Tuesday, May 28, 2019
I like to think of George Lavelle as more of a mentor than boss. He actually took time to teach me the art of supervising; he let me do what I thought best, but later said how he would have handled it. Learn the people and treat them based on that knowledge. Everybody's different and deserves to be treated with respect. I really tried to do just that. Of course, being a Christian, I wanted to be fair at all times. And that is where we both stood. He understood me and I understood him. There was a mutual respect, with him meeting my parents, and with me meeting his family. I am happy that he got to enjoy his retirement. And he became very active in his church; a doer, not a hearer only. We often talked about church and religion. In his heart, he was that guy. Not everyone knew this; I am so happy and grateful that he shared that part with me. He wasn't perfect...he had flaws....I have seen him upset and yelling.....then he'd call over to my department to see what we wanted to order for lunch. He was no push-over, but he had a soft spot. The many who attended his services were witness to that side of him. We shared some funny stories; they weren't funny at the time.....but, over the years. Thanks for the love, the fun, the teachings, the lessons. We will continue to talk about you, until we meet again, my friend.
