The Term Friend Is More Than Just A Word

I think I’ve been very fortunate in my lifetime to have surrounded myself with a number of great friends and acquaintances who have helped to make my journey through life a more enriching and pleasant experience. These last dozen years have unfortunately brought along a terrible sadness that leaves a void where their friendships, knowledge, and guidance have previously occupied. Many of those relationships are the basis for who we are today as individuals.

Once again, I’ve found myself saying a sad farewell to a great friend over this last weekend with the passing of an individual whom I had come to consider a close friend and confidant over the last several years. He would end up losing a battle that has taken all too many of our friends over the years.

Bob Brown was not an individual who sought recognition or the limelight. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, it was because it was something that needed to be said. He was a man of great integrity and demonstrated the highest of ethical standards. He didn’t mince his words but instead spoke directly to the issue before him when he served as a city councilor or as a member of some of the other committees we jointly served on.

He brought with him a Midwestern no nonsense approach to solving problems, and when he and his wife sold their home here on the island and purchased a condo, his approach to solving problems was quickly leveraged to the benefit of other owners. 

As Bob and I shared similar marketing backgrounds, we frequently shared philosophies about boosting sales performance among those who worked with us. We shared a joint belief that people were indeed the greatest asset of any organization, and as such, the need to invest in them would eventually bring forth the greatest return on that investment and subsequently would bring the greatest long-term results.

I know we often hear the old adage about  “picking your friends wisely,”  but it was another lesson that was reinforced by Bob’s presence in my life, as well as so many others here on the island. His friendship helped to reinforce the need for us all to be a better friend to those we’ve surrounded ourselves with.

Yes, the greatest gift one can give to another is that of friendship, but it entails so much more than just having a cold beverage once in a while. A friend, a true friend, is one you know you can trust and who has great respect for you. Take these lessons seriously and surround yourself with those who inspire you and enhance your life. Bob was that kind of individual, and he will be missed by so many. Those who were lucky enough to call Bob a friend did so because of the character of the man which they, like I, could directly relate to. 

Bob will be reuniting with the best friend he has ever made during his time here in the bond he created with the one true love in his life, his wife Mary Beth, who passed from us just over ten years ago. He was never too proud to say how much he missed her and the joy they shared during their marriage.

Bob, your dry sense of humor and your love of community will certainly be missed here, as well as our many discussions and honest exchanges of ideas. You will be missed.