Father and son

A few weeks ago I attended a dinner honoring the career of one of my architecture profs who had just retired.  It was one of those "This Is Your Life" type affairs, with lots of faculty and alumni enjoying a fine Marriot style catered meal in the style of the ubiquitous banquet,the perfunctory powerpoint slide show with nice music, and comments from former students and colleagues from the dais, in the manner of a gentle roast.

This man was quite influential in my education, and I owe lots to him, especially the low key nature that he would approach problems and the deliberate way he taught me to solve them.  The highlight of the evening for me, however, was not the honor we placed on him.  It was actually an observation of the respect that a current colleague of mine received.  As someone I work with daily, it was a treat to see him return to be among friends and mentors from 18 or so years ago--the true appreciation of this guy as a person was evident and remarkable to me.

Unfortunately, this weekend we attended his father's funeral.  While the sadness was abundant, the people who showed up at the modified shiva and funeral demonstrated yet again just how loved this man was and how loved his remaining family is.   The kind words by various relatives that described his father can easily be attributed to my friend.  That said, I feel like I knew him, even though I never met him, because I will see him through his son on a daily basis.  By all accounts he was a good man, as is this guy.  Rest in peace, Dr. W.