John and
I shared many classes together at Lower Moreland High, and it was there
that I got to know him as a person. I was immediately impressed by his
warmth, kindness and intelligence. I am very thankful to have had the
opportunity to learn from John, not just with respect to academics,
but with respect to life. John always had a positive attitude and tried
constantly to instill this in others like myself. Besides our desire
to learn, John and I also shared a passion for tennis. I was equally
amazed by his athleticism as I was by his friendliness and sincerity.
I will always smile when I think of John for he always managed to brighten
my day. I am grateful to John for teaching me to be optimistic and for
helping me to succeed academically and athletically. He will always
hold a special place in my heart.
John graduated
fourth in his high school class of 225 and was awarded the $2000 Alumni
scholarship, “given to the member of the graduating class who exhibits
academic achievement, good character and outstanding service to the school.”
He was accepted
into the University of Pennsylvania where he majored in Sociology. His
thesis was written around the controversy over lodgings in Philadelphia
for Aids victims. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude, at the
top of his class and went to work for APM, a firm that consulted to hospitals
and healthcare institutions.
John always had
a terrific sense of humor, as witnessed by his “home made” greeting cards:
BELATED BIRTHDAY
CARD TO HIS SISTER, 1988:
LINDA, A little
story for you:
There once
was a man who got this gigantic birthday cake for his friend. It was
soooo big that he couldn’t lift it. He tried to lift it using a lever,
but the lever method proved unsuccessful. Then he called over his
humongous friend, Nate. He told Nate to bring the cake to his friend
and he did. The moral of this story is...BETTER NATE THAN LEVER.
Happy Birthday,
Love,
John
xoxoxoxo
ANNIVERSARY CARD
TO HIS PARENTS, 1989:
An anniversary
profundity: Correlate Mr. Ed with Ed McMahon??? Mr. Ed was a television
horse that spoke like a man. Ed McMahon is a television host that
laughs like a horse. This leaves us with the perplexing question of
whether two “Eds” are better than one.
HAPPY anniversary
Love, John.
BIRTHDAY CARD
TO HIS DAD, 1989:
When
Dad’s have Nightmares
(Picture of a tree with money growing on it)
Dad
saying:: Oh no, Now what do I tell the kids?
Happy Birthday
Dad! A silly card from a somewhat sillier son.
Love, John
At the time of
his death at age 26, caused by a collision with a drunken driver, John
was Manager of Client Services of APM/CSC Healthcare of Framingham, MA.
A female co-worker
writes :
...John
will be missed by so many people. It was my pleasure to work with John
at APM. I worked with him during the first few months of the Mountain
Home, Arkansas project. We spent considerable time together trying to
get all the work completed. I’ll always remember the birthday I spent
with John in Mountain Home. We were working late and I was feeling sorry
for myself. John suddenly left the office about 9 PM explaining that
he would return shortly. I couldn’t imagine where he was going with
so much work waiting. To my surprise and delight, he returned with a
wonderful birthday cake. Not an easy feat to find a birthday cake in
Mountain Home at 9 PM! This is the kind of person John was, kind and
thoughtful. He touched so many people in a positive way during his short
life.
Other colleagues
write:
...I
was struck by his intelligence, sensitivity and good humor. He touched
a lot of lives and left the world a better place than when he found
it. I am glad I had the privilege of knowing John, even a little bit.
I
had the privilege of working with John. He was a fine human being; warm,
compassionate and extremely intelligent. He will be sorely missed by
all those whose lives he touched.
I
met and worked briefly with John here at CSC. In the short time that
I knew him, I was struck by the combination of his intelligence and
warmth. He was very bright, was a great contributor to the company and
had an engaging sense of humor. Everyone who knew John, no matter how
briefly, will always remember him.
...John
touched many lives and leaves behind a legacy of people helping people.
A doctor he worked
with writes:
During
the year that I worked with John, I was so very impressed by the remarkable
intellect, passion, dedication, ambition, enthusiasm and sensitivity
that he rolled into one engaging and trusting soul. He touched and enriched
so many lives. We shall all strive to live and work in the same way
that John lived and worked so that his heart and soul will forever be
a part of us.
The President of
APM/CSC Healthcare writes:
...John
was a standard setter at our company. John could master intellectual
content very rapidly, and in fact in the last two years spent most of
his time working with brilliant clinicians to develop new intellectual
content that had practical commercial value. But what stands out most
to me was John’s very effective personal style that was confident, comfortable
giving direction yet not domineering, and able to engage with and constructively
motivate all with whom he came in contact: his technical staff, senior
consultants, and the top leadership of his clients and potential clients.
We have received many phone calls from his clients, all of whom remember
John as a standout and significant contributor not only to their businesses,
but their own careers and personal development as well.
John’s New England
friends held a tribute to him in July, 1997. The program for the event
featured this poem by George Bernard Shaw that personifies John’s approach
to life:
This
is the true joy in life,
being used for a purpose recognized by
yourself as a mighty one;
Being
a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish
little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that
the world will not devote itself to making me happy.
I
am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community
and as long as I live,
It is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.
I
want to be thoroughly used up when I die,
for the harder I work, the more I live.
I rejoice in life for its own sake.
Life
is no “brief candle” to me.
It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment,
and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it
on to future generations.
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