About This Blog
It was June of 2012 when I got the call to interview for the position as Geoffrey‘s new assistant. I was told by my friend Stacie (his previous right arm) that he was a “project guy,” and that he was always working on something new and creative. I also heard he may be a tad particular about the person with whom he’d be working so closely and that I would have to pass a series of questions over the phone. Excited and aiming to please, I gave him a ring. He ran me through the usual battery of questions one might expect in an interview: What was my professional background? How technologically savvy was I? (something that I would come to find out was of the utmost importance, as he had a fire in him when it came to technological innovation). Then he said, “Now for the most important question…what’s your position on sandwiches?”
“I am pro sandwich,” I said. And that sealed the deal.
I did the math and over the course of our time together; I figure I ate roughly 500 of his housekeeper Glady’s delicious lunchmeat sandwiches, so this was in no way an irrelevant question. I miss our lunchtime chats fiercely.
Over the years we spent hours upon hours turning the fascinating stories of Geoffrey’s life into blogs. The days sometimes felt long, and as we sat in his office elbow to elbow sharing very tight air space (pre-COVID of course) we would ebb and flow between creativity and stagnation, humor and frustration.
I’ll always remember that whenever he could sense I was becoming antsy he would just smile, and with a twinkle in his eye say “hey girl, I never promised you a rose garden,” which would of course make me giggle and immediately remedy any restlessness I may have felt. He was good in that way.
Much due to our large generational gap we brought very different viewpoints to the table, learning so much about the world through the other’s experience, and because of that we developed one of the sweetest most unique friendships with which I have ever been blessed.
Never have I met a man so genuinely loved and admired. Geoffrey knew how to make people feel special, it was one of his great gifts. He was kind and generous beyond measure and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t beam when speaking about him. He was a real class act, a true mensch.
I feel so very honored to have been a part of Geoffrey’s life, and I am thrilled that this site will continue to celebrate his legacy and preserve his stories so that everyone who knew him, and some who did not, can ever be in touch with the brilliant, warm, compassionate man that he was.
Hats off to you “Boss Man.”