected me enough to call me a bean-counter at every opportunity, and I relished the jibing, wore the playful insult like a badge of honor.)
Dave had little tolerance for bullshit, and as such, he forced me to up my game, so to speak. When I took the position, I knew very little about government contracts and the quirky financial issues sometimes tied up in them, and as such, tried to cover my ignorance with BS. Dave saw through it, and as such, I owe him much for where I am today, because if he hadn't asked the probing questions, if he hadn't made me learn quickly about the financial side of his very difficult-to-manage contract, I doubt that I would have lasted this long - and for that, Dave, I thank you from the very bottom of my heart.
About a year and half ago, I went into Dave's office to discuss an issue on his contract, only to encounter a loud, gregarious, incredibly friendly man - and that was when I met Mark for the first time. Dave had brought the former Navy chopper pilot on as his deputy, and it was evident within a short time that Dave had made a spot-on hire. Mark became a rising star in the company in the short time he was with us - hell, the dude had a corner office on the bottom floor of the new building (although he insisted that he wasn't too impressed with it, because it was right next to an outside door, and they could boot him out on a moment's notice).
At least every other day, we'd have the same conversation: "Hey Mark, how's it going?" "Livin' the dream, man."
Corny, right? Thing is, Mark was being sincere about it. Always cheerful, always smiling - and I can probably count on one hand the number of times since I met him that I'd gone through a day without seeing a look of pure happiness on his face. What an amazing attitude he brought to his job, and how sad that I've only really appreciated it in the face of his loss, in the aftermath of the tragedy that struck in a Greene County soybean field on Tuesday night.
God, what a couple of characters we lost last night. They will be terribly missed in these quarters, both on a personal and professional level. I pray that their families will eventually find peace.
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