An Honor

I have written before about the company I work for. I have debated on other blogs and with people I meet about if a company can have a soul. Companies can have souls. They come from owners and managers that care about each other and the welfare of the endeavor. I work for such a company.

Monday one of the partners passed away. Eric Courtenay Pepys left us.

Today I had the honor of attending a service dedicated to his life. 

The service was held in Crystal Cathedral. Dr. Robert Schuller and Rev. Glenn DeMaster Officiated. The room was filled with hundreds of people Eric had touched. Friends, family, neighbors. 

And even though I have known him for almost 14 years of my life; I realized how much I did not know. I did not know how deeply he had touched the lives of people around me. Until I began to reflect on it, I did not realize how much he had impacted me, my career and my perspective on work & life.

A theme that keeps playing over and over since last November is I have taken too much for granted. I have failed to identify what is really important and invest in my time and emotion in it. This week of reflecting on Eric’s impact in my life has yet again given me another lesson.

I began last week thinking the loss was Tragic and Untimely. I had seen him a couple days before. We had laughed and he kidded us. He was upbeat and made sure to let us know what a good job we were doing. It was not comprensible that he was gone.

As the week dragged on I had dropped the words Tragic and Untimely. I had begun to think not of the sad loss but of the good. Of the lives touched. Of the family built. Of the charities supported.

He always projected a good energy that was contagious. When he visited our facility coworkers would be quick to engage him. They wanted to show him what we were doing. I never thought much of this before. In other companies I had worked for no one ever sought out the owner unless it was to ask for something or to complain. People usually avoid the owner; they want to look busy. Not with Eric. We wanted to engage him because he was supportive.

Of his four children I have know three. I have seen how difficult it must have been sometime to be child of Eric. He was involved on an epic scale. Listening to his eldest daughter speak today it was clear I knew very little of the degree by which  he participated. What was also unclear before today was how valuable that involvement was. His family, full of all the issues I am sure they have like any other family, was connected. 

The service was beautiful. His family is beautiful. And even though they grieve this tremendous loss you can not help but be jealous. It is hard not to want to be a part of something this great.

Eric Courtenay Pepys

January 10, 1936 - January 19, 2009

Added 01/27/2009:

The Pepys family has been a long time supporter of the Orangewood Foundation. I encourage you to follow the link and spend a moment learning about their fantastic work. Donations can be made to the Pepys Family College Scholarship Fund online using your credit card by following this link.

Here is a link to Eric’s Obituary.