Larry & Legacies

Those that know me, know that my dad passed earlier this year. I was lucky enough to work with my dad, my hero, twice in my life. Once I had a College summer job in accounts at Glaco Building products. Years later, after the recession in 2008, the same company’s corporate office fired him and every other “high salary” (aka older worker) across their sites.  Much to my protest of “nepotism,” my boss hired him to do outreach and work the men’s suit closet at CAL. 

Despite my initial protests, he did an amazing job for CAL. To this day, people ask me about him (sometimes referring to him as my “brother” ). When he was still ‘slinging siding’ he once told me that he was proud of the work my mom and I do for people (helping fields, sorry Jim he was proud of you too). I’m so glad he had the opportunity to do the same. 

Independent Living is a movement not a moment and he bought into it. A friend of mine says that the final stage of grief is not acceptance, but #6 finding meaning. And while I’m by no means out of the early stages, I thought I could at least give some meaning this year. 

So I’m fundraising for CAL. Not just for my dad, but those we’ve lost over the years who have made our world a better place, including Jackie Koch, Angela Casey, Stephanie Brimmer, Francis Hurrigan, and many more.