Sunday, July 10, 2016
Dear John,
I wanted to express my sincere condolences on the loss of your wonderful father. While it's been many years since we have seen one another, I do think of you often, hoping that you are doing well my friend. I wanted to share that your father left an indelible mark on me, as I have always admired him for his professionalism, his unwavering confidence, and for the way he cared for his family and for almost everyone he came in contact with. He was most certainly a giving man, and to this day, I truly believe that a large portion of my success was attributed to your fathers care for me, the great advice that he would share, and for the times that I had the good fortune to watch him in action, as he wowed and audience with the way he projected his intended message. One of my favorite stories that I have shared many times with individuals who have expressed a fear of public speaking, was the time that your father and I were waiting on stage to conduct a presentation in front of the Genesee Brewery Management team, and the entire Sales and Marketing group, and he was scheduled to go on before me. To my surprise, this man who I admired so much, was pacing back in forth in front of me. I remember thinking, how could this man who projects this incredible presence on stage be nervous, and then I realized that it really wasn't nerves, it was just his way of preparing and rehearsing what he wanted to say. In the end, I realized that as long as you were prepared, and you were ready to carry forward your message, you too could be like Jack Reifenrath. I have carried that with me all these years, and I will always cherish those times that I had the great fortune of being in the presence of a true professional, who was a gentlemen and a giant in my eyes. The world has lost a wonderful man, and I wanted you to know how deeply sorry I was to hear of his passing. I realize that this may be an inappropriate time to offer this John, but I would love to catch up with you sometime, so please feel free to reach out anytime at 585-770-4046 or treed@hillyard.com. My sincere condolences to you and your entire family.
